The Museum of Somerset’s outstanding collections have been providing South West artists with the inspiration behind two upcoming exhibitions in Taunton.
Opening on Saturday 10 October, The South West Textile Group’s exhibition is titled ‘Imprints’, with 35 members showing work across a range of techniques including stitching, quilting, felting, weaving, printing, dyeing and mixed media. Some of the museum’s stand-out objects provided inspiration, including the Roman Low Ham mosaic, which depicts a tragic love story, and the Frome Hoard, the second largest collection of Roman coins ever discovered in Britain. 200 million-year-old ammonites, 17th century cauldrons and skillets, and a Zulu shield from the Military Museum also captured the imagination of the textile artists.
The ‘Imprints’ exhibition includes a special ‘Talk and Tea’ event with some of the artists on Friday 13 November (£5, booking advised). For children there will be a museum trail (£1) running during October half term (Saturday 24th to Saturday 31st) and on Thursday 29 free craft drop-in sessions (11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm.) The ‘Imprints’ exhibition runs until 2 January 2016.
On behalf of the South West Textile Group, Tricia Hubbard, the co-ordinator for ‘Imprints’ said: “Our thanks go to The Museum of Somerset for providing the inspiration for our latest exhibition. Our group aims to promote public awareness of textile arts by exhibiting members’ work and this exhibition will also showcase some of the county’s wonderful history in a different way.”
Sam Astill, Exhibitions Curator at The Museum of Somerset said: “Our local history is rich in fascinating stories and beautiful objects and we are delighted that some of the museum’s finest objects have been reimagined by local artists.”
The second exhibition, titled ‘New Dimensions’, will feature work created by a group of professional artists who have been granted exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the museum’s extensive stores. In an innovative partnership between Somerset artists and museum curators, rarely seen objects will be brought to life in film, photography, sculpture, textiles and poetry. The ‘New Dimensions’ exhibition runs 16 January to 16 April, 2016 – details to be released.
The Museum of Somerset is part of The South West Heritage Trust, a new independent charity committed to protecting and celebrating Somerset and Devon’s rich heritage. As well as the widely-praised Museum of Somerset and the current redevelopment of the Rural Life Museum, in Glastonbury, the Trust manages state-of-the-art facilities in Taunton and Exeter to care for the extraordinary archive collections of the two counties. The Trust also provides essential advice about the historic environment and manages historic sites. Individuals and businesses are invited to support the new charity through its Founder Member scheme.
For more information about Museum of Somerset exhibitions visit www.museumofsomerset.org.uk.