Out of her father’s shadow
ACAMPAIGN has been launched by the William Morris Gallery to finally bring May Morris into the spotlight (COUNTRY LIFE, May 10, 2017). Designer, embroiderer, writer and teacher, May was a central figure in the Arts-and-crafts movement; she exhibited widely, founded the Women’s Guild of Art, was responsible for creating some of Morris & Co’s most iconic textiles and proved instrumental in shaping her father’s legacy.
The gallery, based in Morris’s home in Walthamshow, London E17, hopes to raise £15,000 to both conserve the pieces by her in its collection and bring together May’s important works—which are scattered around museums, National Trust properties and university collections—for a landmark exhibition.
‘For too long, May’s unique contribution to design has been overshadowed by the legacy of her father,’ says Rowan Bain, curator at the William Morris Gallery. ‘If we’re successful in meeting the target, we can finally give her the recognition she deserves.’
Visit www.wmgallery.org.uk for more information and to make a donation. The crowdfunding campaign ends on July 13 and the exhibition, ‘May Morris: Art & Life’, will take place from October 7 to January 28, 2018