About

In 1906, a small exhibition was held at Hinton St Mary and its success led to the formation of the Dorset Arts and Crafts Association in 1907. The Association’s first exhibition was held at Blandford Corn Exchange in 1907 and exhibitions have been held annually, apart from a break for the second world war years. Our 100th Exhibition was held at the Purbeck School, Wareham in 2014.

In the intervening years, our exhibitions have been held in a wide range of locations across the county.

The Association was registered as a charity in 1967 (charity number 306252) and supports local artists and craft workers through the annual exhibition and through the awarding of an Arts & Crafts Grant to groups or individuals.

The objectives of the Association are:

To revive and promote the study and practice of arts and crafts by holding events, including an annual Exhibition, at which exhibits will be judged by competent persons;
To encourage, including through the awarding of grants, the education of residents of the County of Dorset in traditional and modern arts, crafts and related industries, for their pleasure and personal development;
To promote co-operation between the various facilities for teaching arts, crafts and related industries now carried on in Dorset.

Read or download our full constitution here