Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

But .... me thinks we should take this further. In Ann Haworth's will she specified the house, Hollins Hill and grounds, were to be left as "A MUSEUM, Art Gallery and Public Park" - someone in their wisdom must have decided differently as we did have a museum at that time, in Oak Hill Mansion.

Accywebbers - UNITE!! Maybe we COULD have a room up there after all!

Lets make it our quest!!!

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

The plaque just inside the gallery does mention a museum.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

It makes sense to me that any museum should ideally be housed with an existing art gallery.

There are already staff there, as well as it being a secure place to house exhibits, and is already insured.

Plus the benefits of having parking, and other facilities like a cafe.

I know Cllr. Wendy Dwyer is very keen that the Haworth is more well used, than it is at present.

I'm sure if there was a museum there it would only add to it's appeal.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

All well and good Gari, but the exibits in museums soon take up lot of space, then there is a problem of storage facilities. The Haworth has limited space & the storage facility is already taken up, with paintings, and other thing not on show.
Perhaps things could be condensed in the local authority, years ago it was just the town hall, now they have Scaitcliffe, (Bulloughs old drawing office),
and part of the Globe center, & the upper part of the block on the right of Broadway, and probably other places as well, there would be ample room in any of those. What about making use of the Arcade in a similar way to York.
Retlaw.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

Nothing really to do with me, and therefore shouldn't really be sticking my beak in, however, since presumably funding will be nonexistent, and it will need staffing, it makes more sense to me that any museum be housed in an already existing place, already open to the public, and showing exhibits.

Purely as a punter, I'd much rather see museum exhibits at the Haworth, which relate to the town, rather some crud, such as an exhibition of work by some amateur painting group from God knows where, from outside of the borough.

Again, from a visitor's point of view, the curatorship at the Haworth has been in unimaginative, not very dynamic, and frankly uninspiring hands, ever since Norman Potter retired, over twenty years ago.

Perhaps some small space could be found to house a museum, if some of the unshown paintings and drawings are stored elsewhere in council owned property?

It is a crying shame that a town like Accrington doesn't have a museum to record it's proud history.

Even sadder that there once was one.

Much of whose world renowned Rimington mineral collection was dumped on a tip in Baxenden.

Which sort of sums up the situation.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

One of the main problems the last curator had, was having to consult further up the management chain, for permission to do anything, other than change the art displays every few weeks.
All the artworks in the storage facility are in a speciall enviromentally controlled room, I doubt they would find funds to relocate, then it would incur all the expense of packing, and transport, when the exihibits were changed, plus heavy insurance costs if stored else where, and moved back and forth.
There must be loads of room in the town hall, even some of the empty space in the market would look better with exhibits in glass cases.
Retlaw.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

Apparently, and theoretically, there is room down in the bowels of the Town Hall. Although that doesn't address staffing issues.

As nice as the ladies in the tourist information office, and the caretakers are, they aren't always there, nor are they qualified in curatorship.

Apparently change is underfoot at the Howarth, since the change in the ruling party at H.B.C. Hopefully that can only be a good thing.

We are lucky.

We have a beautiful building in the Haworth, but as a gallery, it doesn't feature on the cultural map of Britain, being all a bit amateurish, and decidely parochial.

Yes there's a half-decent collection of Tiffany glass. Less well displayed now than before it's last refurbishment. But who in Hyndburn knows very much about the art collection?

At an estimated market value of £5 million pounds we should know about it, and cherish it.

As posted earlier that is down to poor and unimaginative curatorship, in my opinion.

These are just my thoughts as a visitor.

Though having my degree in art, and an interest in galleries, and having visited most of the world's major collections, I do think my assesment carries some weight as a punter.

I can think of lots of spaces at the Haworth where I'd rather see items relating to Accrington, rather than some of the shocking tat I've seen 'exhibited' there in recent years.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

Just as a matter of interest, how does the displaying of items relating to the town, the Accy Pals and the Stanley exhibition being two succesful examples, differ from if there was a similar display of museum pieces, again relating to Accrington?

After all the given examples are general interest exhibitions, and certainly not art.

Which rather makes a mockery of the claim that there's some legal clause, stating that the Haworth must only be used as an art gallery.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

We don't know for certain that there is such a legal clause. And we are looking to see whether it would be possible to house a small museum at the gallery. Money permitting of course.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

Thanks Bernard.

Not totally sure, but think it was Katex who posted that someone in an offical capacity, had raised the point at one of their meetings.

Since there's already been at least two non-art exhibitions at the Haworth recently, perhaps a precedent's already been set.

Since no legal challenges were made, or the place wasn't struck by a thunderbolt.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

Here is a list of towns which ARE participating in the Heritage Weekend.
Looks like Accrington ARE NOT taking part!

Heritage Open Days - Directory - Regions

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

Seven in tiny Ambleside, yet nowt in Accrington!

Perhaps we're more concerned with being seen as culturally modern, and promote our flash mob, and crocheting sculpture events more.

:rolleyes:

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

It does seem a shame that there are many artifacts hidden around town that are never on display.

Feel sure Hyndburn would have had some notification of this event (would it be the Leisure side, I wonder ?). Perhaps we don't have the staff or funding just now to organise it, after all they don't have a Project's Manager any more.. ;)

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

There's also only one listed event for Blackburn.

I'm sure we must have much more hidden heritage, especially compared to such a small place as Ambleside, with it's seven listed locations.

Re: Heritage Open days Sept 2011
 

I don't think it's up to the council to organise this event - anyone can do something and then get it advertised on the website.
The format was always to have access to somewhere with a historical theme that is not usually open to the public but many churches etc use the event now to have open weekends which are usually well attended.

When I worked at Clough Head Information Centre over grane I was asked by the Civic Trust to host a weekend of events which included exhibitions, tours of the water treatment works, guided walks around the old village and the Grane Tea Party.

It is a bit late to organise something for this year now but maybe next year something could be done if you have enough people who are interested in making it happen