Pop-Up Event

Gatepost has news about the artists and makers C&C showcase online and in our exhibitions. To receive notification of C&C's exhibitions subscribe to the newsletter using the sign up form by clicking here.
  • First week of Double Take: James Evans, Susan Gunn and Tassie Russell

    Four hundred in four days, visit The Crypt Gallery
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Installation by James Evans, Susan Gunn and Tassie Russell
    Installation by James Evans, Susan Gunn and Tassie Russell
    Double Take opened on Friday 10 May and we have already welcomed over 400 visitors to view work by James Evans, Susan Gunn and Tassie Russell.
  • Open Studio at The Crypt

    Rosie Phillips meets with visitors to discuss her paintings
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Students from Writer's Bloc creative writing group Norwich School
    Students from Writer's Bloc creative writing group Norwich School
    Rosie Phillips began her residency at Norwich School on January 10th. She has welcomed pupils, teachers, school staff, caretakers to the studio and during this last week from February (5th to the 7th), Rosie has welcomed forty visitors, from the school's student groups like a creative writing class (Writer's Bloc), to visiting Norwich-based artists and collectors at a series of open days. She has talked about her work, what inspires her, how she selects her sitters, her interest in their background stories, and she has answered their questions to the best of her ability.
  • Inviting the next generation in

    King's Oak Primary School Visit
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Inviting the next generation in
    More than forty pupils from King’s Oak Primary School, King's Lynn came to visit our current exhibition Heads & Tails with their teachers.
  • Urban Frame: Mutiny in Colour

    Street art comes to West Suffolk
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Urban Frame: Mutiny in Colour
    We set off this past Thursday for the launch of the first part of an exhibition of street art organised by West Suffolk cultural organisations, who have joined forces to host Urban Frame: Mutiny in Colour.
  • Off the blocks with East to East

    Art and Craft with an Asian Influence
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Off the blocks with East to East
    And we're off...
    We have begun installation in the Stables at Houghton Hall. Here are a few glimpses of the inspiring new work included in the exhibition East to East, opening on Sunday 23 April.
  • Spotlight: Nessie Stonebridge

    Capturing Raw Nature
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Nessie Stonebridge working in her studio
    Nessie Stonebridge working in her studio
    Nessie Stonebridge's paintings depict the explosive energy of rural Norfolk's avian splendor, where her studio is based. A flash of light, feathers, beaks; a vortex of vitality, blood, life and death!
  • Sean Scully Exhibition Coming Soon

    Opens 23 Apil – 29 October, 2023
    Paul Barratt, Director and Curator at Contemporary and Country by Paul Barratt
    Crate of Air, 2018. ©Sean-Scully. Courtesy the artist and YSP (Yorkshire Sculpture Park). Photo © Jonty-Wilde
    Crate of Air, 2018. ©Sean-Scully. Courtesy the artist and YSP (Yorkshire Sculpture Park). Photo © Jonty-Wilde
    It is a rare moment for art audiences in the UK as internationally acclaimed artist Sean Scully opens a solo exhibition of his sculpture and paintings, displayed throughout the house and grounds of Houghton Hall, Norfolk. Scully has exhibited internationally, during a long career. Smaller Than The Sky will be one of the visual art events of the year in East Anglia.
  • Living the Dream

    Preparing for the year ahead with all its challenges and opportunities
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Living the Dream
    We have witnessed fantastic night skies like this recently - this one painted by Norfolk-based artist, Claire Cansick. Work like this reminds us of the natural beauty surrounding us but also represents the opportunity to lift our gaze to see beyond the everyday. Can we really live the dream?
  • Compendia Guide 2022/23

    C&C are in on the inside track guide to Norwich and Norfolk
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Compendia Guide 2022/23
    Compendia is a new, comprehensive guide to independent businesses and organisations,that make Norwich and Norfolk so unique and such a great location to live. It includes Contemporary and Country. The guide features the best places to find culture, art, eat, drink, go shopping, for sleep and healing in Norwich and Norfolk.
  • Avant Gardeners Concludes

    End of season at Houghton Hall Stables
    Paul Barratt, Director and Curator at Contemporary and Country by Paul Barratt
    Avant Gardeners Concludes
    As the Dahlias tip over into each other, drawn down with the weight of their heads, and we de-install Andrew Jones's wonderful kinetic sculptures in the walled garden, we are thankful to have reached the end of the summer season at Houghton Hall Stables.
  • Paul Barratt, Director and Curator at Contemporary and Country by Paul Barratt
    The Granary Gallery: It's All Happening Here
    We have put the final touches to our summer installation at The Granary Gallery this week. The seasonal refresh brings with it a selection of established artists based on the north coast to the second phase of the exhibition and several new artists we have introduced, showing with us for the first time. Alongside them are new examples of work from one or two of the artists we opened with for this ongoing project on the second floor of The Granary store.
  • Second week of River's Edge exhibition

    Showcasing artists and makers from East Anglia
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Second week of River's Edge exhibition
    This is week two of C&C's current exhibition River's Edge at BallroomArts, (Formerly known as The Peter Pears Gallery) - at 152A High Street Aldeburgh. Situated just back from the beach and off the main high street.
  • River's Edge: Shoreline Finds

    Sculpture by Jack Wheeler and Beth Groom
    Paul Barratt, Director and Curator at Contemporary and Country by Paul Barratt
    Installation of sculpture by Jack Wheeler, River's Edge
    Installation of sculpture by Jack Wheeler, River's Edge
    Jack Wheeler and Beth Groom are sculptors who met at Norwich Art School (NUA) while they were still undergraduates. The pair have since carved out their separate careers. Jack as a Carpenter specialising in bespoke carpentry, hand-built timber buildings and Beth as an Art Therapist working in a care facility for people with learning difficulties, Along side these activities they work together as artists on their creative projects.
  • Exhibition opening for River's Edge

    C&C at BallroomArts, Aldeburgh, Suffolk
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Legend 13, Aldeburgh, by Ed Lee, River's Edge at BallroomArts, Suffolk
    Legend 13, Aldeburgh, by Ed Lee, River's Edge at BallroomArts, Suffolk
    A huge thank you to Ben of Fishers Gin and his team at @fishersgin and Claire and her team at Aldeburgh Outside Catering who made our private view @ballroomartsaldeburgh last night go so well, providing refreshing smoked gin cocktails and delicious canapés. Our River's Edge pop-up exhibition runs for the first two weeks of the Aldeburgh Festival @brittenpearsarts in Snape and throughout the Suffolk coast. The Courtyard Gallery at BallroomArts contains art and handmade items by artists and makers from across East Anglia, all have a connection to the East Anglian landscape.
  • River's Edge: Exhibition Launch

    Group exhibition at BallroomArts, Aldeburgh
    Paul Barratt, Director and Curator at Contemporary and Country by Paul Barratt
    River's Edge, Jack Wheeler's installation at BallroomArts
    River's Edge, Jack Wheeler's installation at BallroomArts
    C&C's latest pop-up exhibition at BallroomArts, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, is opening Tuesday 7 June at 10am, taking place in both gallery spaces. The Courtyard Gallery, at ground level contains a group exhibition comprising more than twenty artists who have a strong connection with the Suffolk coast and the landscape of East Anglia.The first floor ballroom houses bird sculptures by the late Emily Mayer, new sculpture by Jack Wheeler and Beth Groom.
  • Additions to the Houghton Hall Contemporary Art Collection

    New additions make a visit to Houghton even more memorable for 2022
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Tony Cragg installation at Houghton Hall 2021
    Tony Cragg installation at Houghton Hall 2021
    Making a day out rediscovering the wonders of the main house after being closed for two years due to COVID restrictions gives visitors an opportunity to fall in love with the art inside the house and outside in the gardens and parkland again.

  • KL Magazine

    300 Years Anniversary of Houghton Hall
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    KL Magazine
    A big thank you to the team at KL Magazine for their article covering the special 300th anniversary year at Houghton Hall. This coincided with the May 1st opening of our exhibition in the stables,"Avant Gardeners" as well as our collaboration with Jarrold Norwich, setting up The Granary Gallery, Pop-Up exhibition on the second floor at The Granary in Bedford Street, Norwich.
  • New International Art Award Launched

    The Vasseur BALTIC Artists' Award
    Paul Barratt, Director and Curator at Contemporary and Country by Paul Barratt
    Tim Bliss (right) Isabel's husband and Roman Vassseur (left) one of Isabel's son's at the launch event
    Tim Bliss (right) Isabel's husband and Roman Vassseur (left) one of Isabel's son's at the launch event
    This summer C&C will be fundraising for the Vasseur BALTIC Artists'Award launched last week at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, named after Isabel Vasseur (1942-2021). Isabel was a pioneering commissioner and supporter of artists from the UK and internationally. The award for international artists has sbeen created in recognition of her long association in promoting international art commissions and her connections with East Anglia the North East and her work with the BALTIC as a trustee.

  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    The Granary Gallery: C&C's pop-up in Norwich
    We are looking forward to welcoming you to C&C's Open Weekend of our pop-up event on the second floor Granary Gallery, The Granary, Bedford Street, Norwich this weekend, from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 April (10.30am to 4.30pm). The artists and makers in our spring installation "It's All Happening Here" have been selected for a capsule collection:
  • Spotlight: Redefining the Still Life

    Polly Cruse at The Granary Gallery from April 1
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Spotlight: Redefining the Still Life
    Norwich-based artist Polly Cruse's work encompasses photography and sculpture within the tradition of Still Life. She focusses on the relationships between the intangible and the material aspects of the everyday. We are showing her work in several of our pop-up exhibitions this year, including at The Granary Gallery from April 1


  • The Granary Gallery, Norwich / C&C – Spring 2022

    Norwich's newest pop-up art space opens April 1
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    The Granary Gallery, Norwich / C&C – Spring 2022
    We are delighted to be establishing a new space for showing art and the handmade at The Granary Gallery, Bedford Street, Norwich on 1 April.  The new pop-up art gallery has been established in partnership with Jarrold, Norwich's flagship department store.

  • Gallery Visit: The Art of Roller Skating by Debby Besford

    An Original Projects exhibition at PRIMEYARC, 5 March - 1 May, Market Gates, Great Yarmouth
    Paul Barratt, Director and Curator at Contemporary and Country by Paul Barratt
    Gallery Visit: The Art of Roller Skating by Debby Besford
    The Art of Roller Skating is an exhibition by artist and documentary photographer Debby Besford, celebrating the artistic roller skating heritage of Great Yarmouth.
    The exhibition has been organised and hosted by Original Projects, held at PRIMEYARC, Market Gates, Great Yarmouth, from 5 March  to 1 May 2022. The exhibition also incorporates stories, artefacts and memorabilia invited from the community, to activate relationships, events and activities throughout the show.
  • Avant Gardeners

    New C&C exhibition will open 1 May 2022
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Avant Gardeners
    Our next exhibition Avant Gardeners will be in the Stables at Houghton Hall, from 1 May until 25 September 2022. It will celebrate the horticultural and cultivated landscape behind and beyond the garden wall.
  • Gallery visit: Welcome to My World

    New paintings by Linda Jamieson
    Paul Barratt, Director and Curator at Contemporary and Country by Paul Barratt
    Linda Jamieson, Singing in the Toxic Rain 2021, 104 x 104cm
    Linda Jamieson, Singing in the Toxic Rain 2021, 104 x 104cm
    Linda Jamieson has used the last eighteen months to create a new body of work, the subject of an all too brief pop-up exhibition in London recently.
     
  • Autumn Collection 2021

    Colin Self prints included among collection of art and the handmade from across East Anglia
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Autumn Collection 2021
    Autumn is upon us and I am listening to Marianne Faithfull and Warren Ellis' new album of orchestrated spoken poetry called "She Walks in Beauty" with sleeve and promo imagery provided by Norwich-based pop artist Colin Self. We are currently showing Colin's series of limited edition prints including some that feature on the album in our current pop-up exhibition at Houghton Hall.


  • Spotlight: Esmond Bingham

    The language of things
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Spotlight: Esmond Bingham
    Suffolk-based sculptor Esmond Bingham works across a variety of media both 2D and 3D and on scales ranging from the environmental to the miniature. Although essentially non-representational his work is concerned with the physical, emotional and psychological language and the creative potential of everyday preocupations and materials.
  • Spotlight: Buckmaster and French

    Etchings that separate the wood from the trees
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Spotlight: Buckmaster and French
    We are currently showing a cleverly conceived series etchings of British native trees by Suffolk-based printmakers Buckmaster and French - all are printed on paper made from the leaves of the trees that they depict. Delicate and ethereal using natural materials, these beautifully framed works present the print between two panes of glass so the intricacy of the paper sheet can be appreciated. They are for sale in our pop-up in the Stables at Houghton Hall until 26 September.

  • Pop, Rock, Paper, Scissors

    Rowan Mantell of the Eastern Daily Press on our new pop-up at Houghton Hall
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Pop, Rock, Paper, Scissors

    Bringing pop artist Colin Self's collaboration with Marianne Faithfull who used his watercolours of local Norfolk landscapes around Brundell on the album cover for her new release "She Walks in Beauty"

  • Spotlight: Joni Smith

    Mapping the unseen landscape
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Joni Smith, paper cut artist, Norwich 2021
    Joni Smith, paper cut artist, Norwich 2021
    We are showing a capsule collection of Joni Smith's impressive paper cut artworks in our latest pop-up Rock Paper Scissors #rockpaperscissors at ther Stables Houghton Hall. Joni builds fictitious worlds using everyday printed material like maps and charts. Since the advent of digital GPS devices printed maps are seen as redundant, however not by Joni. She sees this devalued material as a rich source for inspiration, and uses maps and atlases cutting into them, reordering them creating new configurations, making landscape more fluid in its interpretation.

  • Bank Holiday at Houghton Hall

    Houghton Hall Horse Trials final day
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Installation 28 May, foregrounding Kathryn Hearn's Flail & Lay Large Vessel 2, 2021
    Installation 28 May, foregrounding Kathryn Hearn's Flail & Lay Large Vessel 2, 2021
    We will be open this coming Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. Be sure to come and say hello when visiting the Tony Cragg sculpture exhibition, as well as the permanent collection, walled garden and the popular Houghton Horse Trials.
  • Rock Paper Scissors opens

    Art and objects produced with their making in mind
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Painting the gates at Houghton Hall by Elaine Pamphilon ©2021
    Painting the gates at Houghton Hall by Elaine Pamphilon ©2021
    We're opening the doors to our latest pop-up exhibition encompassing art and handmade objects fashioned with the process of their making in mind. We are welcoming visitors from Wednesday19th May, until September 26. Come and discover beautiful, dynamic and thought provoking works from more than 40 exhibitors.
    Visit the website for opening times and ticket prices to enter the Houghton Hall estate and to gain entry to the Tony Cragg sculpture exhibition:Houghton Hall Book Tickets
  • The sea, the limitless skies

    Sarah Paramor's amazing basketry comes to Norfolk
    The sea, the limitless skies
    Sarah Paramor is the first basket maker that C&C have invited to showcase her work as part of our look at the cultural sector on a national level. Sarah lives and works in Applecross, on the coast of West Scotland and has exhibited nationally and internationally and is a regular contributor to Craft Scotland. See more of her work this summer in Rock Paper Scissors in the Stables at Houghton Hall, running alongside the exhibition of sculpture by Tony Cragg in the house, gardens and park.
  • Spring Salon - #1

    Living with art and the handmade
    Spring Salon - #1
    We are publishing a series of images from collections we are currently putting together for clients. Here is the latest Spring Salon installation showing new work by Norwich based artists working with paper (Joni Smith and Ruth Howes) as well as Molly Thomson who creates these delicious constructed boards that sing with colour through her use of multiple layers of poured paint.
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    C&C's next exhibition will be Rock Paper Scissors
    Contemporary and Country’s exhibition Rock, Paper, Scissors encompasses art and handmade objects fashioned with the process of their making in mind. It will run alongside the exhibition by Tony Cragg, opening at Houghton Hall, Norfolk on 19 May and closing 26 September, 2021. Tickets to enter the Houghton Hall Estate are on sale from 19 April (entrance to the Stables will be part of the entrance fee)
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Creative moves for 2021
    We are delighted to continue to work with a selection of established and new artists and makers in 2021. We are also working hard in reaching out to new creative talent from our area, east of England. Some are struggling to keep up their practice under the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions but many are working on creative expressions of hope.
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Hoping for a great Christmas and a creative 2021
    Very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all our friends, customers and those artists we've met and worked with over this past year. Join our mailing list and be the first to hear about our 2021 events or add something unique to your home from our Anglian Collection.
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    New works arrive at our Houghton Hall pop up
    We are delighted to present more new work in our pop up at Houghton Hall. From beautiful design for the home with Katharina Klug's ceramic creations; to amazing handmade paper cut works by Ruth Howes; to breathtaking large photographic art by Gareth Hacon and new painted landscapes from Kate Giles. We are also pleased to have installed new sculptures by Jonathan Clarke.
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Peter Wylie at the Royal Academy Summer Show 2020
    Peter Wylie, currently included in our pop-up exhibition at Houghton Hall Stables, has had a painting selected by artist Jane and Louise Wilson, for their Curated Room at this year's Royal Academy Summer Show - October 2020.
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Keron Beattie nominated for Holt Art Prize
    We are delighted that Keron Beattie, currently showing in our pop up in the stables at Houghton Hall, has been nominated for the Sir John Hurt and Sworders Art Prize, Holt Festival this year. Keron  gained a First Class BA (Hons) in Contemporary Art and Design (2016) and a MA Fine Art with Distinction (2018) from NUA. His work for A Fine Balance is concerned with the natural world under pressure including disconnection with nature and natural cycles.
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Over 25,000 visitors and hundreds of sales later...
    As we expand our work with artists and makers from East Anglia we are entering the second half of our pop up event alongside Anish Kapoor at Houghton Hall, Norfolk - open until November 1.  At the time of writing there have been over 50,000 visitors on site and we have secured over 300 sales for local artists and makers. As works are purchased and taken away we are able to fill gaps to keep our exhibition fresh - making sure that any return visit will not disappoint!
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Putting paint to canvas
    The painters we are showing in A Fine Balance at Houghton Hall Stables, capture the splendor of the natural landscape; depict the beauty of coastal reaches; open fields, fens and woodland. Some work in an abstract style while others are more figurative in representing the landscapes they see and wish to convey.
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Take a walk-through tour of our exhibition A Fine Balance
    We would love to see you in person to show you the works by local artists in A FINE BALANCE - running alongside the Anish Kapoor exhibition at Houghton Hall this summer. You can visit us online too… take a virtual tour of our exhibition with hot spots that link through to each artist on our online shop, so you can see each work that interests you in detail.
  • Escape into art

    EDP Norfolk Magazine, June issue
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Escape into art
    Thanks to Dominic Castle, Editor of Norfolk magazine. It's June edition, just published, features Contemporary and Country on pp52 and 53 - take a look when you get your copy of the magazine this month. We hope you enjoy the range of work we are able to show online. There are some extremely talented, creative people in this part of the country. If there is an artist's work you are particularly interested in, let us know and we will put a collection of their work together for you to view on screen that only you will have access to, in the comfort of your own home.

  • Rolling in Clover

    Creating a Coronation Meadow
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Rolling in Clover
    On a studio visit to see sculptor Rachael Long as we prepared for our showcase - A FINE BALANCE - 6 weeks ago, we were fascinated to learn more about a scheme that she and her family have been involved with on their farm land that lies to the south of Norwich. She explained that they had been working with Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) since 2010.

  • Meet the Curators of C&C

    More about Paul Barratt and Paul Vater
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Meet the Curators of C&C
    Read more here about C&C who have worked together for the past 5 years to bring artists and makers to a wider audience. Contemporary and Country (C&C) brings together the organisational talents of curator Paul Barratt and designer Paul Vater.

  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    A Creative Weekend in Norwich
    Join us at Art Fair East - St Andrews Hall, Norwich. From 29 Nov to 1 Dec 2019 (PV on 28 Nov) See website for opening times and details of all the exhibitors we will be showcasing at this event. Drop an email via the website if you want to come to the Private View on Thursday 28 November (6pm-9pm)

  • Art Fair East

    Our first showcase in Norwich
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Art Fair East
    We are showcasing a number of artists and makers - old and new - at Art Fair East this November at St Andrews Hall, Norwich. Let us know if you would like to attend the Private View on Thursday 28 November by sending an email via our website. Art Fair East closes on Sunday 1 December

  • Thank you

    Our Pop-Up closes tomorrow along with the Henry Moore exhibition
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Thank you
    Don’t miss the Henry Moore exhibition at Houghton Hall that ends tomorrow, Sunday 29 September. Come and pick up a work by local artists, designers and makers. Huge thank you to our sponsors including Norfolk Cottages, ArtOffice, Cheffins and Original Travel and of course for the support of Lord and Lady Cholmondeley and their staff for making this all possible.

  • Nicholas Serota visits our Houghton pop up

    Arts Council report on develpoing a vision for the arts that Improves lives in rural towns
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Nicholas Serota at Houghton Hall, 2017
    Nicholas Serota at Houghton Hall, 2017
    Nicholas Serota talks more about this in his article published in The Guardian newspaper, dated August 26. We have always looked at promoting the contemporary and country based artists and makers across the eastern region.

  • The Guardian publishes a trail across Norfolk

    Taking in Yarmouth to King's Lynn dropping into Houghton Hall en route
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    The Guardian publishes a trail across Norfolk
    We are delighted to have featured in this great article on the contemporary art scene in the Eastern region - a snapshot of activities from Great Yarmouth, Waveney Valley sculpture park, through to Moore at Houghton Hall and our pop up in the stables, and finishing off in King's Lynn.

  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Sponsorship announced for FESTIVAL
    We are grateful to Norfolk Cottages for their generous sponsorship this year. As with our previous events, we have secured supported that are recognized businesses with interests in raising their profile in the arts at this level. Read on to see more about ArtOffice and Cheffins who have also come on board to make this event happen.

     
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    The Ploughman by Colin Self
    The Ploughman by Colin Self
    We are delighted to be showing a selection of work by Norwich resident Colin Self. As Calvin Winner observed: ‘Perhaps the most striking element of Self’s art is that his entire output remains remarkably current and contemporary. His concerns are our concerns, and he continues to reveal and expose art as the essence of life.’

  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Last chance to see Damien Hirst at Houghton Hall
    Have you seen the Damien Hirst exhibition at Houghton Hall yet? This is the last weekend to catch it. We are open alongside with our pop up of 40+ local #artists #designers and #craftspeople - we will reopen on the 18th July but only open Wed, Thurs and Sundays until July 29th (11am to 5pm)

  • Finding our place

    Ordinary Worlds: A new exhibition at Creake Abbey this August
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Ordinary Worlds, August 2018 at Creake Abbey
    Ordinary Worlds, August 2018 at Creake Abbey
    Our forthcoming Pop-Up exhibition, Ordinary Worlds, at Creake Abbey will show a selection of new and recent paintings and works on paper by six Norfolk artists, from 10 to 23 August, 2018.

  • One month and counting

    Looking forward to the opening of our next pop up on 29 March
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    One month and counting
    Just over a month to go before we open our pop up shop in the Stables at Houghton Hall from Sunday 25 March, ending 29 July 2018. We will feature a selection of new work by 40+ of Norfolk’s finest craftspeople and artists from across generations, a few from the wider area of East Anglia – many showing with us for the first time. It will coincide with the Damien Hirst exhibition (March 25 – July 15, 2018).

  • Margaret Mellis - pioneer and mentor

    Discovering more about one of Damien Hirst's early inspirations
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Margaret Mellis
    We are showing four works by the late Margaret Mellis at our Houghton Hall pop-up event this year. She concluded a productive artistic career based in Suffolk, where she brought order to chaos in her playful assemblages. Before her death in 2009, Damien Hirst, an early admirer of her work remarked in 2001, “Why hasn’t someone noticed Margaret Mellis’ contribution to British art?” On this evidence it is time the British art establishment addressed his challenge.

  • "What women really want for Christmas"

    Featured in The Telegraph, 6 December, 2017
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    The Telegraph colour supplement, December 2017
    The Telegraph colour supplement, December 2017
    Thank you to Anna Harvey, The Telegraph's Timeless Style columnist and ex-Deputy Editor of British Vogue who recommended us in her column this week entitled "What women really want for Christmas" Take a look at our Christmas gift ideas, order now and receive your purchases in good time for Christmas.

     
  • Featured in the Financial Times

    Jewellery Designer Monica Vinader - How To Spend It
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Financial Times - How to spend it
    We were delighted to get a mention by Monica Vinader in her interview with the Financial Times – How To Spend It Magazine. In the piece Monica mentions her love of all things Norfolk and our summer pop up at Houghton Hall gets her endorsement! The portrait of Monica taken by Anna Huix is taken in front of the stables and main house at Houghton Hall with the tree stump of Richard Long's White Deer Circle peaking out fo the ground behind her.

  • Norfolk Art Event - 80 Days

    Thank you to the artists and sponsors who made our Pop-Up at The Stables at Houghton Hall so special!
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Norfolk Art Event - 80 Days
    When our pop-up closes in the stables at Houghton Hall on Saturday 30 September, we will have completed eighty days. In those eighty days we have welcomed upwards of 16,000 visitors and sold artworks and designed pieces by over 48 local artists, designers and craftspeople from all across Norfolk. Don't miss your chance to purchase one of these wonderful treasures!

  • It's all In the detail

    Paul P Smith shows his new work at our houghton Hall pop up
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    It's all In the detail
    This months edition of KL Magazine carries an interview with a new artist to arrive in the stables at Houghton Hall – Norwich based artist Paul P Smith. Having been painting for over thirty years we are exhibiting his highly detailed landscapes that tie in with events and experiences in his life. A self-taught artist with a career in psychiatric nursing behind him Paul has an extraordinary approach to painting that we hope visitors will enjoy seeing.

  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Richard Long's sculpture in the Stone Hall at Houghton Hal;l
    Richard Long's sculpture in the Stone Hall at Houghton Hal;l
    We are proud to be opening our latest exhibition alongside one of the most important exhibitions by celebrated Turner Prize-winning British artist, Richard Long, opening on Sunday 30 April 2017 at Houghton Hall, North Norfolk.

  • Collaboration for a great summer

    Norfolk Country Cottages join us again as key sponsor
    Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Norfolk Country Cottages sponsor our event at Houghton Hall
    Norfolk Country Cottages sponsor our event at Houghton Hall
    Norfolk Country Cottages, who supported our last show in Field Dalling in 2016, have joined us again this year as co-sponsors for Norfolk by Design at Houghton Hall.
  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Norfolk Line, Richard Long at Houghton Hall, 2017
    Norfolk Line by Richard Long at Houghton Hall, 2017
    Our next pop-up event opens in the Stables at Houghton Hall this spring and continues throughout the summer. We will be featuring a selection of Norfolk’s finest artists and craftspeople to coincide with a solo exhibition by renowned British artist Richard Long located within the gardens and park.

  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Our first pop up at Houghton Hall, 2017
    Our first pop up at Houghton Hall in 2017 (when known as Norfolk by Design)
    We are pleased to confirm that our next event will take place at Houghton Hall this year. We will open an exhibition space in the Stables at Houghton Hall, home to the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley.

     

  • Paul Vater, Director of Contemporary and Country by Paul Vater
    Into the Woods, December 2016
    Into the Woods, December 2016
    INTO THE WOODS
    2-4 December, 2016
     
    We are delighted to announce the dates for our forthcoming showcase of Norfolk’s finest artists, designer-makers and craftspeople. The exhibition is a pre-Christmas survey of work produced or sourced from Norfolk and the eastern region. Thank you to our sponsor, Norfolk Country Cottages.