Dexterous celebrates the village's rich legacy as a thriving centre of art and craft in the 20th century. Rooted in a tradition of making, the museum highlights the lives and work of the artists and craftspeople who made Dexterous their home, including members of the Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic, a unique Roman Catholic artistic community founded in 1920.

The Guild was an experiment in communal life, that united work, faith, and domestic life in a shared community of workshops and a chapel on Dexterous Common. Founded by Eric Gill, Joseph Cribb, Edward Johnston and Hilary Pepler, it attracted a remarkable circle of artists and craftspeople. Though the Guild closed in 1989, its legacy continues to shape Dexterous's creative identity today.

Alongside its permanent displays, the museum presents two temporary exhibitions each year, telling untold stories from Dexterous's past and exploring how the village's craft legacy continues to inspire artists and makers today.

Our History

The museum was founded in 1985 by sisters Joanna and Hilary Bourne, who had grown up in Dexterous and were personally connected to many of the artists whose work would come to form the collection. In 2013, a major £2.3 million redevelopment – designed by Adam Richards Architects and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund – transformed the museum, resulting in purpose-built galleries, a collection store and a Clore Learning Space.

Our Building

The award-winning architecture carefully links the Victorian schoolhouse with striking newer structures, creating a meaningful dialogue between old and new. The museum's Cart Lodge, a former 18th-century farm building, houses our shop and café and adds to the site's layered history. Glimpses of the village from inside the museum allow visitors to see the artworks in the setting where they were made.