ONE of the region’s leading exhibition space, and the home of a succession of talented makers, Walford Mill at Wimborne celebrates its 40th anniversary with an exhibition and two special events looking at the past, present and future of craft at the Mill and across Dorset.
The anniversary events have been curated by furniture maker-designer Simon Thomas Pirie, who has work in the current exhibition. Simon, whose workshop and studio are based at Winterborne Whitechurch, was invited to curate the exhibition by the trustees in his capacity as President of the charity.
The first discussion event is Then, Now and Next: Walford Mill, Forty Years in the Making, on Wednesday 21st October at 7pm. Simon will lead a discussion with three distinguished makers – Debby Kirby, a silk weaver and resident maker at the Mill for 40 years, potter Jonathan Garratt who creates terracotta, sculpture and slipware using locally dug clay and wood firing, and Ruth Dresman, a glass artist whose nature-inspired work uses sandblasting to create rich layers of colour and texture.
Together, they will reflect on the Mill’s role in leading the crafts in Dorset, share their experiences as professional makers and explore how the landscape of craft has changed over the past four decades. They will also look ahead and consider what the future might hold for makers, craftsmanship and Walford Mill.
There is a second event, Then Now and Next: A Craft Eco System, How Does Craft Thrive in Dorset on Wednesday 28th, also at 7pm. The discussion will be hosted by Simon Pirie who will be joined by Paul Newman of Dorset Visual Arts, Simon Barber, editor of Evolver Magazine, and Tess Osman of Heritage Crafts.
The speakers will consider the future of craft in Dorset and the South West. What will it take to create strong, connected ecosystems in which craft can flourish? Where are the new ideas, opportunities and emerging possibilities, and what is still missing? What role can established organisations such as Walford Mill, Dorset Visual Arts, Making Dorset and Heritage Crafts play in supporting makers, encouraging collaboration and helping to shape a thriving future for craft across the region?
Simon Pirie’s association with Walford Mill goes back a very long way after he walked into the gallery in 1998 to persuade the director to include him in the show Creativity in Furniture. She agreed and by 2002, Simon was a trustee. From 2003 to 2006 he was the chairman before eventually resigning in 2011 in order to focus on Dorset Visual Arts and Dorset Art Weeks for which he was a board member from 2005 to 2016.
In 2025 Simon was invited to be President of Walford Mill Arts and this is the first show he has curated in that role.