Kent is something of a cultural desert when it comes to opportunities to see ceramics. Art of any kind is fairly thin on the ground, which is surprising given the number of artists who live and work in the county. It was therefore a pleasure to get an invitation to the opening of a new gallery. The Little Barn, in Bethersden. The opening exhibition included ceramics from Jane Gibson. We have one of her beautiful pots and it was a great opportunity to catch up with what she has been making lately. There was also work by Janet Jackson, whose pottery we know but this is the first time we have seen her work in glass. The work in paint media was varied and accomplished.
The gallery is situated on a minor road just off the A28. As soon as we were near there were some helpful roadside signs which reassured us. The postcode also provided an accurate indication via Google or Streetmap. From the outside the building looks not so much ‘little’ as tiny. It’s deceptive though. Inside we found a well presented space showing a selection of work from six artists. In addition there were some fine sculptural pieces displayed in the garden just beyond the gallery.
I was foolish not to take some photos, but Jane kindly supplied the ones shown here. It is apparently the intention to run artist workshops or demonstrations from the gallery in the future. We look forward to future visits.
LITTLE BARN STUDIO GALLERY
OLD SURRENDEN MANOR ROAD, BETHERSDEN, TN26 3DF
Thursdays and Fridays 10am – 3pm Saturdays and Sundays 10:30am – 4pm
or by appointment and can be contacted on email via littlebarngallery@gmail.com
Mike's Pad 