Marton Museum represented in ground-breaking exhibitions
Many of you will remember seeing Faye’s wonderful exhibition “Children Then And Now: Marton Museum Reinterpreted by Artist Faye Claridge” which took place as part of The Marton Rural Traditions Festival held in tandem with the The Heritage Open Days event at Marton Museum last September. Faye photographed village children with artefacts from the Museum to create a contrast with a similar project carried out in the nineteenth century by Benjamin Stone who was recording dying country traditions and whose collection is held in the Library of Birmingham. Some of Faye’s photographs have now moved to the Library of Birmingham, together with some of the artefacts from the Museum and can be seen on Floor 2 until 31 May 2015. More of the pictures are also exhibited at
Compton Verney, where Faye has created a stunning 5-metre corn dolly “The Kern Baby” which can be seen in the Capability Brown grounds until December. Next May this will tour to the Library of Birmingham to link with the Benjamin Stone Collection that inspired Faye, alongside a larger exhibition of her photographs from Marton, prior to a high profile exhibition in London. Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund the photographs will also form part of Marton Museum’s permanent collection. A display at the Library of Birmingham currently tells Kern Baby’s story ahead of the sculpture touring there next year.
The Kern Baby
The project has been a great success in raising the profile of our Museum and creating innovative ways for families to access the collection. Faye’s work is increasingly in demand, being discussed at conferences and requested for exhibitions, so we’re hoping interest in the Museum will grow even further as a result.
An Exhibt
You are strongly recommended to visit Birmingham Library and Compton Verney to see Faye’s work for yourselves. Both destinations are well worth a trip in their own rights if you haven’t already been.
See:
www.comptonverney.org.uk
www.fayeclaridge.co.uk
www.libraryofbirmingham.com
