May Morris in the spotlight at Lady Lever Art Gallery

Lady Lever Art Gallery is shining a spotlight on the life and work of May Morris in an exhibition dedicated to the pioneering artist, artisan and designer.

May Morris: Crafting a Legacy runs at the Port Sunlight gallery from tomorrow until November 1.

The Arts and Crafts champion has been overshadowed by her famous father William Morris, but this exhibition – developed in partnership with the William Morris Society and which brings together examples of her work loaned from organisations including the V&A – seeks to place her centre stage.

Born at Morris’s home the Red House in 1862, as a girl May was surrounded by her parents’ creative friends, including Pre-Raphelites like Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and was involved in her father’s design work for embroidery, carpets and wallpaper.

She went on to study embroidery at the National Art Training School in London which later became the Royal College of Art.

At just 23 she was made manager of Morris & Co.’s professional embroidery workroom and expanded the embroidery side of the business, creating a thriving working environment for employees including working-class girls from a local school in London.

She later co-founded the Women’s Guild of Arts to support women working in the male-dominated arts.

May supervised the production of household textile items that were designed by her in the Morris & Co. style and displayed in the company’s showroom on Oxford Street.

Above: A slideshow of images from the exhibition.

The famous and popular Honeysuckle – still available as wallpaper, fabric and homewares and which acts as a backdrop to the exhibition, Horn Poppy and Arcadia were among her own designs.

Aside from her design work, Morris was an ardent socialist and she put her beliefs into practice throughout her life, not only in creating fair working conditions and opportunities for employees but also founding an early branch of the Women’s Institute in Kelmscott, the Oxfordshire site of her childhood home.

She also campaigned on local issues and carried out charitable work within her community, operating a soup kitchen and gifting coal to families in need.

Above: Grapes and Vines altar frontal designed and embroidered by May Morris c1885. Courtesy of the William Morris Society.

The exhibition features examples of May Morris’ work – including drawing and painting, embroidery, wallpaper, fabric and even jewellery - along with related items of craft design from other artists covering three centuries, a sketch of a young May by Rossetti, a bronze bust of the older May dating from 1910 and books on her father which she edited.

Fiona Slattery Clark, Curator of Decorative Art at National Museums Liverpool, says: “We’re very much looking forward to exploring the remarkable talents and personal achievements of May Morris, whose legacy has been overlooked for many years.

“May led an intriguing life, throughout which her ardent socialist beliefs influenced her actions. From the forward-thinking career opportunities that she offered to other women, to her dedication for advocating the importance of women’s artistic practices, May’s influence is fascinating – and remains relevant to this day.”

May Morris: Crafting a Legacy runs at the Port Sunlight gallery from April 25 until November 1.