The opening of COLLECT (22 - 25 February 2018) will see the unveiling of a tapestry called Thefallowfield by artist Eva Rothschild (below right) in collaboration with the Master Weavers at West Dean Tapestry Studio, the professional studio at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation. This 16-month collaboration is the result of an Open Call, which was announced in June 2016. The call required bold and imaginative ideas from artists who needed no previous experience of working with tapestry. Rothschild's winning design enabled the creation of a hand-woven tapestry of her design - as well as the opportunity for her to undertake a three-week residency at the College working closely with Master Weavers to expand her knowledge of the weaving process and develop her final design.

West Dean Tapestry Studio specialises in commissions from contemporary artists and has built up a strong reputation for interpretive skills when translating work into hand woven tapestries. Over the past 40-years the studio has developed an outstanding portfolio, including commissions from Tracey Emin, Martin Creed, John Piper, Eileen Agar, Basil Beattie, and Henry Moore.

"It was a really great experience working on the piece with Master Weaver Philip Sanderson. I was able to learn a new set of skills which will continue to inform my wider practice and to create a new work in a medium I had long been interested in but had not previously had access to." - Eva Rothschild

"Eva's design stood out immediately in its dynamism and for the way it pushed the medium of tapestry. It was a welcome challenge for me to translate her vision and I hope she is proud of the result." - Phil Sanderson, Master Weaver at West Dean Tapestry Studio