Private View of the New Exhibitions in the Gallery

Swindon Museum and Art Gallery hosted 3 events last week which I'll cover in the blog via separate posts, to find out more information about what's going on at the museum, please click on the link to their website.
The first event was the private view of the opening of the Artist and Model exhibition in the main gallery and the exhibition of David Bent's work in the smaller gallery on the right as you enter the main gallery.
It was a wonderful evening attended by lots of people, here are some photos, I took that night:

 Above and below general views

 Lots of chatting going on

 Some familiar faces even with the poor quality photos

 There were speeches part way through the evening form Curator Sophie Cummings and artist David Bent

 I moved around and got a photo of Sophie in between the crowds, also in the picture you can see the Mayor Cllr Junab Ali in front of me

 And a photo of David Bent talking, with Matt Holland in the foreground

 Information about the 4 main exhibitions, taken from the museum's website, currently running at the moment appears below.
Artist and Model:Portraits, Self- Portraits and Figure Studies from the Swindon Collection
The relationship between artist and model is one of the most powerful dynamics in art. This exhibition explores that relationship through a series of portraits and figure studies, examining both artist and sitter. As well as celebrating the ability of the artist to capture their sitter, this exhibition will reconsider the importance of the sitter as muse, inspiration, antagonist and confidante.
The exhibition includes paintings, drawings and prints by Frank Auerbach, John Bellany, Gwen John and RB Kitaj
Out of the Box: An exhibition of Paintings by David Bent
This exhibition brings together a diverse selection of paintings by the artist David Bent. It includes geometric landscapes, intricate photographic collages, and paintings which tackle major contemporary social issues.
Bent is rightly well known for his ‘art of flight’ paintings and prints, which have been described as “transforming aviation art” and led to Bent being awarded Honorary Companionship of the Royal Aeronautical Society. The exhibition will include examples of his bold and engaging aviation art.
The exhibition also includes elements of his series “Movement 2000”, which explores the major social challenges facing the world at the start of the third millennium. Bent’s art combines dramatic and inventive compositions, a bold use of colour, and a passion for the subject. This exhibition is an opportunity to explore more work by this fascinating Swindon-based artist.
An Art of the People
This special exhibition celebrates our two local potteries, Cricklade and Ramsbury. For many years, Ivan and Kay Martin at Cricklade, and Peter Holdsworth at Ramsbury, oversaw potteries that were innovative, authentic, practical and commercially influential. This exhibition explores their ethos and impact and includes ceramics and photographs from Swindon Museum and Art Gallery and from private collections.
This exhibition is co-curated with Mike Yates, author of recent guides to both potteries.
  Animals:Seven Swindon Stories

Explore Swindon’s history through the lives of seven of the town’s most famous animal inhabitants. From Mr Heginbotham’s snails and Eastcott’s cricket infestation, discover the stories of Swindon’s famous animals for yourself.
There will be a special focus on Bruce the Collecting Dog, the canine hero who raised thousands of pounds for local orphans, the Victoria Hospital and survivors of the Titanic disaster. Bruce wore a special collecting box on his back and barked a thank you for any coins he was given. You can see Bruce’s collecting box, as well as photos of Swindon’s hero dog.
This exhibition features photographs, paintings and objects from Swindon’s collections, including examples from our extensive natural history collection. There will be activities for younger visitors, too!