Art exhibition: Pictures for The Beehive

Leading British artists are supporting Pictures for The Beehive, an exhibition of contemporary art which will be followed by an auction raising funds for Diverse Abilities’ Splash Appeal.

The exhibition, which includes works by Catherine Goodman, Antony Gormley, and Maggi Hambling, will take place at St. Giles House, Wimborne St. Giles, on Tuesday, September 21, and Wednesday, September 22, from 11am until 3pm.

This exhibit offers a rare opportunity to visit St. Giles House, Dorset, home of the Earl of Shaftesbury, to view a collection of art not often seen in Dorset.

In recent years the Earl and Countess have embarked on an award-winning restoration of the house. The exhibition will take place in the Great Dining Room, where bare brick joins the elaborate plasterwork of its 17th Century ceiling, and the auction will be held in the Library of St. Giles House on Thursday, September 23.

Alongside the donated works will be drawings of the adults who attend The Beehive, a therapy and activity centre run by Dorset charity Diverse Abilities, drawn by Henrietta Young and some of the other contributing artists.

Henrietta Young, artist and curator of the show, commented: “This exhibition should have happened last September. We all know why it didn’t, but the need for it, and the money it will raise, is more urgent than ever. The aim of the show and subsequent auction is twofold.

“Firstly, and very importantly, it is to help raise the £1million needed to build a hydrotherapy pool for The Beehive, an activity and therapy centre in Poole for adults with physical and learning disabilities.

“Secondly, we hope the exhibition will help highlight that we need to do more to include people with disabilities, people who live in villages and towns across the country.”