Art exhibition goes on tour

Pictures for The Beehive, the art exhibition raising funds for Diverse Abilities’ Splash Appeal, is heading on tour to showcase drawings of the people supported by the disability charity.

The first showing of this exhibition in September 2021 was accompanied by an auction of donated work by acclaimed artists including Antony Gormley, Maggi Hambling and Paula Rego. The event raised over £100,000 towards The Splash Appeal.

These drawings, done at The Beehive over the past two years, will now travel the country on a roadshow, launching at Pavilion in the Park in Poundbury and culminating in an event at Apothecaries Hall in London later this year.

Henrietta Young, artist and curator of the exhibition, commented: “It was a great privilege to get to know and make friends with the people at The Beehive, and the whole business of drawing and being drawn was an extraordinary experience for everyone involved in the project. We hope that people viewing the resulting work will come away with a better understanding of disability.”

Visitors are invited to visit the exhibition at Poundbury’s Pavilion in the Park on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 March. It is open to the public between 9am and 5pm and is free to attend.

Helen Mortimer, development manager at Diverse Abilities, added: “Henrietta’s passion to raise the visibility of those with disabilities through art is remarkable. It is very exciting to take these portraits on tour, raising awareness in Dorset and beyond, and hopefully funds towards the desperately needed hydrotherapy pool.”

Visit thesplashappeal.org.uk/events to find out more about the opening event and subsequent dates of the exhibition.