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ArtWorks East Exhibition 2025
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
13th - 28th Sep
10:00 - 16:00
Where:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Pricing:
Free Entry
25th Anniversary Exhibition of Artworks
With its reputation for high standards of fresh and contemporary work, Artworks East seeks to interest and inspire in a wide range of media created by 30 of East Anglia’s leading artists and has been doing so for 25 years now.
A highlight of the East Anglian art scene, this is a great opportunity to see contemporary 2D and 3D work by 30 of East Anglia’s established and popular artists. All the exhibits are new to the Artworks each year and are for sale.
A great favourite of the exhibition is the Mini Artworks Prize Draw; thirty mini artworks created by the Artworks artists will be on display during the main exhibition and the proceeds benefit their Schools Programme and a chosen East Anglian charity, which this year is East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Meet the Artist
There are also daily opportunities during September to Meet The Artist at the exhibition, where one or more artists will be demonstrating how they create their work:
Saturday 13th: Lucy Perry – Artful florals
Sunday 14th:
Martin Coe – Against the landscape
Monday 15th: Terry Bryan – Eureka!
Tuesday 16th:
Christine McKechnie – Collage my way
Wednesday 17th:
Cathy D’Arcy – The owl and the pussycat
Thursday 18th:
Lousie Chapman – Talk to me, a woman who loves to paint
Friday 19th:
Elisabeth Rutt – In stitches and
Lillias August – Watercolour, freedom and control
Saturday 20th:
Valerie Armstrong – Marks and mixed media
Sunday 21st:
Hazel Bradshaw – Printing for fun and
Lyn Aylward – Painting an oil portrait
Monday 22nd:
Christine McKechnie – Collage my way
Tuesday 23rd: Kit Price Moss – Painting for Pleasure or Printmaking for Pain?
Wednesday 24th:
Eileen Revett – The wonderful world of woodcut printing
Thursday 25th:
Cathy D’Arcy – The owl and the pussycat
Friday 26th:
Valerie Armstrong – Marks and mixed media
Saturday 27th:
Judith Glover – Ten minute pastel portrait sessions
Sunday 28th:
Chris Gamble – Enjoying drawing
You can sign-up for tickets to be invited to the Private Viewing for this 25th Anniversary show on 12th September, by going to the Artworks East website.
The setting for the exhibition is the spectacular thatched, late medieval Blackthorpe Barn, part of the Rougham Estate.
Important information
There is plenty of free parking at Blackthorpe Barn.
Accessible parking is near the café/shop.
More parking is available slightly further down the avenue.
Please be aware that this is a rural location and paths can be muddy depending on the weather conditions.
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25th Anniversary in 2025
This September Artworks will be celebrating its 25th annual exhibition at Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham Estate near Bury St Edmunds.
The initial idea for Artworks was the inspiration of friends Katie Millard and Graham Portlock. They stood together in the beautiful 15th Century thatched barn, looked around and decided as one it was the perfect setting for an art exhibition. Then they set to, phoned artist friends and colleagues and the first exhibition was soon underway proving such a success that there was a resounding vote to exhibit the next year and so it has continued.
“We still have original members in the group and none of us ever dreamt, when we took part in the first exhibition at Blackthorpe Barn in 1999, that we would still be going strong 25 years later. It’s a very exciting time and shows that people in East Anglia have a real interest and appreciation for high quality art from professional artists.
As a group, we have always encouraged the addition of new guest artists and this approach has worked well over the years. It means in addition to the new work of familiar artists there are always surprises. For our 25th exhibition though, we have invited back 3 previous members whose inspiring work we’ve continued to admire; Lillias August, Louise Chapman and Lucy Lutyens.”
Gillian Crossley-Holland, Chair and one of the founder members of Artworks
Over the years Artworks has also established strong ties with local schools, providing free workshops and inviting school visits which are often as surprising to the artists as to the children.
As has been the practice for 25 years all the work exhibited is new to Artworks and ranges from colourful abstract art to exquisite botanical illustrations, dramatic landscape paintings to insightful portraiture, robust ceramics to delicate figurative work, elegant bronze sculptures to surreal constructions.
At the exhibition there will be opportunities to meet the artists and take part in the popular ‘Mini Artworks Prize draw’ which raises money for this year’s charity, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) and the Artworks Schools Programme.
Where to find us
Plenty of free parking on site
Please keep to the 5mph limit
Disabled access available
This is a rural location and paths can be muddy
Blackthorpe Barn is situated just south of Junction 45 of the A14, three miles east of Bury St Edmunds, in the village of Rougham.
Look out for the entrance gates to a long tree-lined avenue at the White House junction.
The Barn is down the avenue, on the right.
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Father’s Day is fast approaching…
Struggling with what to get him? Why not pick up a gift voucher for Rougham Estate?
Can be used in the shop or Roots cafe.
Each gift voucher is valid for 12 months and can be used over multiple visits.
It’s about giving them another reason to enjoy somewhere they already love being.
#RoughamEstate #GiftVouchers #SuffolkGifts #RootsCafe BlackthorpeBarn
As part of Rougham in Bloom, Suzy has been working on a beautiful idea that brings the garden right into the heart of the home: an edible wreath made from herbs, flowers and edible plants.
Designed to be hung on a door or used as a natural table centrepiece, it’s a living arrangement that can be picked from and enjoyed over time, blending decoration with everyday use in the kitchen.
This particular wreath combines trailing sugar snap pea plants with the vibrant, peppery blooms of nasturtiums, alongside pansies and violas which bring colour and a gentle, slightly grassy sweetness.
Alongside this, there are plenty of other herbs and edible flowers you can use to create your own versions at home. Herb flowers such as chive, basil and rosemary add subtle flavour, while lavender brings a fragrant note for baking and infusions.
It’s a simple but inspiring way of thinking differently about what we grow, where beauty and flavour sit side by side, and nothing in the garden needs to go to waste.
Part of Rougham Estate in Bloom, celebrating the many ways nature finds its way into everyday life.
For the full tutorial visit our website - link in profile
As always, do check and be sure of what’s edible before using plants in food or drink.
#RoughamInBloom #RoughamEstate #EdibleGarden #GrowYourOwn #SeasonalEating GardenToTable
We’re delighted to share that owner of Rougham Estate, George Agnew has been named a finalist in the 2026 East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards.
The nomination recognises George’s contribution to business, rural enterprise and the local community, as well as the impact he continues to have across Suffolk through his work on the Estate.
You may remember that George was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award last year at the Bury Free Press awards. To see his continued commitment and contribution recognised once again is a wonderful achievement.
We look forward to sharing the outcome from the awards night on the 9th July.
#roughamestate #eadtbusinessawards2026 #suffolkbusinessperson
Ramble & Roots reminder!
Get some fresh air and meet new people on our Ramble & Roots walk on Monday 15 June at 10am, starting at Blackthorpe Barn.
It’s free to attend a relaxed and includes a guided route around the Estate and will last approximately 45 minutes.
At the end you can continue to chat over a cuppa that you can purchase in Roots Cafe. You can even treat yourself to a cake or brunch. More information is on our website.
To take part please register your interest by emailing [email protected]
#rambleandroots #communitywalks #roughamestate
We have a real treat this week. Not one, but two specials and a drinks special!
We have:
Brunch - roasted new potatoes, garlic peppers and onions coated in bacon jam and topped with halloumi.
Salad - dressed spinach leaves cucumber and tomatoes topped with red beetroot, golden beetroot, burrata and hot honey.
And for our drinks we have blueberry iced matcha with vanilla cold foam.
Only available this week 🍹So don’t miss out!
#foodspecial #Roughamestate #icedcoffee
It gives us great joy to share that Rougham Primary School has won large gold in the Suffolk Schools Show Garden Competition at last week’s Suffolk Show!
This fantastic achievement showcases the hard work and dedication of the students and their gardening club. We’ve loved supporting their journey over the years with compost, tools and wheelbarrows, and it’s so rewarding to see their efforts bloom!
A big shout-out to the talented young gardeners who made this possible. Your creativity and passion for gardening truly shine!
Congratulations, Rougham Primary! Here’s to many more gardening adventures ahead.
#RoughamEstate #RoughamPrimary #SuffolkShow #CommunitySupport
Photo credit to Suffolk Show.
Farming is a major part of life at the Estate.
While many envisage food crops, we also cultivate wildflower meadows, great for bees and biodiversity and excellent at returning nutrients to the soil.
As part of Rougham Estate in Bloom, we want to acknowledge this often-overlooked side of the farm.
#roughamestate #roughamestateinbloom #farmlife
@watsons_plants are back today and tomorrow.
You’ll find a beautiful range of garden plants to buy and also some advice from Chris himself on how to make your garden wonderful this summer!
#popupplantstall #roughamestate #gardenlover
Tag us @RoughamEstate
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