West Dean College facts for kids
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West Dean College is located on the large West Dean Estate, which covers about 16.2 square kilometers. This estate is near Chichester in West Sussex. It used to be the home of Edward James, who loved art and helped many artists. He was a big fan of the Surrealist art movement, which creates dream-like and imaginative art. Edward James collected many Surrealist artworks during his life. He received West Dean House and the estate after his father, William Dodge James, passed away.
In 1939, Edward James worried that after World War II, some special art skills, especially those of craftsmen, might be lost forever. To prevent this, he suggested that his estate could become a learning community. Here, people could learn and keep alive traditional craft skills. They could also restore old artworks and create new ones. In 1964, James gave his estate, including West Dean House, to a special group called the Edward James Foundation. Then, in 1971, the Foundation started West Dean College. It became a place to study conservation (fixing old things), arts, crafts, writing, gardening, and music. The college offers both full-time and short courses. The Sussex Barn Gallery, Tapestry Studio, and West Dean Gardens are also part of the estate.
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Learning at West Dean College
West Dean College offers many ways to learn and develop creative skills.
Short Courses
The college has over 700 short courses each year. These courses are for different skill levels and cover many subjects. You can find something whether you are a beginner or already have some experience.
Diplomas and Degrees
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West Dean College offers special Diploma and Master of Arts (MA) degree programs. These are in Conservation Studies and Visual Arts. They also have a Foundation Degree (FdA) in Historic Craft Practices. These programs are officially recognized by the University of Sussex.
Students in Conservation can choose to specialize in fixing old books, library materials, pottery, clocks, furniture, or metal items.
For Visual Arts, students can focus on general visual arts, painting and drawing, sculpture, or tapestry and textile art. Artists like Pippa Blake and Tim Kent studied here. They have gone on to show their art in many galleries. The college also offers Diploma courses in making stringed musical instruments.
Special Art and Craft Areas
West Dean College has unique studios and galleries where amazing art is created and displayed.
Tapestry Studio
The West Dean Tapestry Studio started in 1974. It teaches high-level skills in making woven tapestries. This is one of only a few such studios in the world. 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, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Chelmsford Cathedral.
Besides new designs, the Studio is also recreating the 16th-century 'The Hunt of the Unicorn' tapestries. This is a twelve-year project for Historic Scotland to help restore Stirling Castle. The Studio also wove a tapestry for artist Tracey Emin. It was based on her 'Black Cat' painting and was shown in the Saatchi Gallery in May 2011.
The Gallery
The Gallery on the West Dean Estate holds art exhibitions. It shows work by famous artists from outside the college, as well as art by West Dean students and teachers. Past exhibitions have included sculptures by Phillip Jackson in 2005 and photographs by Man Ray in 2005. Brazilian artist Ana Maria Pacheco also had an exhibition in 2006.
There was also an exhibition called 'The Interior Landscape of Surrealism'. It showed how artists like Edward James, Roland Penrose, and Lee Miller decorated their homes. This included the famous lobster telephone and the Mae West Lip Sofa from West Dean House. These were created by Edward James and Salvador Dalí working together. The Gallery also featured an exhibition about the interesting life of model and photographer Lee Miller. It included original works by Man Ray, Picasso, and Roland Penrose.
Music Programs
Every July, the college hosts the Chilingirian Quartet Summer School. This is for string quartets, and there are concerts performed by both the teachers and the students.
West Dean Gardens
The beautiful West Dean Gardens have won awards. They surround the West Dean Estate in the South Downs. Head Gardener Jim Buckland and his wife Sarah Wain restored the Gardens. They had been badly damaged by severe storms in 1987 and 1990. The Gardens have been given a Grade II* rating by English Heritage, meaning they are very important.
West Dean Gardens features a restored walled kitchen garden. It has 13 Victorian glasshouses, which are like large greenhouses. Robin Lane Fox from the Financial Times newspaper said that West Dean has a wonderful kitchen garden with very high standards. He noted that "Greenhouse after greenhouse smiles with top-class plants, fruit and rarities."
A key part of the Gardens is the 91-meter-long Edwardian pergola. This was designed by Harold Peto. The Arboretum (a collection of trees) holds the grave of Edward James. His memorial stone was carved by John Skelton (sculptor).
A visitors' centre was finished in 1995. This building includes a gift shop and a restaurant. It is connected to terraces and gardens. The building was designed by Christopher Alexander and his team. Its outer walls are made of brick, local flint, and concrete.
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