Galleries July 2026

Press Release Sarah Gillespie Birded and Eyed 20 June – 6 September 2026 Kestle Barton Manaccan Helston Cornwall TR12 6HU 01326 231 811 info@kestlebarton.co.uk www.kestlebarton.co.uk The exhibition opens on Saturday 20 June, 2–5pm, and all are welcome. At 3pm, Sarah Gillespie will give an artist’s talk in conversation with Lara Goodband, Curator of Contemporary Art at RAMM, Exeter. This will be followed by a demonstration of her printing process with Simon Marsh on his press. A small mezzotint will be produced in a limited edition, with proceeds supporting Kestle Barton’s annual Festival of Children’s Literature for primary school children on The Lizard, a closed event held in early July. On Sunday 12 July at 9am, weather permitting, Gillespie will return to Kestle Barton for a ‘moth morning’, joined by local enthusiasts. Visitors are invited to take part in a ‘reveal’ of moths recorded overnight — an opportunity for close observation and shared appreciation before the insects are released back into their natural habitat. About the artist Sarah Gillespie (b. 1963, United Kingdom) is an artist and printmaker based in Devon. She is widely recognised for her meticulous mezzotints and drawings, which often focus on moths and other ephemeral subjects drawn from close observation of the natural world. Her work has been exhibited extensively in the UK and internationally, including previous exhibitions at Kestle Barton, and is held in a number of public and private collections including The British Museum, the V&A and La Bibliothèque de Nationale de France. Gillespie studied at the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, and has developed a practice that combines technical precision with a sustained engagement with ecology, literature and place. Alongside her studio work, she has contributed to publications and collaborative projects that explore connections between art and the environment. www.sarahgillespie.co.uk About the venue Kestle Barton is an ancient Cornish farmstead situated above the Helford River. Following an award-winning conservation and conversion project the beautiful old farm buildings have new uses, one of the barns becoming an elegant gallery that opened in 2010. From early April to late October each year, the gallery, garden and wildflower meadow beyond, hosts a programme of three free exhibitions and a number of other events. Surrounding barns and the old farmhouse have been converted into stylish and comfortable holiday accommodation, all profits from which go towards funding the exhibition and event programme. Open 28 March – 31 October 2026: Tuesday – Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 10:30am – 5pm. Image : Sarah Gillespie, Clouded Magpie Edition of 30. 50 x 63cm; Mezzotint