Developments such as Experimental Spaces in March, which gave artists the opportunity to develop new ideas within the gallery, provided the visitors to the Museum with a rare chance to see work being made and to talk to artists about what they were doing. For the public it was an interesting experience, if sometimes frustrating because with each artist only having a few days, the turnover was so rapid that it was not always possible to see the end result! For the artists it was a chance to take risks, help to work out their ideas, solve problems and discuss the outcomes with visitors and each other. Being a completely new approach, no-one was sure how it would work, but all agreed that it was a resounding success with visitors sometimes becoming so involved it was difficult for artists to get anything done!
Julian Walker's excellent exhibition, Lies & Belonging, which opened in April, launched a series of shows where artists made a direct response to the Museum collections. Walker's witty interpretation of the stories behind Grey Owl, Piltdown Man and the Hastings Rarities proved very popular with visitors and challenged the way we accept information.
In June the Museum & Gallery celebrated a successful funding application to South East Arts through the Regional Arts Lottery Programme. The grant of £25,500 has enabled the temporary exhibitions programme to continue its ambitious plans to put Hastings & St Leonards on the cultural map. The first of the exhibitions supported by the new funding, Host, brought a number of leading contemporary artists to our town and, after a highly successful opening Garden Party (thanks to the weather and refreshments provided by the Old Town WI Market!) the exhibition continued to entertain and stimulate visitors throughout the summer. While some visitors were not happy to see contemporary art amongst the usual exhibits, most agreed with the visitor who found it "Interesting, imaginative and fun!"
Acknowledged Sources brings 2001 to a close. This exhibition again responds to the Museum collection but this time through the eyes of artists working with textiles, ceramics and jewellery. As part of a bigger project taking place in three different towns - Hastings, Nottingham and Bournemouth - Acknowledged Sources continues to keep Hastings in the public eye. What we did on our holidays
Besides the exhibitions based at the Museum, there have also been several projects that have taken place in other parts of the town. The recent What we did on our holidays placed artworks in shops, homes and workplaces around the town, giving people an opportunity to have original works of art on their own premises.
Hastings Museum & Art Gallery is not just about exhibitions but also has an important educational role. Artist in Residence schemes have been set up or developed in partnership with Hastings College of Art & Technology and with Hastings & St Leonards' Islamic Centre. Anne Eggebert & Polly Gould, current artists in residence at the college, are working with students to put on a public exhibition in various sites throughout the town over the weekend of January 26th and Rehana Mughal's work with women and children from the Islamic Centre will be shown at the Museum in the new year. For children, the themed Family Activity Days during the school holidays have become a regular feature while the Junior Museum Club has proved so popular that we increased the number of workshops and in the summer introduced the Saturday morning Art Club.
So what can visitors to the Museum expect in 2002? Rest assured that there will be more projects outside of the Museum and that the exhibitions programme will continue to bring "interesting, imaginative and fun" works to Hastings. January sees the second instalment of Experimental Spaces with some very exciting projects proposed. In February the first of a two-part exhibition, North/South with a landscape theme opens with work by German digital artist Patrick Wichert. This is followed later in the year with a commission from Hamish Fulton (who is also showing at Tate Britain in March). The continental theme continues with two Swiss artists, Kühne & Klein, in April while the main summer exhibition gives a chance for a trip down memory lane to the summer of 1964 when Mods & Rockers ran riot along the seafront.
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This page last updated: 14/04/2002