Lunchtime talk about Touring the Swindon Collection: 60 years on

The lunchtime talks which accompany exhibitions are usually given by curator Sophie Cummings and give a wonderful insight into the thinking behind the title, and the reason for bringing together these particular works and displaying them in a certain way. This exhibition brings together 44 works which toured the country in 1959, along with some more recent acquisitions. There are more information panels than is often the case because visitors have said they very much enjoy finding out more about the history of paintings.

Here's the 'title wall'

and Sophie just visible above and below talking to about 20 of us

Two shipyard paintings,  John Nash, Dredgers, Bristol Harbour, 1924 on the right

This is a dated looking watercolour by Leslie Kent, 'Home before the Storm', a watercolour painted c 1950, purchased 1951. I've included it because it's so atypical of the Swindon Collection.

Below, another watercolour by Philip Wilson Steer, 'Boats in Harbour' painted in 1920, and presented by the Contemporary Arts Society in 1946.

Below one of the H.J.P.Bomford gifted works by Henry Moore, entitled 'Three Women and a Child', 1944, donated 1946

And last but by no means least, another of the Bomford gifted works in 1946, by Jankel Adler, 'Composition' produced in 1943

There's a lot of reflection so it's difficult to see, but do go and look at the exhibition if you can. There's an information panel on Jankel Adler, and various other artists.

Private View of Touring the Swindon Collection, 60 years on

The Friends of Swindon Museum and Art Gallery exists to support the work of the museum, specifically as a registered charity we raise money for purchases, restorations, new works, exhibitions and currently the children's workshops. We also help publicise the museum, and many of us volunteer on the front desk, and act as assistants in the workshops, additionally we hold at least 10 talks each year and this year are we have organised 5 trips. We felt invitations to Private Views would be a really good selling point to encourage more people to join the Friends, and so we very pleased to be able to extend an invitation to all Friends when the current exhibition in the main gallery was launched.
To join the Friends, please go online: www.friendsofsmag.org or pick up a form from the museum. 
Here's the information on Touring the Swindon Collection 60 years on from the website:

'In 1959, the Swindon Collection of Modern British art began a tour of 16 towns and cities of the United Kingdom.

From Falmouth to Sunderland, Southend-on-Sea to Bolton, thousands of museum visitors were introduced to paintings by Paul Nash, LS Lowry, Gwen John and Graham Sutherland. This new exhibition celebrates the sixtieth anniversary of this tour, which introduced the people of Britain to Swindon’s remarkable art and established the reputation of the ‘Swindon Collection’.

This exhibition brings together the 44 works of art sent ‘on tour’ in 1959 and presents them alongside some of the most important acquisitions we have made in the decades since. The exhibition explores the history of the collection and the ambitions and challenges of touring so many pictures to so many places.'
We gathered in the gallery, had drinks and at 6.30pm there were speeches from Curator Sophie Cummings, and magazine editor, Sue Pycroft. Erik Burnett-Godfree was to have given one of his fabulous insights into a painting at 7.15pm but was unable to do so.
What follows are so rather dark photos taken in the gallery:

Details of our September private view will be sent to Friends soon.