Grinling Gibbons Tercentenary National Festival

The Architects’ Company in association with the Grinling Gibbons Society & the Master Carvers’ Association is pleased to invite WCCA Members to Art & Ornament, a multidiscipline exhibition of current practice by members and friends that transcend the spurious divisions which Gibbons’ legacy serves to rebuff.

Opened in St Mary Abchurch and now transferring to The Dutch Church, Austin Friars, EC2N 2HA, 23rd August to 3rd September, the exhibition acknowledges Gibbons’ birth in Rotterdam and the consequent influence of Dutch Renaissance Art on his development.

This Private Viewing event will take place at; 

The Dutch Church, Austin Friars EC2N 2HA on Thursday 2nd September 6 - 8pm

Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Taking This Legacy Project Forward

Jonathan Louth, an early founder and benefactor of the Grinling Gibbons Society and advisor to The Grinling Gibbons Tercentenary Modern Legacy Project, will introduce a programme of ideas for a collaboration between the 70 guilds, whose members produce or make objects of use and of beauty. The Livery Companies and many organisations besides, already encourage training in their guild trades: together, we have put it to the Lord Mayor and members of the Corporation, that the building industry must now be encouraged to optimise opportunities for the guild trades to find work in the built environment, both with their traditional and with their modern techniques. 

The outcome of our collaborative project is to be a new building in the City where a developer-led building showcases best practice for traditional trades in modern buildings.

Company member architects are invited to submit banners illustrating their commitment to introduce ‘the human hand’ into the built environment with Karen Cook of PLP/Architecture making an introductory address. Jonathan Louth will also be proposing the ‘70for70’, a celebration of the livery crafts for the Queen’s Jubilee. Stone, woodcarvers and guest artists embody qualities of sustainability - stone eased from the ground and skilfully shaped, wood nurtured, cropped, seasoned and carved at a pace with nature’s capacity to replenish. Materials cherished for posterity.

You are invited to join these endeavours:  

For information about the opportunity to display, please contact -

Jonathan Louth e: [email protected] t: 020 3137 2969 or Hugh Wedderburn e: Honorary Secretary [email protected] t: 020 7403 2226