Spirella Unbound

28th November -21st December 2024

The Broadway Gallery, 2 The Arcade, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3ES

Herts Textile Arts Group are delighted to bring you an exhibiton inspired by the history of The Spirella Company in Letchworth Garden City.

Join Jackie Uphill, Eleanor Sidaway, Amy Wilson and Lucy Sugden on Spirella inspired textile art workshops – Click here for full information and tickets for weaving and batik workshops

Meet HTA members and watch as we demonstrate our textile techniques or chat to us about the inspiration behind our work. 

Thursday November 28th  – Frances Green – 11am-2pm

Saturday November 30th – Linda Gifford & Elspeth Hector

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Thursday December 5th – Lucy Sugden – 11am-4pm

Friday December 6th – June Faulkner

Saturday December 7th – Lucy Sugden – 1-4pm

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Thursday December 12th – Frances Green 11am-2pm  and Lucy Sugden 11am-4pm

Friday December 13th  – Jackie Uphill 10.30am-2pm Amy Wilson

Saturday December 14th – Lucy Sugden In between family arts workshops

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Wednesday December 18th Elspeth Hector 10.30am-3.30pm and  June Faulkner

Thursday December 19th – Lucy Sugden 11am-4pm

Friday December 20th – Amy Wilson

Saturday December 21st – Lucy Sugden 12pm-close

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.

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.

Artists showing work in this exhibition are:

Joanne Bowes

June Faulkner

Angela Filby

Linda Gifford

Frances Green

Elspeth Hector              

Aruna Mene

Penny Proctor

Eleanor Sidaway

Carly Simmons

Nade Simmons             

Lucy Sugden

Jackie Uphill

Amy Wilson