West Dean College facts for kids
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West Dean College of Arts and Conservation is a special place located in a huge 6,350-acre (about 25.7 square kilometer) area called the West Dean Estate. It's near a town called Chichester in West Sussex, England. This estate used to be the home of a poet and art lover named Edward James. He really liked a style of art called Surrealism and collected many famous artworks from that movement. Edward James inherited this big estate and West Dean House from his father.
Edward James worried that after World War II, some important art skills and crafts might be lost. So, in 1964, he decided to turn his estate into a place where these skills could be taught and kept alive. In 1971, West Dean College officially opened. It became a center for learning about art conservation (how to fix and preserve old art), different arts and crafts, writing, gardening, and music. The college offers both long-term courses and shorter workshops. You can also find the Sussex Barn Gallery, a Tapestry Studio, and the beautiful West Dean Gardens on the estate.
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Fun Short Courses
The college offers more than 700 short courses every year. These courses are for all levels, whether you're just starting or already have some experience. They cover many different subjects, so there's something for everyone!
Learning for a Degree
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West Dean College also offers longer courses that can lead to a university degree. You can study for a Master of Arts (MA) degree or a Diploma in areas like Conservation Studies or Visual Arts. They also have a Foundation Degree (FdA) in Historic Craft Practices. These degrees are approved by the University of Sussex.
If you're interested in conservation, you could specialize in fixing and preserving old books, ceramics (like pottery), clocks, furniture, or metalwork.
For visual arts, you can study painting, drawing, sculpture, or even tapestry and textile art. Some students who studied here, like Pippa Blake and Tim Kent, have become successful artists and shown their work in galleries. The college also teaches you how to make musical instruments, like stringed instruments.
Amazing Tapestry Studio
The West Dean Tapestry Studio started in 1974. It's one of only a few places in the world that teaches high-level woven tapestry. Their first big project was making tapestries for the famous artist Henry Moore.
Tapestries made by this studio can be found in important places like the Palace of Westminster (where the UK government meets), Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Chelmsford Cathedral. The studio is also working on a huge project to recreate the 16th-century 'The Hunt of the Unicorn' tapestries. This is part of a 12-year project for Historic Scotland to help restore Stirling Castle. In 2011, the studio even wove a tapestry for the artist Tracey Emin, based on her "Black Cat" painting.
Art Gallery
The Gallery on the West Dean Estate shows art from famous artists, as well as work by students and teachers from West Dean College. Past exhibitions have included sculptures by Phillip Jackson and photos by Man Ray.
There was also a cool exhibition about the "interior landscape of surrealism." This showed how artists like Edward James, Roland Penrose, and Lee Miller decorated their homes. It even included famous items from West Dean House, like the "lobster telephone" and the "Mae West Lip Sofa." These were made by Edward James and the famous artist Salvador Dalí. The gallery also featured an exhibition about the interesting life of model and photographer Lee Miller, with original works by Man Ray, Picasso, and Roland Penrose.
Music Events
Every July, the college hosts the Chilingirian Quartet Summer School. This is for groups of musicians who play string instruments. There are concerts where both the teachers and students perform.
Beautiful West Dean Gardens
The West Dean Gardens are award-winning gardens that surround the West Dean Estate. They are located in the beautiful South Downs area. The Head Gardener, Jim Buckland, and his wife, Sarah Wain, worked hard to restore the gardens after they were badly damaged by storms in 1987 and 1990. The gardens are so special that they have been given an English Heritage Garden Grade of II*.
A key part of West Dean Gardens is a restored walled kitchen garden. It has 13 Victorian glasshouses, which are like giant greenhouses. A writer from the Financial Times newspaper once said that West Dean's kitchen garden has "wonderfully high" standards, with "top-class plants, fruit and rarities" in its greenhouses.
Another important feature in the gardens is a 300-foot (about 91-meter) long Edwardian pergola, which is a walkway with a roof of climbing plants. It was designed by Harold Peto. In the Arboretum (a collection of trees), you can find the grave of Edward James, with a memorial stone carved by John Skelton (sculptor).
A visitors' center was built in 1995. This building has a gift shop and a restaurant. It was designed by Christopher Alexander and his team. The outside walls of the building are made from brick, local flint, and concrete.
