Painterly Interpretations (2017) Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery Painting Group.
A heritage and community project with seniors from the painting group based at Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery. It involved exploring Sandwell Museums Services collections, with the group contributing creative responses through the medium of drawing and painting: with a view to creating work featuring in an upcoming installation.
The group began by viewing newly acquired archival material, relating to another of Sandwell Museum Services — Haden Hill House Museum based in Cradley Heath. The long-standing painting group viewed specific materials in the collection, relating to Alice Cockin and Bertha Emma Bryant (a painter and photographer respectively) who were residents of the house in the 1900s. The group were introduced to the idea of creating a response to Cockin and Bryant’s creative legacy, for a new permanent installation.
Many in the group knew very little about the museum—even though its location is relatively near where they were from in Wednesbury. An onsite visit was arranged, while the temporary exhibition The Evidence Room was taking place. Most of the participants had never even heard of Haden Hill House Museum, which is situated in Haden Hill Park near Halesowen.
After deriving inspiration from seeing Cockin and Bryant’s creative legacy and the environment they grew up in, the group returned to their studio at Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery. The artists from the group became ‘artistic friends’ and imaginary correspondents to Cockin and Bryant, creating new drawings and paintings featuring in the new permanent exhibit An Artistic Revelation’.
Below is a slideshow that captures the process from investigation to installation.
Best’s Angels was developed by Sandwell Museum Service with the following partners
Friends of Haden Hill Estate
The Art of Taking Part 