What’s On September 2026: Members’ News
Welcome to the September issue of Members’ News. New work selected for our exhibition at Knit and Stitch show is finished and we are excitedly looking forward to seeing it all together next month. Now attention turns to developing new work for our 2027 exhibition but many are also busy exhibiting, giving talks and running workshops.
Exhibitions & Events:
Annie Taylor, Julieanne Long and Maria Walker will be exhibiting in “In her Hands” at The House of Smalls, 103 Henderson Row, Edinburgh EH3 5BP until 30 August (see gallery website for opening times). This is The House of Smalls 30th exhibition and showcases textile artwork and art dolls by 60 women artists depicting and in recognition of women through history who toiled and entertained: filled voids, fought the fights, oiled the cogs and kept/keep the world turning. Julieanne’s work looks at women’s contributions to engineering especially during the war.
Anne Amosford will be exhibiting in The Crow Show 26 at Positive Light, Sidwell Street, Exeter EX4 6RD until 29th August, 10am - 4pm every day. This is an annual show by Crows (Creative older women) featuring painting, printmaking, ceramics, and textiles.
Nerissa Cargill Thompson in The Manchester Open 2026 at HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place Manchester M15 4FN until 6 Sep 2026 12 - 8pm. The Manchester Open is an exhibition of selected artworks from people across Greater Manchester of all experience levels from across all of Greater Manchester's 10 boroughs and includes works in the categories of ceramics; digital / moving image; drawing; print; painting; photography; sculpture / installation; and textiles. Just over 400 pieces were selected from thousands of entries. Nerissa was 1 of 9 artists shortlisted for the 3 Castlefield Gallery Awards. Nerissa’s piece, “12 Percent” was originally created for the Prism A.O.B. exhibition. Entry is free but please book a time slot (not always necessary but best at peak times like weekends)
Annie Taylor will be exhibiting in Lost Dolls Found at The Horsebridge Arts Centre, 11 Horsebridge Road, Whitstable, CT5 1AF from 26 August to 7 September, 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, closed Tuesdays. Exploring our varied and sometimes complex relationships with dolls - not simply a 'childhood toy', something we grow out of - but often provoking wildly differing and strongly held emotional reactions. Some of us are fascinated, and some find dolls creepy, and some of us are fascinated by their creepiness.
Nerissa Cargill Thompson has been commissioned to created new work as part of Immaterial Collective for Your Salford 100: Contemporary Narratives at Salford Museum & Art Gallery, Peel Park, The Crescent, M5 4WU. It can be seen until Sunday September 27th 2026, Tuesday - Friday: 9.30am – 4.00pm Saturday & Sunday: 11.30am – 4.00pm. Immaterial Collective were excited to be invited to explore the archives to inspire new textile artworks as part of the centenary celebrations of the City of Salford. We will showing these alongside the items that inspired them. A collection of print artists were invited to do the same. Together we make up the Contemporary Narratives exhibition. There will be workshops and talks on the final Saturday (see below)
Nerissa Cargill Thompson is currently exhibiting in What is Precious? The Waterside Arts centre, Sale, Manchester M33 7ZF. Mon 17 Aug - Sat 03 Oct, Mon-Sat 10am -5pm. A curated selection of Design-Nation members, whose practices explore the idea of perceived material value. Centred around recycling and repurposing, the exhibition looks to question what we as humans value in a throw away society and start to change the conversation.
Helen MacRitchie is exhibiting in the 3rd International Art Textile Biennale Gallery 76, Embroiderers' Guild NSW, Queen Street, Concord West, Sydney. Open 21 August to 22 September, weekdays 9 - 4pm, weekends 10 - 2pm. Organised by Fibre Arts Australia, this exhibition features 42 innovative textile works by 39 different artists from 10 different countries. It has been touring for 18 months around Australia and this is the last leg in Sydney.
Anne Amosford is exhibiting at Summer ShowIckworth Estate, Westwing Gallery, Horringer, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP29 5QE from 29th August - 20th September daily 10am - 4.30pm. As part of the annual show, collaborative work by members of the Society of Designer Craftsmen and Suffolk Craft Society have contributed work made as part of their collaboration. Anne has collaborated with a metal worker Harriet Walford in making jewellery pieces for this exhibition. The collaboration is ongoing.
Sharon Kearley is taking part in Selvedge London Textiles Month. Weavers Sharon Kearley and Ali Holloway invite you to their exhibition, “Ancient and Modern - A Woven Dialogue” hosted by Townhouse Spitalfields, a former Huguenot weaver’s house, 5 Fournier Street, London E1 6QE. The exhibition explores the enduring relationship between weaving, landscape and memory. Through natural fibres, plant dyes and experimental structures, the artists reflect on the timeless act of passing thread through thread, creating cloth as generations of makers have done before them. The work invites visitors to consider weaving not simply as a craft, but as a living link between past and present, a dialogue between tradition and experimentation and as a continuing language of connection, place and shared human experience. Free to attend: 5th-20th September, Tuesday - Saturday 11 - 6 p.m. and on Sundays 11.30 - 5.30 p.m.
Helen MacRitchie will be exhibiting in Stone, Stitch & Soil by Artists in Research and Textiles (A.R.T) at Ham Hill Country Park Visitors Centre, Stoke sub-Hamden, Somerset TA14 6RW from 19 Sept - 25 Oct, open daily 9 - 5pm. "Stitch, Stone & Soil" presents new work exploring place, material, and process through contemporary textile practice. The exhibition features work inspired by Ham Hill, the largest hill fort in the UK, responding to its landscape, history, geology, nature, and wildlife.
Ross Belton is currently showing his sculpture “INVASION” as part of Malton Sculpture Trail in Dalby Forest until 31st March 2027. The Dalby Forest Visitors Centre, Low Dalby, Thornton-Le-Dale, Pickering, YO18 7LT1. Open until 31 October: 9:30am - 5pm and November - 28 February: 9am - 4pm. The what three word location of “INVASION” in the Dalby Forest as part of the Malton Sculpture Trail is ///free.resold.toasters.
Workshops & Talks
Sharon Kearley is a panel guest for London Design Festival - SDC in Conversation: The Craft of Less – Designing for Longevity at St Bride Foundation, 14 Bride Ln, London EC4Y 8EQ on Wednesday 16 September, 5.30-8.30pm. As part of London Design Festival 2026, join the Society of Designer Craftsmen and Fleet Street Quarter for an inspiring evening, as we invite you to explore how craft, material knowledge, and mindful production can support more sustainable ways of living. Drawing on the SDC’s long tradition of championing craftsmanship, we’ll bring together makers, designers, and creative thinkers to consider how material understanding, slowing down production and valuing longevity can help shape a more sustainable future - a future of fewer things, that are better made. Featuring a panel discussion chaired by designer and ceramicist Emma Lacey, hear from woven textile artists Ali Holloway MSDC and Sharon Kearley MSDC, bladesmith Sam Gleeson MSDC, and jewellery designer Sarah Drew MSDC. Guests will also have the chance to see live demonstrations up close, offering an opportunity to experience traditional craftsmanship and contemporary sustainable making side by side. Demonstrations include: Clare Pentlow MSDC (paper artist), Helena Powell MSDC (silk weaver), Jessica Palmer MSDC (paper artist), Ksenia Semirova LSDC (textile and hand embroidery artist) and Susannah Weiland LSDC (hand embroidery artist). Join us for an evening of ideas, making and meaningful conversation, and leave with a renewed appreciation for the objects we choose to use and keep. Tickets £5 from Eventbrite.
Nerissa Cargill Thompson will be giving a talk and running a drop in workshop as part of an afternoon of events to mark the final weekend of the Your Salford 100: Contemporary Narratives at Salford Museum & Art Gallery, Peel Park, The Crescent, M5 4WU on Saturday September 26th 2026. 12:00 to 1:00pm – Exhibition talk: The first half of the afternoon will be an hour-long gallery tour featuring six of the exhibiting artists and led by the Salford Museum Exhibition Manager, Claire Corrin. 1:00 – 3:00pm – Free, drop-in activities: After that the artists will fill the entire gallery with live demonstrations, drop-in craft activities, and temporary extensions of the work on display. Come and screen print a tote bag, make a flip book, watch a live knitting machine demonstration, stitch a map – and more! Both the talk and all activities will be appropriate for all ages, so all are welcome.Nerissa will be running an activity making stitched abstract maps using recycled materials. Everything will be FREE with no booking required.
