Art on Tour kicks off 2022 with new exhibitions

Exciting displays at STEAM Museum, the Civic Offices, and Highworth Museum will show over 50 paintings, prints and ceramics from Swindon’s modern and contemporary art collection.

Art on Tour will launch a new exhibition at STEAM Museum from this Wednesday (19 Jan). ‘The Art of Industry’ celebrates Swindon’s railway and industrial heritage, through modern and contemporary artworks from Swindon Museum and Art Gallery and STEAM’s collections. It includes work by nationally-renowned artists, including Swindon’s very own Ken White.

‘A Celebration of Colour’ at the Civic Offices will examine the way colour is used in paintings and ceramics from the collection. It considers modern approaches to exploring colour through painting, and the technical skill involved in achieving the correct ceramic glaze. ‘A Celebration of Colour’ begins on Monday, 31 January, and accompanies the recently updated special exhibition, ‘Highlights from the Swindon Collection’, which was installed in 2019.

At Highworth Museum, ‘Local Legacies’ presents studio ceramics from Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. The selected pieces have local roots, and provide links to broader narratives of 20th Century and contemporary ceramics. This celebration of Wiltshire-based makers is co-curated with Highworth Historical Society, and includes works by Katherine Pleydell-Bouverie, Ivan Martin and Jo Taylor. ‘Local Legacies’ runs from 15 February to 14 May.

Katie Ackrill, Swindon Borough Council’s Art on Tour Engagement Officer, said: “Art on Tour is all about sharing Swindon’s art collection more widely throughout the town.  It is wonderful to be able to exhibit such a variety of artworks, some of which are being shown for the first time since entering the museum’s collection!

“Working closely with our partner venues has given us the chance to draw out different narratives within the collection. We look forward to doing more of this work with our partners as we move into 2022.”

Councillor Robert Jandy, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage, Leisure and Town Centre Experience, said: “Art on Tour is a fantastic way to showcase our superb art collection to different audiences across the Borough.

“Having three exhibitions in three separate locations is a great start to the new year and I would encourage anyone who has an interest in art and hasn’t had the chance to visit Swindon Museum and Art Gallery to see for themselves some of the great pieces we have in our collection.”

All the exhibitions will be free to view during the venues’ opening times:

‘The Art of Industry’ at STEAM Museum:

(STEAM Museum of the Great Western Railway, Firefly Avenue, Swindon, SN2 2EY)

Monday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm. Sunday: 11am – 4pm

‘A Celebration of Colour’ and ‘Highlights from the Swindon Collection’ at the Civic Offices:

(Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon, SN1 2JH) 

Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm

‘Local Legacies’ at Highworth Museum:

(Highworth Visitor Information Centre, 7 High Street, Highworth, SN6 7BE)

Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 3pm

Saturday: 9am – 2pm

Picture: Ken White, ‘Riveters’, 1997, Oil on canvas, Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, ©Ken White