Hauser & Wirth Somerset is a pioneering world-class gallery and multi-purpose arts center with a core belief in conservation, education and sustainability. The gallery acts as a destination for experiencing art, architecture, and the remarkable Somerset landscape through new and innovative exhibitions of contemporary art. 

We are delighted to have Hauser & Wirth on board as Sponsor Partners for The Big Draw Festival 2020, A Climate of Change. Here we caught up with Debbie Hillyerd to find out more about the Gallery and their Big Green Draw events...

Interview: Matilda Barratt in conversation with Debbie Hillyerd.

Could you start by telling us a bit about Hauser & Wirth, it’s history and your work there? 

Hauser & Wirth was founded in 1992 in Zurich by Iwan Wirth, Manuela Wirth and Ursula Hauser, who were joined in 2000 by Partner and President Marc Payot, and now has several international locations. I am based at Hauser & Wirth Somerset, located on the outskirts of Bruton, on Durslade Farm, the gallery opened in 2014.  

Centered around a core belief in conservation, education and sustainability, and responding directly to our artists and exhibitions, my work for Hauser & Wirth Somerset aims to offer a wide variety of special events including talks, seminars, workshops and screenings, as well as an extensive learning programme for local schools, young people and families. We have recently taken a step to have a more global outlook and look forward to helping develop more sustainable partnerships across our European locations, especially Hauser & Wirth Menorca, due to open next year, and Chillida Leku. 

Hauser & Wirth Somerset supports an immersive artist-in-residence programme, encouraging artists to benefit from the idyllic surroundings and to integrate with the local community. 

[Image: Artist submissions, The Big Draw: A Climate of Change, Hauser & Wirth and Chillida Leku, 2020]

How has this year been for Hauser & Wirth? Have you found ways of overcoming the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic? 

It has been an interesting year for everybody, not least museums and galleries. The pandemic has encouraged us all to re-evaluate our activities and focus on what is important: our artists, visitors, and staff. Hauser & Wirth Somerset has focused on creating a safe space for its visitors to enjoy the exhibitions and be inspired by the galleries surroundings. We have also considered our wider gallery family and looked to the opportunities for working more closely together to share our artists through digital events and online exhibitions. We even hosted an online presentation celebrating the creative talents of the gallery's worldwide team including staff, immediate family members and freelancers. 
 
This year, the gallery hosted student-led exhibitions online and at The Maltings in Bruton, Somerset. With a number of university presentations postponed or cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was an opportunity for recent graduates to show their work during this challenging period. Hauser & Wirth Somerset featured the work of ten recent BA (Hons) graduates from four regional universities in the South West of England and an online presentation of thesis work by nineteen MFA candidates from New York City’s Hunter College launched on 10 November. 

This year’s Big Draw Festival theme, ‘The Big Green Draw: A Climate of Change’, focuses on the relationship between people and our living environments and ecosystems, encouraging drawing as a means of positive activism. How does this resonate with Hauser & Wirth, and why do you think it’s important? 

Hauser & Wirth has always cared about the environment, whilst it is easier to 'see' in rural Somerset, the living environment is just as important to our city centre locations too. Galleries are places that inspire and educate through art but we also have a responsibility to the planet and are constantly considering the ways we can adapt our working methods and daily activities in light of this. 

[Image: Artist submissions, The Big Draw: A Climate of Change, Hauser & Wirth and Chillida Leku, 2020]

Do you think that art plays an important role in communicating a message and bringing about change? 

My whole career has been based on visual literacy; art has always been the vehicle for this and always will be. It is art that makes our understanding limitless, where language and numbers cannot; it will always empower us to have creative solutions and a democratic vision. 

We’d love to hear more about your Family Saturdays! I understand that you have these events on the first weekend of each month - what do you typically get up to? 

Family Saturday has taken place every month in Somerset since we opened over six years ago, we also have a similar programme in Los Angeles. We welcome families into the gallery for free sessions, which include interactive tours of the exhibitions, with sketching activities for both adults and children, followed by a creative workshop.  

The gallery features a changing programme and the garden has a wide variety of plants and wildlife, which provide an inspiring environment where children engage with the outdoors and learn about the local landscape. Families are able to participate in regular events in the garden, which promote nature and ecology. Parents and carers are encouraged to experience the exhibitions alongside their children, to talk about what they see and to respond in many creative ways from letterpress to sculpture. It is hugely popular with our audiences. With some of our physical events unable to go ahead this year, our education team launched 'Family Saturday at Home'. The activities encourage hands-on tasks and imaginative narratives that can be enjoyed together as a family. 

[Image: Hauser & Wirth Somerset, The Big Draw Family Saturday, 2020. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth]

And what did you do for your special Family Saturday in collaboration with The Big Draw? 

Every October, we celebrate The Big Draw, we always think about how we can link our activity to our artists, architecture or landscape - each year your themes are a gift, inspiring so many ideas. This year we decided that the tree provided a symbol of sustainability and could unite all of our locations globally. We linked the theme to the work of artist Charles Gaines; it is a great way for wider audiences to engage with our artist’s work and deepen their understanding. 

We also acknowledged the limitations of the pandemic so delivered a physical Family Saturday as well making it something anyone could do wherever they were. The activity is open and encourages all participants to share their outcomes on Instagram. Family Saturday marked the launch of the project and families were sent out into the environment to look at trees and then they used leaf rubbings to create a collaborative continuous landscape image. 

Hauser & Wirth have been loyal Big Draw Organisers for many years now - this is the first year that you have joined as Sponsor Partners! We’re so thrilled to have you on board. What motivates you to take part in the Festival? 

The Big Draw provides us a well-respected and popular initiative, it has a creative and democratic approach and speaks to many different communities. Hauser & Wirth shares these values, and by aligning ourselves with TBD we can share our activities and exhibitions with a wider audience and be recognised for the wider education and outreach projects that commercial galleries are not usually known for. 

Thank you Debbie!

If you were inspired by this interview with Debbie and would like to find out more about Hauser & Wirth, head to their website here. 

Registrations are now open for The Big Draw Festival 2020: A Climate of Change! Find out more about the benefits of becoming an organiser here and other ways to support The Big Draw's mission here.