What's on and coming up...
- Sam Luxford
- Mar 26
- 3 min read
🌿 A little moment for Manningtree
Let's start with some rather lovely news this week - Manningtree has been named the East regional winner in The Times Best Places to Live guide. I was actually interviewed by The Times radio team last week (and sworn to secrecy!), so there's’s been a quiet little excitement behind the scenes - and such a joy to now be able to share it.
It really does feel like a reflection of what makes this place special: the creativity, the independent shops, and the sense of community that runs through everything.
🌸 Spring Exhibition - Now Open
The Sail Loft Gallery is now fully open for the Spring Exhibition, bringing together around 50 artists.
It’s one of those exhibitions that rewards a slow wander - painting, ceramics, glass, textiles and printmaking all sitting alongside one another, with something new to notice each time you look.
🎨 A few highlights from the exhibition
Over the coming weeks I’ll be introducing all of the artists on social media, but already the gallery is full of contrasts:
From delicate linocuts and botanical studies to bold abstract paintings, stitched textiles and sculptural driftwood pieces it’s a wonderfully varied collection.
It’s been such a pleasure to bring it all together. Artists are also encouraged to bring more work in when pieces sell so you really will see something new every visit - it's worth more than a one-time trip!
If you haven’t visited yet, I’d love to welcome you in.
📅 14 March - 11 April
🕰 Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
🧵 Commissions & meaningful places
Alongside the exhibition, I’ve been working on a few commissions - including one recently with a rather lovely twist:
The piece was ordered by a woman who now lives in the Netherlands, but she first came across my work while visiting the Alma in Harwich. She got in touch afterwards to commission a piece as a birthday gift for her dad.
To make things a little easier (and avoid the need for international postage), we included a birthday card with the order so it could be sent directly to him - a small detail, but one that made the whole process feel a bit more seamless.
The chart itself was also a special one: a vintage Imray chart from 1949 - so I chose thread colours that worked gently with the muted, aged tones of the paper.
Commissions like this are always a reminder of how these pieces connect people and places, often in unexpected ways. Find out how easy it is here.
🌍 The Wild Sewing Project
Alongside everything happening in the gallery, I’ve also been continuing to develop my Wild Sewing project - taking paper embroidery out of the studio and into less expected places.
Over the past months I’ve been stitching in all sorts of environments: from cafés and restaurants to outdoor locations while travelling, and even on a frozen lake. Each piece is created “in the wild”, becoming part of the place it was made.
There’s now a short film that shares more about the project and how it’s evolving, and I’ve started bringing these pieces together on my website.
If you’re curious to see more, you can explore the project here:👉 samluxford.com
🧵 Workshops - Spring & Early Summer
Workshops continue upstairs in the Sail Loft, with small groups and a relaxed, friendly pace.
Upcoming sessions for April and May:
🌊 Coastal - Friday 24 April
⛵ NEW: Sew a Boat (Taster) – Sunday 26 April
🌊 Coastal Collage - Wednesday 29 April
🌿 Botanical - Sunday 10 May
(The April Botanical workshop is now sold out, thank you!)
New workshops and news dates in May/June to coincide with Manningtree Earth Festival - more on that next time!
Here's where you'll find details of all workshops
💌 Thank You
Whether you’ve visited the exhibition, followed along online, commissioned a piece, had some artwork framed, found a gift or greeting card or joined a workshop - thank you.
There’s a lovely sense of momentum at the moment, and I’m really enjoying sharing it with you.
Calm waters and plain sailing,
Sam
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