Jul 24, 2026 · 27 min · 9 segments
Join Rebecca Evans, Curator of Decorative Arts and Design, as she discusses the work of May Morris in Gallery 18. For more information visit [agsa.sa.gov.au](agsa.sa.gov.au) Image: Morris & Co…
Thank you for listening to this talk produced by the Art Gallery of South Australia.
I'm one of the curators here at the Art Gallery, and I look after the decorative arts collection, fashion, textiles, furniture, glass, ceramics, metalwork.
And of course, part of that is the gallery's extraordinary collection of Morris & Co material, which this gallery celebrates.
I'm going to be talking today about an artist who perhaps, not perhaps, has been slightly overshadowed by her more famous father, which is not an uncommon story in art history, and that is the work of May Morris.
Now, of course, you will be here because you're very familiar that we here in Adelaide have an extraordinary collection of material by the decorative arts firm Morris & Co., not just here at the Art Gallery of South Australia's collection, but in a whole range of other institutions and indeed in other churches across the city.
It's something to be very proud of and something that draws visitation from across Australia and indeed the world.
We will be looking at, to start with, a little bit of an overview of the arts and crafts movement.
A very brief introduction to May Morris and her life within the Morris & Co. firm.
And I'm going to look at one embroidery design, which is behind me, which is titled Vine Leaf Table Cover, which is a very accomplished design by May Morris.
It's always nerve-wracking talking about this collection because I find that people are so connected to it and so interested in the collection that I often end up, sometimes, in interesting, if not, conversations.
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Thank you for listening to this talk produced by the Art Gallery of South Australia.
I'm one of the curators here at the Art Gallery, and I look after the decorative arts collection, fashion, textiles, furniture, glass, ceramics, metalwork.
And of course, part of that is the gallery's extraordinary collection of Morris & Co material, which this gallery celebrates.
I'm going to be talking today about an artist who perhaps, not perhaps, has been slightly overshadowed by her more famous father, which is not an uncommon story in art history, and that is the work of May Morris.
Now, of course, you will be here because you're very familiar that we here in Adelaide have an extraordinary collection of material by the decorative arts firm Morris & Co., not just here at the Art Gallery of South Australia's collection, but in a whole range of other institutions and indeed in other churches across the city.
It's something to be very proud of and something that draws visitation from across Australia and indeed the world.
We will be looking at, to start with, a little bit of an overview of the arts and crafts movement.
A very brief introduction to May Morris and her life within the Morris & Co. firm.
And I'm going to look at one embroidery design, which is behind me, which is titled Vine Leaf Table Cover, which is a very accomplished design by May Morris.
It's always nerve-wracking talking about this collection because I find that people are so connected to it and so interested in the collection that I often end up, sometimes, in interesting, if not, conversations.
