Arts & Sculpture at Greys Court
- Time to read:
- 10 minutes
Inspired by Lady Brunner’s love of contemporary ceramics and sculpture, Greys Court has had long-term partnerships working with the annual Henley Art Trail and hosting the annual exhibition of the Oxford Sculptors Group. In 2026 Greys Court will see the return of our Summer programme of arts and sculpture - read on for all the details.
Henley Arts Trail | 25 April - 4 May
Founded in 2006, The Henley Arts Trail was set up to showcase the amazing talent in the area. It has gone from strength to strength and now shows the work of over 200 creatives in 34 venues. It acts as an open studio and exhibition event showcasing an array of work by artists and makers at venues in and around Henley-on-Thames. Greys Court are proud to be one of the venue’s once again this year.
The ancient Cromwellian room will feature an extended exhibition of artists all inspired by the beautiful gardens of Greys Court. The botanical theme is captured in a range of media including ceramics, oils, watercolours and pastels.
The Darling Buds of May | 18 May - 6 June
Sarah Pye and Kate Findlay will be showing their spectacular large scale paintings and exceptionally detailed textiles pieces in the Cromwellian building at Greys Court. The paintings will be complimented by jewellery designed by Janet Richardson.
Kate Findlay is a textile artist and teacher who lives and works in the Reading and Henley – on-Thames area. Kate specialises in raw edge appliqué & embroidery. Kate’s love of nature is evident in her beautiful fabric collections inspired by birds & animals, which she incorporates into her textile art with layers of free-motion embroidery & hand stitch.
Sarah Pye is a self- taught continually evolving artist , who’s lived in Henley for the majority of her life . She spent fifteen years as a gardener prior to painting professionally and these years spent outdoors have undoubtedly played a large part in her inspiration to paint wild gardens, meadows and woodlands. Sarah’s large impressionist paintings are created freely and intuitively., There are no preliminary sketches, only an idea fired by an exquisite view, image or days remembered.
Janet Richardson. Janet’s work spans a diverse range of styles, unified by flowing lines and a clear passion for metal. Influenced by everything she observes, her jewellery features strong 3D forms, rich textures and translucent gemstones. She is a Gold Award winner at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards and co-author of the bestselling book Silver Jewellery Making.
Oxford Sculptors Group | From mid June
Formed in 2002, this is the 10th year that Greys Court has hosted the Oxford Sculptors Group which now consists of over 80 artists from Oxfordshire and across the UK. Like previous years, the sculptures by more than 30 artists will be on display, outside throughout the gardens and indoors in the historic Cromwellian building .
To celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the National Trust’s partnership with Oxford Sculptors Group, we will be featuring a different sculpture every 2 months on the garden plinth in Greys Court’s apple orchard. For many years, this plinth held a sculpture of Charles Taylor, Lady Brunner’s head gardener, which has now been taken undercover for conservation. It will be found in a new home in the Old Gardeners office adjacent to the walled garden from late March 2026.
Variety is the key, ranging from small to very large pieces in a wide range of styles: figurative, animals, other natural themes and abstraction. The range of materials will be equally wide: wood, metal, stone, ceramics, glass and resin. And there will be sculptures for both indoor and outdoor display, so there is truly something for everyone.
Are you planning to visit?
For our full programme, please visit our events page which includes all dates and phasing for our Summer celebration of the arts. We look forward to welcoming you to this very special experience.