A new special exhibition marking the culmination of a four-year long period of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) Collecting Cultures scheme is to open at The National Coal Mining Museum for England on Monday 8 October.

This funding has allowed the museum to add new art and photographic works to its collections and to continue working with present-day and former coalfield communities to discover more about coal mining’s rich heritage. The exhibition, Seeing the Whole Picture, is a celebration of this project, displaying art and photography acquired by the museum throughout the last four years. The exhibition will also feature a new multisensory recreation of a piece by George William Bissill, and an Art Cart designed so that visitors can select materials and create their own works of art.
 
The works of art that have been added to the museum’s collection include paintings by eminent miner-artists Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish; paintings by Peter Howson, Josef Herman and Keith Vaughan and a collection of works by George William Bissill. Alongside the artworks is a selection of newly acquired photographs, with a specific focus of images taken during the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike. These include the work of prolific photographers such as Don McCullin, John Davies, Keith Pattison, Homer Sykes, John Bulmer, Martin Jenkinson, Don McPhee and Denis Thorpe.

Seeing the Whole Picture will also display work produced by local school and youth groups including St Wilfrid’s Catholic High School, City Limits Young People’s Centre, Outwood Grange Academy, Huddersfield Grammar School, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School, Kirklees College and Paddock Youth Centre. Also on display will be educational resources created in collaboration with professional artists including a loans box about the 1984/85 strike and a multisensory wall hanging of Keith Vaughan’s ‘Miners working in a narrow seam’ created by artist Annette Cobley for pupils with special education needs.

The exhibition runs until 27 January 2013.

Note to editors

• The museum is free admission
• Free car and coach parking
• Opening hours 10am – 5pm daily except for 24-26 December and 1 January
• Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times
• Please arrive early to book onto an underground tour, as at busy periods tours are often fully booked by midday
• Temperature underground is 12°C; we strongly recommend warm practical clothing and sensible flat shoes. Unfortunately children under five years old are not permitted on the underground tour
• Indoor play area for children under five  
• Disabled facilities include level parking, ramp and disabled toilets with underground tours also available with prior arrangement

Further information

For media enquiries or to arrange an interview please contact Jane Verity at Bonner & Hindley: jane@bonnerandhindley.co.uk or 0113 243 4713 / 07854 759 480. Otherwise visit www.ncm.org.uk or call 01924 848 806.