| Rabley Contemporary Drawing Centre promotes the role of ‘drawing today’ through exhibitions, artist’s projects and its education studios. Its inspirational rural location in converted Victorian barns on the Ainslie family farm near Marlborough, Wiltshire lures artists, students and visitors to its unique creative hub. |
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| Rabley Drawing School has Studio workshops in converted barns. The 700 acres of farmland support a comprehensive range of short courses and artist residencies. Artists taking part in projects and courses are inspired by the wide open spaces and sustained by hearty farmhouse lunches. The course teachers are well known artists and experienced ‘art school’ tutors. |
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| Rabley is more than a gallery – it is an experience! It celebrates both art and the wonderful countryside, often organizing farm picnics and hog roasts to accompany the opening of exhibitions. |
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| A New Courses Calendar for Sept 2008 – 09 includes unique courses on drawing & printmaking led by artists: Emma Stibbon RWA, Susan Preston, Martyn Brewster, Sandy Sykes and Martyn Grimmer and Sadie Tierney RCA. |
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| Meryl Ainslie MA (photo left) Founded the Rabley Contemporary Drawing Centre in 2005 following a ten year career as a lecturer in drawing. A practicing artist, she has been too busy setting up the centre to exhibit, but this summer she will be showing her monumental drawings in the gallery as part of Marlborough Open Studios. |
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| The Calendar of Rabley Events includes exhibitions, artist's talks, seminars, courses and residencies fully exploring the practice of drawing today. “Drawing is at the core of artists’ ideas and has become a recognized discipline equal to sculpture and painting in Contemporary Fine Art. As a centre of excellence we are lucky enough to exhibit the work of many cutting edge contemporary artist’s who have become involved with the centre”. |
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| Projects are entirely self-funded from exhibition sales, courses and artist talks and seminars. It has become a vital resource and forum for the region for art schools, artists and the wider public. The recent artist’s talk attracted students from four art schools and participants from a 60 mile radius. |
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| Rabley Barn was originally designed in 1871 for the Marquis of Aylesbury by William Wilkinson who was architect of the famous Randolf Hotel in Oxford, Rabley Barn was a model farm building that had fallen into disrepair before the conversion. |
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| A Grand Design ‘Farmhouse for the 21st Century’ is currently being built adjacent to the gallery. Designed by architect Timothy Bennett this radical timber framed building with its zinc barrel roof is inspired by the farm and landscape. Artists and artisans are crafting the both functional and decorative objects for this innovative project to be completed later in 2008. |
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