Outdoor art & sculpture exhibitions in Oxfordshire

Outdoor art and sculpture exhibitions in Oxfordshire worth entertaining this summer

Get your culture fix this summer with these temporary and short term outdoor art exhibitions and installations across Oxfordshire.

There’s something majestic about outdoor art. Against landscapes, cityscapes or seascapes, a sculpture or piece of outdoor art can take on an entirely new life.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite temporary outdoor art exhibitions this season showcasing art – from sculptures to handmade objects – made by artists and artisans working with ceramics, stone, wood, metal and glass.

Some exhibitions will provide opportunities to meet the artists – to engage with them in order to better understand what lies beneath the visual. While others will help us reflect upon and come to terms with what has been our reality as a society over the last two years.

These exhibitions use the stunning outdoor settings of our stately homes and public gardens as a temporary gallery space where you’ll be able to browse and shop for impressive outdoor art, sculptures and handmade objects.

And, of course, in the run-up to summer, you can feast your eyes on a wide range of creative activities by hundreds of artists, makers and designers in artists’ studios, pop-up galleries, glorious gardens, ancient churches, medieval tithe barns and hundreds of other unusual venues at Oxfordshire Artweeks – the UK’s oldest and largest artist open studios and pop-up exhibition event.

‘Light and Shade’ Steel and Glass sculpture by Ian Marlow

7 May to 25 June

Turrill Sculpture Garden, Oxford

A member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, Ian Marlow is a Somerset-based sculptor best known for his bold and dynamic sculptures in stainless steel and glass. The shimmering steel adapts to the ever-changing light, shades and shadows that the changing days and seasons offer – creating a fluidity of form that sees his sculptures interact with their surroundings. Ian’s sculptures are equally at home in traditional gardens as they are as bold statements within contemporary architectural settings.

Fresh Air Sculpture 2022

05 to 26 June

Quenington Old Rectory

Fresh Air Sculpture is a contemporary sculpture and craft show taking place in the extensive gardens of Quenington Old Rectory in Gloucestershire. This biennial curated event prides itself on showcasing and selling unique sculptural pieces as well as decorative arts in a beautiful outdoor setting. Expect the traditional and the experimental, from moving and thought-provoking sculptures and detailed heritage craft to the brightest of textiles and the glamour of glass.

Sculpture in the Garden

11 June to 17 July

Greys Court, Henley-on-Thames

This summer, the Oxford Sculptors Group returns to exhibit on the grounds of Greys Court after a record year in 2021. ‘Sculpture in the Gardens’ at Greys Court will consist of around 150 sculptures by 30 or so artists local to Oxfordshire. They range from small indoor pieces to big outdoor ones: abstract or natural, in a wide range of media like bronze, stone, steel, wood, glass and ceramics and with an equally broad price range.

on form exhibition of sculpture

12 June to 10 July

Asthall Manor, Burford

The on form exhibition of sculpture in stone is a biennial event that takes place in the even years (2018, 2020…) using the grounds and a few of the interiors at Asthall Manor as a backdrop. The garden, designed and planted by Isabel and Julian Bannerman in 1998, forms an essential backdrop to the exhibition. More than a gallery, it is a place for art that speaks without words, connecting people to their surroundings and allowing them to feel.

Handmade Oxford 2022 – The International Contemporary Arts Festival

23 to 26 June

Waterperry Gardens

Taking place at the prestigious Waterperry Gardens, this edition of Handmade Oxford will have an open-air festival feel over four days. You’ll be able to browse and shop for exquisite, contemporary British craft, participate in a packed programme of craft workshops and watch live demonstrations hosted by our designer-makers. The artisans and makers will be on hand throughout the weekend – to explain their work and showcase their unique collections.