Suffolk Craft Society

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Suffolk Craft Society

We support and promote the work of contemporary designer crafts people in Suffolk for whom we act as

In 2022 we have two exhibitions planned: Our Summer Exhibition is at The Longshed, Woodbridge in July and our winter exhibition is at The Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds. Further details and dates along with Maker's details and our new Online Shop can be found on The Suffolk Craft Society website.

10/06/2026

Sunshine, sea and Suffolk inspiration this June? Find us with selected Makers at Susie Bruce is fascinated by the way clay changes as it is manipulated and makes use of the point at which clay slabs will collapse and bend if they are not left to firm up enough before assembling. Her handbuilt pots are made from porcelain clay often including gold lustre applied as a third firing. The pieces are made from flat slabs of clay often with a textured surface. The textures are obtained by using old lace, nylon netting, fruit bags, tops of toothpaste tubes, and other odd bits and pieces. and

08/06/2026

Find us by the sea in Southwold with selected Makers this June! At with Marie Coombes a self-taught ceramicist working in the beautiful Stour valley. Her pieces are thrown on the wheel from a speckled stoneware clay and she especially enjoy the tactile nature of this material. As a result, she will often leave intentionally exposed areas of clay on her pieces which contrast beautifully with the smooth glazes and perfectly polished bottoms that you will not be able to resist stroking as you hold the objects. Marie’s work plays on the juxtaposition of sharp angular forms with a colour palette inspired by the nature that surrounds her in the beautiful Stour valley, near her second home in South West France and in her native Germany. You will see these inspirations throughout Marie’s work, from the impossible blue of the Charentaise sky to the first flushes of spring green on the Stour valley hills and the rugged East Anglian coastline.

07/06/2026

Find us on the this June with selected Makers at The Upstairs Gallery of Greta Hansen has latterly focused on producing collagraphs and working with lino and MDF wood blocks. She often uses the reduction method, typically working from dark to light, and relishes the rich and sometimes unexpected colour effects it produces. Her work is deeply rooted in the Suffolk landscape, with each image developed from observational sketches and paintings created during regular sketching trips in the countryside.
Suffolk Craft Society at Craft Co
Upstairs Gallery, CraftCo, 40A High Street, Southwold, IP18 6AE.
Thursday 18th - Tuesday 30th June, 10.30am – 5pm daily (4pm Sundays)

05/06/2026

Summer at the seaside with selected SCS Makers at Find the vibrant jewellery of Alison Dane: accidental and controlled use of colour has been central to the development of Alison’s work throughout a variety of media. Her interest in photography and gardening has influenced her paper jewellery which is unique, durable, lightweight and colourful. Her pieces are simple and stylish, setting off both casual and more formal outfits alike. Alison designs and decorates her papers with a variety of printing techniques including mono printing, sponging and staining. She embellishes the decorated sheets and finally coats them to make them water resistant. The beads are hand rolled and strung using semi precious beads to add extra colour and glitz to the finished necklaces.

03/06/2026

Summertime on the Coast and skilled contemporary craftsmanship? Find us with selected Makers at including the distinctive sculptural ceramics of Mary Wyatt who explores shape and balance. Her sculptures are hand-built and capture human figures, seascapes and animals suspended in movement. Mary is currently experimenting with raku firings.
Suffolk Craft Society at Craft Co
Upstairs Gallery, CraftCo, 40A High Street, Southwold, IP18 6AE.
Thursday 18th - Tuesday 30th June, 10.30am – 5pm daily (4pm Sundays)

01/06/2026

Find a selection of our skilled Makers in Southwold this summer! Sarah Woodcock of .leather creates and works to commission producing leatherwork that is both beautiful and useful. Sarah chooses the highest-quality natural materials and uses traditional craftsmanship to ensure that each piece will last and be loved, passing through generations, and becoming more beautiful through use as they age.
We are delighted to be exhibiting in the Upstairs Gallery at CraftCo, Southwold with the work of 11 Suffolk Craft Society members across a range of disciplines. This exhibition will highlight the breadth and quality of contemporary craft within the Society. With additional work by members also available in the shop, the event promises to be vibrant and engaging!

31/05/2026

With great appreciation for Juliet Bowmaker as she steps down from four years of inspired work for the Suffolk Craft Society, some of which are summarised in her own words: ‘Four years ago, I came back to live in my beloved Suffolk permanently. This coincided with the honour of being appointed Chair of Suffolk Craft Society. As my term comes to an end, I have been thinking about the incredible journey I have been on since being elected in May 2022. What followed since then, has been a period of change and evolution for us all. It has been both fascinating and stimulating. We lost exhibiting venues, have trialled others and found new permanent homes. We have a streamlined a professional profile which reflects who we are and what we do. We have reformed our advertising and marketing strategies, and we have an updated IT system. We have developed a strong partnership with the and deepened a pre-existing one with The Curlew Bench was installed, commemorating the inauguration of the society 56 years ago. The SCS is held in sufficient esteem to be included without reservation at MADE London with and Crossing Crafts was launched in collaboration with We have reinvigorated the relationship with our Patron We continue to retain talented makers and attract new members of high calibre and singular craftsmanship.
We have done and will continue to do the important work to align with the growing needs of the making community and to ensure long-term stability in uncertain times. Liz Chester will take over as acting Chair from 1st June until the 2026 AGM or a new Chair is recruited, if before. I hand over to her with full confidence for the future of SCS. Our 2026 programme is settled and exciting opportunities are there to explore in 2027.” This is an abbreviated excerpt from Juliet’s farewell message, which will be made available on the SCS website. Please note that we are seeking applications for this role, further details can be found via the profile link to our website. We wish Juliet the very best with all her future undertakings.

30/05/2026

Find us by the seaside this June! At with Sheila Madder’s slip-cast, coloured porcelain tableware inspired by the Slow Movement and Emotionally Durable Design. Sheila designs a shape by turning plaster on a lathe or throwing clay on the wheel. A plaster mould is then created from this shape. She then colours her own porcelain, and builds up layers of coloured clay within the mould. The decoration is carefully carved into the clay layers often to resemble fingerprints where Sheila would hold the pieces. The size and depth of the carving depends on the finger. The pots are then burnished and bisque fired. Once bisque fired, they are sanded smooth, glazed inside with a clear gloss, and fired to 1250°c. After high firing they are sanded once more to ensure a tactile smooth finish.

18/05/2026

A June trip to the seaside? Find us at the

17/05/2026

Sunday inspiration? Our last day! Find your way to for take a stroll along Burlington Arcade and find hosted by still plenty of time to with appreciation for all our visitors, guests and explorers so far!

Address

Guildhall Street
Bury St. Edmunds
IP33 1PR

Website

http://www.suffolkcraftsociety.org/

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