Time is running out to see Common Place, the exhibition of handmade and personal work from Brighstone at Department, Cross Street, Ryde.
The show closes on Thursday 1st October 2026. Admission is free.
It looks at how the quirks of village life can spur startling creative work.
Curators who grew up in the village
Philip Crewe and Tom Howells, who both grew up in Brighstone, curated the exhibition.
The pair now work as designers and journalists, and they say the village’s cultural and natural history, along with its rich seam of craft-based artistry, has shaped that work ever since.
More than a hobby
At first glance, some of the objects might look like the product of a pastime. Folksy, even quaint.
But the curators say there is more to them than that. In their view, the colourful pieces reflect imagination and humour as much as skill.
Pride runs through them too, and so does the landscape around the village. They describe the work as genuine and lived.
Looking at home with fresh eyes
Brighstone could be anywhere, the curators say. So they want visitors to look at their own home ground again, and to think afresh about the cultural value of handmade work in rural life.
The exhibition remains open on Wednesday and Thursday (1st October) this week from 9.30am until 6pm. Pop along, take in the exhibits or pick up a catalogue if you weren’t able to make it.
