Swindon Borough Council’s collection of modern British art will be on display in the heart of London’s Mayfair district.
Swindon Museum and Art Gallery holds one of the most important collections of modern British art in the country, with works by some of Britain’s finest modern artists, including Lucian Freud, Leon Kossoff, Frank Auerbach, Alfred Wallis and LS Lowry.
From Wednesday (11 Jan), a selection of paintings, drawings and studio ceramics will go on display at the Osborne Samuel Gallery in Mayfair, giving the London art world a chance to discover this collection for themselves.
Gordon Samuel, Director of the Osbourne Samuel Gallery, lives in north Wiltshire and recognises the significance of the collection. As a keen supporter of a new museum and art gallery in Swindon he wanted to show his support and has kindly offer his gallery space for an exhibition. He has been working with staff at the Museum and Art Gallery to personally handpick works from the Swindon collection to display in the gallery and has selected works by artists including Graham Sutherland, Henry Moore, Edward Wadsworth, Lucy Rie and Hans Coper.
The Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Trust is delighted that this opportunity will raise awareness about the quality of the collection and will be using the exhibition to launch their wider fundraising campaign.
Hadrian Ellory-van Dekker, Director and Chief Executive of the Trust, said: “This is a great opportunity, right in the heart of London’s Mayfair, for everyone to see Swindon’s collection of modern British art.
“People are always surprised that Swindon has such a remarkable collection, and now we have the opportunity to reach those who haven’t heard about it and hopefully encourage them to come down to Swindon to see the rest of the amazing collection.”
The Trust is managing the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery project which has two key aims: to create a fitting home for Swindon’s museum and art collections, including the nationally significant collection of British 20th Century modern art, and use its location to boost regeneration of the economy and attractiveness of the town centre.
