Submitted by Elyse Halpern on the 2013 summer session study abroad program sponsored by the Department of Art…
Monday of week 4, we took another trip outside of London to Winchester. It was the most adorable town. It was a quintessential small English town. When we got there, the first thing we did was take a look at the library. The library had recently had their signage redesigned by the company Peagreen which we were going to visit later that day. Peagreen had redesigned the signage and also done illustrative wall art to add to the library’s character while also reinventing it’s identity as a fun place to spend your time.
After our visit to the library, we took a walk around Winchester, down the main street, and to the Winchester Cathedral. The Cathedral is one of the oldest in England dating back to 1079 and is definitely the biggest I have ever seen. It has amazing Gothic architecture with an unbelievably high ceiling. It was incredible that a building that old was still around and also still in active use holding daily church services. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such amazing architectural detailing. From the carved wood benches to beautiful statues, the Cathedral was a sight to behold.
Later during our beautiful day in Winchester, we visited Peagreen and learned about their textile designs, prints, and illustrations, as well as their commissioned work such as the Winchester Library. They explained the business side of the textile industry and about the process of creating print and illustrations for the textiles and then selling them to large companies such as IKEA, Gap, Inc., and Urban Outfitters. It opened my eyes to the textile business because I had previously thought that the companies had their own designers that worked only for them. Instead, these companies go to trade shows to find prints they like and then buy them from the artists and from companies like Peagreen. We even got the opportunity to tour their studio. It was an amazing day to start off another great week in London. Cheers!