Collecting Coventry exhibition to enter second phase
27 November 2024
The Collecting Coventry exhibition at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum will enter its second phase on Friday 29 November, with a changeover of items on display.
Running for just shy of a year from May 2024 to April 2025, the exhibition explores the history of collections managed by Culture Coventry Trust. It highlights the founding of the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in 1949 and Coventry Transport Museum in 1980, showcasing a highlighted selection of thousands of objects that make up decades of collecting.
The exhibition is spread across four rooms and reflects the core themes of the collections: Human History, Visual Art, and Natural Sciences. Many of the displays replicate the style of a museum store, offering visitors a glimpse into how objects are preserved when not on display.
The second phase introduces a new selection of items, mostly in the Coventry Art room, including a series of paintings that depict Coventry’s local and historic scenes. These works provide a fresh perspective on the city’s past and its enduring cultural significance.
The mid-exhibition update also saw a seasonal change to Collecting Coventry's hugely popular Wellbeing Film. Created by local wildlife filmmaker, Simon Watts, the new work displays the beauty and tranquillity of the West Midlands natural environment. Playful new life, spring blooms and the vivid greens of summer have been replaced by rich ochres, enchanting murmurations, and some little footprints in the crisp morning snow. By allowing visitors to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the world around us, the film provides a gentle space for them to unwind, relax and be thoughtful.
Ali Wells, curator at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, said: “This next phase of Collecting Coventry offers an exciting opportunity to explore different aspects of our city’s history. By rotating the objects on display, we not only protect vulnerable items from too much exposure to light, but we’re also able to share more of the unique stories held within the collections.
“The exhibition has already proven very popular, with thousands of people coming to see it since it opened in May. We hope this second phase keeps Collecting Coventry fresh, informative and interesting.”
Objects being added include stunning works which depict historic Coventry scenes and landmarks, including Maria Johnson’s Views of Coombe Abbey, Trinity Lane by Florence Weston, two watercolours of Bayley Lane and Coventry Cathedral by HE Cox and a late 18th century piece of Coventry Abbey by Moses Griffith.
The Collecting Coventry exhibition is free to visit and continues until 27 April 2025.