winter 2014 inside compton verney
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ÂTRANSCRIPT
A Sense of Place: 2015 at Compton Verney
New Curriculum, New Opportunities
Winter 2014
inside Compton
Verney
Contents
Page 2 Adopt an Artwork Takes Off
Page 3 News Bites
Page 4 A Sense of Place: 2015 at Compton Verney Page 6 Re-Viewing the Landscape Update Page 8 New Curriculum, New Opportunities
Adopt an Artwork
Takes Off
2 Cover photo: ‘If I Can’, Embroidery, 1857, William Morris , Copyright Society of Antiquaries of London: Kelmscott Manor
Artwork adoption has brought much-needed
support for Compton Verney. Caring for
collections and mounting high-quality
exhibitions is an expensive business and the
money raised through adoptions helps us to
do just that.
Works of art throughout our permanent
collections are available from just £25 - 2,500.
If you are interested in adopting something in
your own name, or that of a loved one,
please contact Alexandra on 01926 645547.
Recent adoptions:
Mrs Janatha Stubbs, MBE, MOM, has adopted
Mrs Baldwin in Eastern Dress by Sir Joshua
Reynolds (top image), The Scene at Golgotha
by the Strasbourg School (above left), and
Mirza Abu'l Hassan Khan by Sir William
Beechey (left). A Tang Horse from the Chinese
Collection (above right) has also been
adopted for Matthew Brown.
Page 10 Handbags Galore; A Day in the Life of
Lindsey Fox, Retail Buyer
Page 11 The Arts & Crafts House: Then & Now
Page 12 Highlights of Istanbul & Bunting Bonanza
Page 13 Save the Date
Page 14 Acknowledgements
Award Winning Hire and
Recreation Huge congratulations to Harriet Lund and Melanie
Thorn from Compton Verney Venue Hire for
winning Best Venue Team (Regional) at The
Wedding Industry Awards, and to Emily Medcraft
and all our Front of House team who make our
guests welcome and ensure events run smoothly.
Compton Verney’s Grounds Team can also be
proud that we have picked up an award for
Footpath of the Year from the Stratford Ramblers.
Learning Sponsored in Memory Paul Cooney has generously sponsored the
learning activities for the Periodic Tales exhibition in
memory of Barry and Judy Henman.
News Bites Farewell This season sees one of our long standing and
much loved Gallery Assistants hanging up his gilet
for the last time. Tony Isaacs, has been part of the
team since day one and has helped define our
approach to visitor welcome and experience. We
shall miss him dearly and are hugely grateful for his
support over the years.
Take Over Day Kids in Museums is a national campaign to
encourage more activities for children and young
people to take place in museum settings.
This annual event takes place in November, and
organisations such as art galleries, museums and
heritage sites are taken over by children and young people. This year we worked with Stratford-upon-
Avon School and Campion School. Read more in
the Curator’s Diary Blog.
Emily, Harriet and Event Duty Manager Paul
Work experience students assisting Annelise, Collections
and Exhibitions Manager
3
4
2015 will inevitably be a challenging financial year,
coming as it does after the closure of the Peter
Moores Foundation and before the completion of
the first and most important phase of our Park
Restoration Project. (Don’t forget that we learn the
outcome of our Round Two bid to the Heritage
Lottery Fund (HLF) at the end of January 2015.)
However, we intend to use the next twelve months
to very good effect. We’re not planning just to sit
back, watching and waiting for the anticipated uplift prompted by 2016’s ‘Capability’ Brown and
Shakespeare anniversary celebrations and the
development of our invaluable historic landscape.
Whatever the result of our HLF bid, we intend to
sustain our forward momentum and build on the
success we’ve achieved over the last few years.
The major marketing exercises we commissioned in
2013 and 2014 (much of which was generously
funded by the Arts Council England) provided us
with additional, invaluable information about our
visitors – and, crucially, about those who currently
do not visit. What we aim to do in 2015 is to take
this exercise one step further, and to tackle head-on
the two key barriers to visiting which this research
identified. The first is the perception that we are
difficult to find, and that we are buried in the midst
of the countryside. (Many people in our catchment area are still regrettably unaware of our exact
location, even if they have often heard of us.)
Secondly, we are faced with the obstacle that both
our gallery title and our corporate logo, when
viewed in isolation by those who do not know us,
fail to convey any idea of what we are and what
we offer.
To deal with the first challenge, we intend to use
the summer’s major exhibition, The Art and Crafts
House, to help potential visitors pinpoint exactly
where we are. We aim to do this by creating an exhibition-related Arts and Crafts Trail that will link
us to nearby, well-known Cotswold destinations.
We will, for example, be featuring the work of the
Hart Silversmiths’ workshop in Chipping
Campden (founded in 1902 and still going
strong), cross-marketing with the Gordon Russell Museum in Broadway (which will in turn provide
us with a helpful link to our own Enid Marx
collection), partnering with historic houses and
collections such as Kelmscott and Rodmarton,
and focusing on a cross-section of local
craftspeople. In this way, we will exploit
Compton Verney’s geographical hinterland to
create a trail of contemporary makers across the
Cotswolds.
At the same time, the promotion of our other
exhibitions during the year, along with the site-
specific publicity garnered by partnerships such
as the remarkably successful ‘Coventry and
Warwickshire 8’ cultural alliance and our new
Ambassadors scheme, will also stress our easy-to-
reach location as well as publicising our ever-
expanding offer.
On the issue of brand recognition, we clearly do
not have the resources to initiate a full-scale
rebranding exercise. Nor, in truth, would we
want to: it would surely be rather unwise to
discard a name that has, over the last ten years,
become increasingly synonymous with our
growing national and regional reputation.
What we can do, though, is to enhance our
corporate image, communicating more lucidly so
that would-be visitors have a clearer idea of what
they can experience and enjoy. To refresh our
brand, then, we aim to add a strapline to our
logo which encapsulates all that we can offer. We
have already gone a long way along this path –
partly thanks to the recent research and a
Governors’ brand personality workshop, which helped us to better understand how others see us
– and we hope to bring this to fruition next year.
Any ideas you may have to this end would be
most welcome!
By improving awareness of where we are located,
and of what we can offer our increasingly broad
spectrum of visitors, we aim to create a solid base
on which we can pitch our exciting, diverse and
expanding offer from 2016 – the year, after all, of
Shakespeare and ‘Capability’ Brown, to say
nothing of our major exhibitions on Britain in the
1950s and the Grand Tour. All of this will, in turn,
help us to increase our visitor numbers, currently
at around 65,000 a year, towards our 2020 target
of 100,000. As the cliché has it, onwards and
upwards.
Dr Steven Parissien, Director
A Sense of Place: 2015 at Compton Verney
Photos by Stuart Thomas (main left) and John Cleary (inset)
2015 will inevitably be a challenging financial year,
coming as it does after the closure of the Peter
Moores Foundation and before the completion of
the first and most important phase of our Park
Restoration Project. (Don’t forget that we learn the
outcome of our Round Two bid to the Heritage
Lottery Fund (HLF) at the end of January 2015.)
However, we intend to use the next twelve months
to very good effect. We’re not planning just to sit
back, watching and waiting for the anticipated uplift prompted by 2016’s ‘Capability’ Brown and
Shakespeare anniversary celebrations and the
development of our invaluable historic landscape.
Whatever the result of our HLF bid, we intend to
sustain our forward momentum and build on the
success we’ve achieved over the last few years.
The major marketing exercises we commissioned in
2013 and 2014 (much of which was generously
funded by the Arts Council England) provided us
with additional, invaluable information about our
visitors – and, crucially, about those who currently
do not visit. What we aim to do in 2015 is to take
this exercise one step further, and to tackle head-on
the two key barriers to visiting which this research
identified. The first is the perception that we are
difficult to find, and that we are buried in the midst
of the countryside. (Many people in our catchment area are still regrettably unaware of our exact
location, even if they have often heard of us.)
Secondly, we are faced with the obstacle that both
our gallery title and our corporate logo, when
viewed in isolation by those who do not know us,
fail to convey any idea of what we are and what
we offer.
To deal with the first challenge, we intend to use
the summer’s major exhibition, The Art and Crafts
House, to help potential visitors pinpoint exactly
where we are. We aim to do this by creating an exhibition-related Arts and Crafts Trail that will link
us to nearby, well-known Cotswold destinations.
We will, for example, be featuring the work of the
Hart Silversmiths’ workshop in Chipping
Campden (founded in 1902 and still going
strong), cross-marketing with the Gordon Russell Museum in Broadway (which will in turn provide
us with a helpful link to our own Enid Marx
collection), partnering with historic houses and
collections such as Kelmscott and Rodmarton,
and focusing on a cross-section of local
craftspeople. In this way, we will exploit
Compton Verney’s geographical hinterland to
create a trail of contemporary makers across the
Cotswolds.
At the same time, the promotion of our other
exhibitions during the year, along with the site-
specific publicity garnered by partnerships such
as the remarkably successful ‘Coventry and
Warwickshire 8’ cultural alliance and our new
Ambassadors scheme, will also stress our easy-to-
reach location as well as publicising our ever-
expanding offer.
On the issue of brand recognition, we clearly do
not have the resources to initiate a full-scale
rebranding exercise. Nor, in truth, would we
want to: it would surely be rather unwise to
discard a name that has, over the last ten years,
become increasingly synonymous with our
growing national and regional reputation.
What we can do, though, is to enhance our
corporate image, communicating more lucidly so
that would-be visitors have a clearer idea of what
they can experience and enjoy. To refresh our
brand, then, we aim to add a strapline to our
logo which encapsulates all that we can offer. We
have already gone a long way along this path –
partly thanks to the recent research and a
Governors’ brand personality workshop, which helped us to better understand how others see us
– and we hope to bring this to fruition next year.
Any ideas you may have to this end would be
most welcome!
By improving awareness of where we are located,
and of what we can offer our increasingly broad
spectrum of visitors, we aim to create a solid base
on which we can pitch our exciting, diverse and
expanding offer from 2016 – the year, after all, of
Shakespeare and ‘Capability’ Brown, to say
nothing of our major exhibitions on Britain in the
1950s and the Grand Tour. All of this will, in turn,
help us to increase our visitor numbers, currently
at around 65,000 a year, towards our 2020 target
of 100,000. As the cliché has it, onwards and
upwards.
Dr Steven Parissien, Director
2015 Exhibitions Canaletto: Celebrating Britain
14 March to 7 June
This exhibition spotlights the paintings and drawings which
Canaletto created between 1746 and 1755, when he chose
to celebrate the latest achievements of British architecture
and engineering. This is the first time which these painting
have been gathered together, and collectively they
illustrate Canaletto's nine-year stay in Britain which saw
him document a series of new building works and projects,
commissions which reflected the new-found wealth and
assurance of the British nation. The houses, bridges,
churches and castles he recorded marked out Britain as the
new Venice and conveyed a sense of self-confidence, as
Britons sought cultural inspiration not just from the
Mediterranean but also from their own history.
Martin Parr : The Non-Conformists
14 March to 7 June
The Non-Conformists features the first major body of work
by celebrated documentary photographer and satirist
Martin Parr. These black-and-white photographs from the
mid-1970s document the Yorkshire mill town of Hebden
Bridge and the surrounding Calder Valley. This remarkable
series predates the colour photographs for which Parr was
to become so well known in the following decade.
Kern Baby by Faye Claridge
14 March to 13 December
This enigmatic new commission by artist Faye Claridge in
our historic grounds will take on the form of an
exaggerated sculptural emblem of folklore. Resonating
with Compton Verney’s extensive collection of British Folk
Art, the new sculpture is based on the photographic work
of Sir Benjamin Stone, who travelled the country recording
unusual festivals and customs.
The Arts and Crafts House: Then and Now
27 June to 13 September (see page 11)
Periodic Tales: The Art of the Elements
3 October to 13 December
This exhibition will highlight how the chemical elements
(gold, silver, iron, carbon etc) remain central to our lives
and to artistic creation, through a series of contemporary
and historic works. The exhibition will include work by
Antony Gormley, Cornelia Parker, Thomas Heatherwick,
Marc Quinn and Lucy Skaer and has been supported by the
Beecroft Trust.
5
This major, transformational project continues to
gather momentum as we await the results of our
final round application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Having received a Development Grant for the project in 2013, we were able to develop plans and
make our final submission in October 2014. A
recent visit from a National HLF Board Member and
our Regional Director went well, and we look
forward to a decision in late January or early
February.
We have now also received planning permission for
the Welcome Centre, Chapel refurbishment Grounds
Workshop and footbridge.
We are immensely grateful to those trusts and
foundations who have made generous grants to
help fulfil the match funding requirement for this
project, including:
The Wolfson Foundation
Garfield Weston Foundation
Fidelity UK
29th May Charitable Trust
J. Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust
Country Houses Foundation
P.F. Charitable Trust
The Mercers Company
Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust
The Saintbury Trust
Natural England
The Rural Payments Agency
Francis Coales Charitable Trust
Golden Bottle Trust
Lord Leverhulme Charitable Trust
Arts Connect West Midlands
In addition, we have received substantial
support from many individuals, including:
Lord and Lady Goodhart
Alex and Mary Robinson
Wyn Grant
James Robinson
Oliver Simon
Last but certainly not least, thanks to our hard-
working event volunteers, notably Lady Willoughby
de Broke, Bridget Barker, Christine Archer, Belinda
McMicking, Laura Watts, Munchi Choksey and Josie
Cameron-Ashcroft.
There are still opportunities to help before the Board
make their final decision:
Sponsor a bird hide or Chapel window for
£10,000
Sponsor a Chapel pew, or enable us to host
Forest School for a year with a gift of £5,000
Help us bring the landscape to life with an
interpretive panel for £1,000
Restore a Chapel ceiling panel for £500
Inscribe a plank in our wetland boardwalk for
£100
For more information about how you can
become a part of this important and exciting
project, please contact Development on
01926 645547.
Re-Viewing the Landscape Update
Schematics of the Welcome Centre exterior and (below) interior
6
This major, transformational project continues to
gather momentum as we await the results of our
final round application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Having received a Development Grant for the project in 2013, we were able to develop plans and
make our final submission in October 2014. A
recent visit from a National HLF Board Member and
our Regional Director went well, and we look
forward to a decision in late January or early
February.
We have now also received planning permission for
the Welcome Centre, Chapel refurbishment Grounds
Workshop and footbridge.
We are immensely grateful to those trusts and
foundations who have made generous grants to
help fulfil the match funding requirement for this
project, including:
The Wolfson Foundation
Garfield Weston Foundation
Fidelity UK
29th May Charitable Trust
J. Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust
Country Houses Foundation
P.F. Charitable Trust
The Mercers Company
Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust
The Saintbury Trust
Natural England
The Rural Payments Agency
Francis Coales Charitable Trust
Golden Bottle Trust
Lord Leverhulme Charitable Trust
Arts Connect West Midlands
In addition, we have received substantial
support from many individuals, including:
Lord and Lady Goodhart
Alex and Mary Robinson
Wyn Grant
James Robinson
Oliver Simon
Last but certainly not least, thanks to our hard-
working event volunteers, notably Lady Willoughby
de Broke, Bridget Barker, Christine Archer, Belinda
McMicking, Laura Watts, Munchi Choksey and Josie
Cameron-Ashcroft.
There are still opportunities to help before the Board
make their final decision:
Sponsor a bird hide or Chapel window for
£10,000
Sponsor a Chapel pew, or enable us to host
Forest School for a year with a gift of £5,000
Help us bring the landscape to life with an
interpretive panel for £1,000
Restore a Chapel ceiling panel for £500
Inscribe a plank in our wetland boardwalk for
£100
For more information about how you can
become a part of this important and exciting
project, please contact Development on
01926 645547.
Interpretation space
Coffee bar
Ticket desk
Shop
Toilets
Forest School
storage
Shuttle parking
Canopy, benches and landscaping
Bike racks
Internal layout of the
Welcome Centre
7
The new national curriculum, which was
introduced in September, has created
opportunities to develop exciting, new
programmes for schools at Compton Verney.
One of the most significant areas of
opportunity is within the history curriculum,
which has changed considerably from the
previous programme of study and now, for
the first time, includes The Shang Dynasty of
Ancient China. Coinciding with the re-display
of our Chinese collection, which will be
unveiled to the public in March 2015, we have
created a new primary programme Rituals and
Bronzes: The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China.
A large number of students (5,000 +) visit
Compton Verney each year and this will be the
first programme we have run that specifically
explores our Chinese collection.
Rituals and Bronzes: The Shang
Dynasty of Ancient China
This programme will enable Key Stage 2
students (7 – 11 year olds) to investigate the
Chinese bronzes within our collection and
explore life during the Shang Dynasty. Rituals
and Bronzes links directly to national History,
Art and Design curriculums and we anticipate
that 800 students will take part in this
programme annually and, to support and
encourage school participation, each child’s
visit will be highly subsidised by Compton
Verney.
In the morning students will tour the Chinese
collection to explore and discuss the objects
and artworks from Ancient China, recording
their observations through sketching.
They will look particularly at the ritual
bronzes, exploring their importance and
learning about religion, life and important
people during the Shang Dynasty. The
students will also have the exciting
opportunity to handle one of the original
bronzes from Ancient China and discover
more about how they were created and their
history.
In the afternoon students will then create their
own Chinese vessel using air drying clay. They
will be shown different ways and techniques
to make a clay pot and, taking inspiration
from the Chinese bronzes, will base their
designs on the ritual vessels they have seen in
the morning.
Vikings, Romans, Saxons and more
In response to the new curriculum we have
also developed six new, hands-on history
programmes that use our Forest School site to
explore life in early Britain: Stone Age Settlers,
Bronze Age Builders, Iron Age Inhabitants, The
Real Romans, Saxon Settlers and Viking
Villagers. In these programmes students
explore what life would have been like during
the time periods and what daily task might
have entailed.
In each programme students will take part in
five practical activities that relate to the time
period they are studying. These could range
from building a miniature settlement, to
making traditional wattle and daub or
weaving nets for fishing.
Each programme also includes a taster session
for traditional food the time period, such as
the Stone Age treat frumenty or Viking
porridge, and making and maintaining a fire,
which they will use for heat and cooking.
Objectives and outcomes
Our mission at Compton Verney is to share
our passion for art and heritage with as many
people as possible, and these schools’
programmes will offer a fantastic opportunity
for students to participate and interact with
our world-class Chinese collection and
landscape.
The most powerful and memorable learning
happens through experience, these projects
will not only enable students to learn about
history through original objects, artworks and
hands-on experiences, but will also encourage
them to explore their own creativity and
artistic skills.
The overall learning outcomes we hope
students will achieve are:
An appreciation of ancient Chinese art and
ritual bronzes and an understanding of
the bronzes use and significance
Knowledge of life, customs, and religion
during other time periods
New skills and an appreciation for how
they can enjoy galleries and landscapes.
For more information, contact the
Learning Team.
New Curriculum, New Opportunities
Rendering of the new Gallery entrance (above) and students from Peking University handling the bronzes (below)
8
The new national curriculum, which was
introduced in September, has created
opportunities to develop exciting, new
programmes for schools at Compton Verney.
One of the most significant areas of
opportunity is within the history curriculum,
which has changed considerably from the
previous programme of study and now, for
the first time, includes The Shang Dynasty of
Ancient China. Coinciding with the re-display
of our Chinese collection, which will be
unveiled to the public in March 2015, we have
created a new primary programme Rituals and
Bronzes: The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China.
A large number of students (5,000 +) visit
Compton Verney each year and this will be the
first programme we have run that specifically
explores our Chinese collection.
Rituals and Bronzes: The Shang
Dynasty of Ancient China
This programme will enable Key Stage 2
students (7 – 11 year olds) to investigate the
Chinese bronzes within our collection and
explore life during the Shang Dynasty. Rituals
and Bronzes links directly to national History,
Art and Design curriculums and we anticipate
that 800 students will take part in this
programme annually and, to support and
encourage school participation, each child’s
visit will be highly subsidised by Compton
Verney.
In the morning students will tour the Chinese
collection to explore and discuss the objects
and artworks from Ancient China, recording
their observations through sketching.
They will look particularly at the ritual
bronzes, exploring their importance and
learning about religion, life and important
people during the Shang Dynasty. The
students will also have the exciting
opportunity to handle one of the original
bronzes from Ancient China and discover
more about how they were created and their
history.
In the afternoon students will then create their
own Chinese vessel using air drying clay. They
will be shown different ways and techniques
to make a clay pot and, taking inspiration
from the Chinese bronzes, will base their
designs on the ritual vessels they have seen in
the morning.
Vikings, Romans, Saxons and more
In response to the new curriculum we have
also developed six new, hands-on history
programmes that use our Forest School site to
explore life in early Britain: Stone Age Settlers,
Bronze Age Builders, Iron Age Inhabitants, The
Real Romans, Saxon Settlers and Viking
Villagers. In these programmes students
explore what life would have been like during
the time periods and what daily task might
have entailed.
In each programme students will take part in
five practical activities that relate to the time
period they are studying. These could range
from building a miniature settlement, to
making traditional wattle and daub or
weaving nets for fishing.
Each programme also includes a taster session
for traditional food the time period, such as
the Stone Age treat frumenty or Viking
porridge, and making and maintaining a fire,
which they will use for heat and cooking.
Objectives and outcomes
Our mission at Compton Verney is to share
our passion for art and heritage with as many
people as possible, and these schools’
programmes will offer a fantastic opportunity
for students to participate and interact with
our world-class Chinese collection and
landscape.
The most powerful and memorable learning
happens through experience, these projects
will not only enable students to learn about
history through original objects, artworks and
hands-on experiences, but will also encourage
them to explore their own creativity and
artistic skills.
The overall learning outcomes we hope
students will achieve are:
An appreciation of ancient Chinese art and
ritual bronzes and an understanding of
the bronzes use and significance
Knowledge of life, customs, and religion
during other time periods
New skills and an appreciation for how
they can enjoy galleries and landscapes.
For more information, contact the
Learning Team. Forest School Leader Vix Curtlin (above) and conker stew
(right).
9
From ballet, embroidery and geology through a
long and varied career with Liberty’s, managing
an embroidery workshop and serving as Stitch
Magazine’s Promotions Manager, Lindsey Fox
brings us both experience and creativity:
My philosophy for the shop is that while it is
important for the look and merchandise to be
sympathetic to the current exhibition, there is
no point in having a shop unless it can
generate a strong income stream. As we are an
independent gallery with no regular
government support, generating income
through the shop is essential to our survival.
Every penny of your purchase, above the cost
of the item itself, is re-invested in the
exhibitions, learning programme and care of
our collections, buildings and landscape. So
when we stumble on something popular, such
as the leather handbags we introduced during
our Italian exhibition last year, we continue to
carry it. The colours may change with the
season, or to reflect the colour scheme of the
current exhibition, but we stick with what
works well for our customers.
We start planning for the year as soon as the
exhibitions are agreed. I research the artist’s
work and life, and talk with the curator about
the design for the galleries and the ethos.
At the same time I attend the gift fairs in
London, do on-line research and talk with
clients and people who have come forward to
offer their work for sale. I always have the
work of at least three local artists or artisans
represented although I don’t single them out
in the shop. I want the buyer to make a
purchase decision purely based on whether
they love an item.
I feel that it is important to bring new stock
into the shop frequently so that repeat visitors
always find something different to tempt
them. We are obviously not a high street shop,
or a National Trust site, so we must also
maintain a uniquely Compton Verney feel to
the shop.
I hope that you will come in and see how we
transform the shop for each exhibition next
year and hopefully we can inspire you to
support our work with a purchase.
Lindsey Fox
Handbags Galore; A Day in the Life of Lindsey Fox, Retail Buyer
10
The Arts & Crafts House traces the origins, legacy
and enduring appeal of the historic Arts and
Crafts Movement and its fascination with the
creation of the home.
In a society where sustainability, regionalism
and the handmade are becoming increasing
benchmarks for design and living in general,
the ideals of the movement have never seemed
so current. The exhibition will also explore
ideas of form and function key to the
movement and present various artists whose
work is pushing the boundaries of craft in
relation to historic Arts and Crafts ideas.
Devised as a series of encounters between
historic and contemporary works, the
exhibition will look at the fascinating link
between the life and work of designers and
makers then and now.
The exhibition will also explore the garden and
the importance of the natural world for the key
early shapers of the movement: John Ruskin
(with items from his Guild of St. George) and
William Morris. The important collaborations of
plantswoman and designer Gertrude Jekyll and
architect Edwin Lutyens will celebrate an
important high point when the house and
garden were to fuse into a single vision. Morris
and Jekyll’s work in particular will be shown in
the context of work by artist Rosa Nguyen who
will work with wallpaper, plants and ceramics
and Landscape Designer and Plantsman Dan
Pearson who will be creating a William Morris
wild flower meadow on Compton Verney’s
extensive West Lawn. The meadow will be
mown into a formal parterre with the design of
Morris’ ‘Trellis’ wallpaper (featured
background and Courtesy of William Morris
Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest )
and was funded through Compton Verney’s
first crowd funding venture.
At the centre of the exhibition will be works
relating to three creative houses – the homes of
William Morris - Red House and Kelmscott
Manor, and Ernest Gimson’s cottage -
Stoneywell in Charnwood Forest Leicestershire.
The Hart Silversmiths: A Living Tradition
This exhibition sits alongside the Arts & Crafts
House to explore the evolution of a living
tradition in design and silversmithing which has
its origins in the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Following the line of the family of Harts who
have worked in the Silk Mill in Chipping
Campden for over a century, this exhibition
brings together both domestic and civic
commissions alongside the spectacular
drawings which have inspired them. The
exhibition has received support from the Hart
Silversmiths Trust.
The Arts & Crafts House: Then & Now 27 June -13 September 2015
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11
Although beaten by some three kilometres in our
World Record attempt to create the longest line of
bunting, the project has enabled us to connect
with literally hundreds of individuals and
organisations during our tenth anniversary year.
A fantastic 7.5 kilometres of bunting was created
and a huge “well done” is due to Moira Walters,
our staff and volunteers and all of you who
helped to create this massive work of art.
Thanks to John Crossley (left) and the grounds
team, the bunting was hung in the Gallery and
grounds for the Winter Weekend 2014.
Bunting Bonanza
Highlights of Istanbul Between the wonderful sites, sounds, smells and
tastes; boat trips and seraglios; the Benefactors’
and Patrons’ trip to Istanbul was unforgettable.
Join us next year in The Hague and Amsterdam
(see page on right) and experience exclusive tours
of newly re-opened galleries, unusual heritage
sites and world-class art and cuisine.
12
A visit to the Blue Mosque, Istanbul
Join us to experience the art, architecture, and
history of these spectacular cities. Stay in two
luxurious hotels and enjoy walking tours, boat
rides and sites such as:
The newly re-opened Mauritshuis featuring the
work of Vermeer, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Van
Dyck and Rubens;
The art deco Gemeentemuseum with its
valuable collection of modern and applied art
including Picasso, Klee and Mondrian;
The Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder auction house
located in a splendid 17th century building with
a beautiful collection of period furniture;
The Royal Delft Blue Porcelain factory, and
The historic Van Kleef jenever distillery.
More details to follow in the New Year.
Benefactors’ and Patrons’ overseas trip to Amsterdam and The Hague
4 - 8 Nov, 2015
Save the Date 2015
Set aside 4 July for our annual fundraising gala with music, an auction and surprises!
Benefactor, Patron and Supporter Events for 2015
13 March - Canaletto: Celebrating Britain and
Martin Parr: The Non-Conformists Private View
Benefactors, Patrons and Supporters (Free of charge)
21 April - Danson House and Hall Place Director-led
tours of the collections and summer contemporary arts shows
at Hall Place and Danson House. Benefactors, Patrons and
Supporters only (At cost)
11 May - Martin Jennings Studio Visit and
pre-auction viewing at Bonham’s, Oxford Benefactors
and Patrons only (At cost)
26 June - The Arts and Crafts House: Then and Now
Private View Benefactors, Patrons and Supporters (Free of
charge)
4 July - Formal Dinner Fundraising Gala Following on
from the success of the 2014 opera gala, we will be holding
another exceptional evening of music, food and surprises. In
addition, ticket holders for this event will be invited to a
special private view of our fabulous Shakespeare’s Painters
exhibition in 2016 (Ticket prices TBC)
September - Benefactors’ weekend excursion to
Brighton to include Director and Curator-led tours
of Charleston (the former country retreat of the
Bloomsbury Set), Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft
and The Royal Pavilion. Exact date TBC. Benefactors only
(Some charges will apply)
2 October - Periodic Tales: Art of the Elements
Private View Benefactors, Patrons and Supporters (Free of
charge)
4 - 8 November - Benefactors’ and Patrons’ visit to
Amsterdam and The Hague Benefactors and Patrons only
(At cost) 13
Martin Jennings’ sculpture of Sir John Betjeman in Saint Pancras Station, London (above left), and the interior of the Hotel Des Indes, The Hague.
Corporate Members
Thank you for your support
Supporters
Lady Goodhart
Dr Catherine MS Alexander
Kirsten Suenson-Taylor
Alex and Mary Robinson
Adrian and Jacqui Beecroft
Wyn Grant
Paul Cooney
James Robinson
Anonymous
David & Jill Pittaway
David & Sandra Burbidge
Bridget Barker & Simon Herrtage
Peter Gregory-Hood
Roger Cadbury
Lord & Lady Willoughby de Broke
Mrs Susan Bridgewater
Pam Barnes
Dr & Mrs Munchi Choksey
David & Catherine Loudon
Sarah Stoten
Mr & Mrs Ludovic de Walden
Mrs Joanne E Perry
Anonymous
William & Jane Pusey
Roger Salmons & Helen Rose Mrs
Christine Archer
P E Shirley
Mrs Michael Markham
Richard Shore
Sir Martin & Lady Jacomb
Victoria Peers
The Brook Family
Nicholas & Marie-France Burton
Professor Robert Bluglass CBE &
Dr Kerry Bluglass
Janet Bell Smith
Benefactors
Thank you to all our Benefactors, Patrons, Supporters and
Corporate Members for your continued support. Your membership
makes a huge difference to us and contributes towards all aspects
of Compton Verney, from our exhibitions and collections to our
grounds and educational work.
The Four
Pillars When you purchase a membership at any
level and/or make a donation, you are
welcome to specify an area of your own
interest which your membership/donation
will contribute towards:
The Exhibition Fund for our exhibitions
and collections.
The Adam Fund for our built heritage.
The Inspire Fund for art education.
The Capability Fund for our historic
landscape.
For further information, or if you would like to support The Four Pillars of Compton
Verney, please call Alexandra Grimes on
01926 645 547 or donate online now via the
Big Give.
Other ways you can help
Consider leaving us a legacy, organising an
event or naming a tree, artwork or room for
yourself or a loved one. Call 01926 645 547
or visit the website for more information.
Patrons
Clive Barnes
Gordon Brace
Lady Butler
Mr Peter Boycott
Graham Greene CBE
Jenny Grimstone-Jones
Sarah Holman
David Howells
Howard & Melanie Jackson
Bob & Sandy Marchant
N Meades
Mrs Penny Perris
Andrew & Julia Pick
Michael Robarts
Sir Christopher Trye
Sir Robert Wade-Gery
Barrie Dugdale OBE
Mike & Joan Broad
Philip & Lulette Monbiot
And 40 others who wish to
remain anonymous, or have
not yet specified how they
would like to be listed.
Martinspeed Ltd Bonhams Farrow & Ball Aquarelle Publishing
Blackwall Green
Fred Winter Ltd
Goldcrest Cleaning Ltd
Lightmedia Communications Ltd
Mitchell Gallery
Renaissance Creative
Wright Hassall
Perrywell Computer Systems Ltd
Larch Consulting Ltd
James Butler Ltd
Avidity IP Limited Healthcare Development Services Ltd
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
Our first Forest School birthday party was a huge
success. If you’d like to know more, call Harriet on
01926 645521.