Spirella Unbound

An exhibition of textile art inspired by the rich history of the Spirella Company of Great Britain, founded in Letchworth Garden City in 1909. As a group of textile artists the opportunity to explore and research a corset company has been fascinating as we dived into the archives to uncover the history behind Spirella.

Corsets and Spirella are a running theme of our exhibition, but this is not an exhibition of corsets. Each artist has created their own, highly individual, piece. Some were inspired by the word Spirella or its changing font and design, others focused on corset design and structure, along with feminism and patriarchy; there is a nod to the gardens the Spirella building sits in; there is work depicting wartime life and the role the Spirella company played in the creation of Irvin parachutes; and even fairytales and alien creatures will make an appearance.

Each piece is a personal interpretation of the exhibition theme, varying in style and textile media, and ranging from traditional to modern. Knitting, weaving, embroidery, surface design, digital print, batik, and woven tapestry are just a few of the processes used in creating our work.

Join us on Spirella inspired workshops to create your own textile art

Batik Spirella workshop – Saturday 30th November 10am-1pm £35

with Eleanor Sidaway and Jackie Uphill

Rigid Heddle weaving workshops – Friday 29th November 10am-12pm £25 and Friday 6th November 10am-2pm £40 with Amy Wilson

Pulled warp weaving – Saturday 7th December 10am-12.30pm £30

with Lucy Sugden

Full details and ticket sales on the following link - Spirella Inspired Textile Workshops

Herts Textile Arts (HTA)

HTA was formed in 2004 under the umbrella of the Herts Visual Arts Forum with the idea of bringing textile practitioners together to exchange ideas and knowledge, and to give each other support. The group meets monthly, alternating business meetings and social get-togethers/visits at different locations, mainly across Hertfordshire. HTA organises an active programme of exhibitions showcasing the work of its members who employ a wide range of textile art techniques, including textiles in combination with other media.

Our membership is a diverse group of artists with a wealth of backgrounds; many of whom exhibit locally and nationally with other textile and art organisations including Prism, The British Tapestry Group, The Eastern Region Textile Forum, The Wynd Gallery, and various Textile Guilds. We are an eclectic mix of career artists, gallery owners, hobbyists, and those who found textile art after successful careers in other fields.

Meet our artists during the exhibition, we will be at Broadway Gallery demonstrating our techniques and available to chat about our inspirations behind our artworks. Follow the link for further details including dates and times artists will be at the gallery

Artists showing work in this exhibition are:

Joanne Bowes theworkhousedunstable.co.uk

June Faulkner hvaf.org.uk/galleries/june-faulkner

Angela Filby hvaf.org.uk/galleries/angela-filby

Linda Gifford hvaf.org.uk/galleries/linda-gifford

Frances Green hvaf.org.uk/galleries/frances-green

Elspeth Hector hvaf.org.uk/galleries/elspeth-hector-elspeth-jane

Karen Lutterodt hvaf.org.uk/galleries/sewingframes

Aruna Mene arunamene.com

Penny Proctor hvaf.org.uk/galleries/penny-proctor

Eleanor Sidaway hvaf.org.uk/galleries/eleanor-sidaway

Carly Simmons hvaf.org.uk/galleries/carly-simmons

Nade Simmons whatnademade.co.uk

Lucy Sugden lucysugden.co.uk

Jackie Uphill hvaf.org.uk/galleries/jackie-uphill

Amy Wilson lilianetextiles.co.uk