Art Events

This month’s speaker on Wednesday 17th June at the Tractor Shed is Dew Harrison (BA, FAETC, PGTC, MA, MSc, PhD, FRSA), Emerita Professor at University of Wolverhampton. Her talk will be really special and informative and will focus on the Pre-Raphaelites and Wightwick Manor.

Dew is an Art School trained, retired academic who began as a painter and illustrator with an interest in Conceptual Art and cognition. She has previously taught both Art History and creative practice in secondary schools, Adult Ed., and the WEA before working in HE to the level of Professor. She spent 15 years at the University of Wolverhampton where she became both Director of a large research centre in Art & Design, and Chair of the University Professoriate (a position very rarely given to a ‘female’ Professor in the ‘Arts’!). Throughout her academic career she has continued to make and exhibit her own artworks, to curate and review the work of others, and to author over 50 published books and journal papers.

On retirement in 2022, the University awarded her with the Honorary position of Professor Emerita.

In January 2026 she started as a volunteer at Wightwick Manor, having previously visited and just loved the place. The collection of Morris and PRB work there inspired her to re-visit the Pre-Raphaelites and note the network of connections between the artists and designers of the Victorian era.