Arts Charity Announces Artist Chosen To Create New Work As Part Of Major Regional Project

Warrington's leading arts charity has announced the artist chosen to create brand new work as part of a major regional project.

Culture Warrington has teamed up with artist Susan Stockwell as part of the 2019/20 Meeting Point programme created by contemporary arts agency Arts&Heritage to highlight the collections of six museums in the North of England.

Susan, an established artist who works across sculpture, installation, collage and film, will seek inspiration for her work in the items on display in Warrington Museum & Art Gallery, creating new art in response to the museum's collections.

She said: "I am very excited to be working with Warrington Museum & Art Gallery; it's a dream come true for me.

"Its extensive and remarkable collection full of social history, hidden stories, material culture and cabinets of curiosity will be an inspiration for my work.

"The way that Meeting Point encourages the juxtaposition of contemporary art with historic artefacts and sites is enlightened and visionary.

"Developing an exhibition about the collection, and in collaboration with the museum's staff and public will be a great privilege."

Now in its third year, Meeting Point has gained a reputation for its innovative approach to forging relationships between artists and museums and heritage spaces.

The programme offers an opportunity for artists to work with unique collections and gives access to the knowledge of museum curators while supporting small and medium scale museums to develop their skills and commission new work.

Meeting Point is funded by Arts Council England through Arts&Heritage's National Portfolio Organisation funding; the programme aims to bring new visitors to the participating museums, to enable audiences to view collections and history in a different way, and to support the future sustainability of museums and heritage sites.

Steph Allen, executive director at Arts&Heritage, said: "The commissioned artists working with our Meeting Point museums in 2019 and 2020 put forward ideas that were new, exciting and reflected upon the museums and their collections in engaging and innovative ways.

"The process to shortlist and commission the artists has been rigorous and has included a presentation by the museums to a group of over 65 artists alongside site visits and interviews.

"It has been a valuable learning experience for the museums which is a key part of the Meeting Point programme.

"We're looking forward to working with the artists to develop their ideas and present six brand new artworks at our Meeting Point museums that will showcase their collections and locations in a new light."

The other artists and museums taking part are: Sophie Dixon working with Grace Darling Museum in Bamburgh, Northumberland; Lindsey Mendick and Dominic Watson with Washington Old Hall, Tyne and Wear; Ed Kluz and Colne Valley Museum in Huddersfield; Mel Brimfield and Gwyneth Herbert working with Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield; and Tod Hanson with Port Sunlight in Wirral.