inside Compton

Verney

Moore Rodin at Compton Verney

Heritage Lottery Fund Success

Winter 2013 — 2014

This has proved that there is interest in

supporting us while remembering a loved one

or marking a special occasion such as a

marriage, anniversary or birth. We are now

expanding the programme so that donors at a

variety of levels can adopt their favourite piece

of art.

The importance of adoption is to ensure the

long-term care of the artwork, and the gallery

as a whole. ‘Adopt an artwork’ will open up a

new and exciting way in which visitors can

support Compton Verney through their love

of art. Selected artworks are available for

adoption from the permanent collections

which include paintings, furniture, sculpture

and objects.

Adoptions last for four years and the adopter

or his/her designee will have their name listed

in the gallery space of their chosen artwork, as

well as receiving a commemorative certificate.

Adopt an artwork

Sample adoption

opportunities

(Clockwise from top

right:)

Female Saint by

Tilman

Riemenschneider

£1,500

Still Life with Flowers in

an Urn, Butterflies and

Snake by Paolo Porpora

£250

Mirza Abu'l Hassan

Khan by Sir William

Beechy

£1,000

Soldier Whirligig, British

£25

Painted equestrian

figures, Tang dynasty

(618-906 A.D)

£250 each

The Adopt a tree scheme at

Compton Verney has raised almost

£15,000 since its implementation

in 2008.

Contact Aly Grimes

on 01926 645 547

for more

information

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Contents Page 2 Adopt an artwork

Page 3 News bites and Opera

Page 4 Heritage Lottery Fund success

Page 6 Moore Rodin

Page 8 Programming Department; Leading

the Way, Next Generation and

Sneak Preview

Page 10 Hiring Arcadia

Page 11 Outside In and Volunteering’s

Dynamic Duo

Page 12 Benefactor, Patron and Supporter

events 2013

Page 14 Christmas at Compton Verney

Page 15 A day in the life of John Crossley,

Gallery Technician

Page 16 Thank you

(Front cover) Auguste Rodin, Adam, (1881), reproduced by permission of musée Rodin, Paris photography by Jonty Wilde

On 12 July Britain’s foremost chamber opera

company, Diva Opera, will be performing Mozart’s

Don Giovanni under a marquee in Compton

Verney’s beautiful ‘Capability’ Brown inspired

grounds. Join us for this spectacular evening set

amongst our Moore Rodin exhibition while raising

money to support our mission to share our passion

for art. Ticket options are:

Opera plus a champagne reception and dinner

(including all wine) in the elegant Adam Hall

(£175)

Opera plus a picnic box and half bottle of wine

(£145)

Opera and space in the marquee for self-catering

(£110)

Compton Verney Fundraising Opera

For tickets and further information contact

Aly Grimes on 01926 645 547 or

alexandra.grimes@comptonverney.org.uk

News bites Wedding industry awards

We are delighted to announce that Compton Verney was a regional finalist for both ‘best

wedding venue’ and ‘best venue team’. These

awards are voted for by wedding couples who

have chosen to be married here.

Heritage volunteering portal

Compton Verney has been involved in developing a new website for volunteering in

South Warwickshire. It is bespoke for people

interested in helping at arts or heritage venues

throughout and is incredibly easy to use.

People register as members and can then search

and apply for opportunities as well as read case

studies from each venue. Compton Verney will

use the portal to prospect for potential

volunteers when new opportunities arise.

The website is now live but won’t be fully

launched until January to give us time to populate

it with roles, case studies and to iron out any

snags. To help with the latter it would be very

helpful if you could register and let us know if you

experienced any problems or have any thoughts

go to www.heritagevolunteeringportal.org

Theft!

We are sad to report that in early November an

attempt was made to steal our two bee hives. One

hive, which happened to be empty has

disappeared completely, the other hive which

housed a full colony of bees, was dropped some

distance from its usual place of residence

scattering bees and compartments all around. Our

volunteer bee keeper Rod Oates responded

quickly to the event and reinstated the remaining

hive in an effort to settle the bees. Apart from

replacing the lost hive, we can now but hope that

the remaining bees make it through the winter.

Winter Weekend support

The Richard Cadbury Charitable Trust has granted

£400 to help support storytelling at the Winter

Weekends. Support at any level is hugely helpful

in our efforts to continue offering learning and

engagement programmes for schools and visitors

of all ages.

Compton Verney’s Events team;

Harriet Lund and Melanie Thorn

Re-viewing the Landscape

Heritage Lottery Fund success

again be possible to appreciate Brown and

Adam’s visionary blend of landscape and

architecture, as well as Peter Moores’ vision of

a centrally-located, international-standard art

gallery, and the diversity of wildlife, habitats

and recreational potential the site has to offer.

Compton Verney has been

successful in securing a prestigious

Round One pass from the Heritage

Lottery Fund for its project

Re-viewing the Landscape.

Following a highly-competitive national

competition, permission has been granted for

a full £2.5 million application in support of a

£3.7 million project. Charitably-raised

matching funds and volunteer hours will

contribute to the funding gap.

Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was the

pre-eminent creator of eighteenth-century

landscapes, parklands that continue to inspire

and delight visitors three hundred years after

his birth.

Compton Verney’s rare, Brown-designed

Chapel makes this landscape doubly

distinctive and of national importance. With

this ambitious campaign, we now seek to

restore this outstanding landscape and

enliven it with eye catchers and activities to

highlight the site’s history of innovative

thinking, art and architectural change. It will

As noted on the photo right, our project

will:

1. Protect the core of the precious ‘Capability’

Brown landscape, including the acquisition

of the North Park, the primary view to and

from the front of the mansion

2. Restore and return to use the Grade I listed

‘Capability’ Brown Chapel of 1776-9 to

provide a venue for music and other events

3. Build a new interpretation centre to provide

materials about our landscape, history and

ecology as well as much-needed visitor and

learning facilities in the grounds

4. Secure and develop the biodiversity of the

parkland and recreate the pathways so

visitors can view our forest, wetland and

meadow habitats while enjoying Brown’s

original site lines

5. Commission and realise two visionary eye

catchers in the landscape, drawing atten-

tion to the history of the site in refreshing

new ways

6. Build a contemporary bridge to link the Ice

House Coppice with the West Lawn

7. Provide a grounds workshop

And even more importantly, expand

learning, engagement and volunteering

opportunities.

4

Heritage Lottery Fund success

The challenge is now to consult with our

community and visitors, secure match

funding, design and secure planning

permission for all structures and write

effective, achievable business and activity

plans prior to a Round Two submission. We

hope to accomplish this so that major works

can be completed for the tercentenary of

Brown’s birth in 2016.

An initial grant of £179,656 has been

received from the Heritage Lottery Fund to

assist with these preparations. Grants

previously given by the J.Paul Getty Jnr

Charitable Trust and raised by our two gala

dinners will also help.

This is a transformational opportunity to

impact the future of this incredibly rare and

distinctive landscape, the art and art-lovers

that thrive in it. We hope that you will all want

to participate and look forward to giving you

more details as the project unfolds.

Using Brown’s landscape as a platform we can bring together a range of

interests – art, architecture, landscape design, music, history, exercise,

ecology and creativity – to engage with new audiences in totally new

ways.

Moore Rodin at Compton Verney 5 February — 31 August 2014

It is the contrast between Moore and Rodin that

is immediately striking: Moore’s grounded forms

are timeless and static, whilst Rodin’s articulate

movement and capture a precise moment. Yet

closer examination reveals many shared

concerns.

Concentrating almost exclusively on the figure, a

deeply felt humanism compelled both sculptors

to seek the universal aim: distilling the human

form to its essence. A shared interest in

metamorphosis also underpinned their desire to 6

This ground-breaking international exhibition compares the work of two giants of modern sculpture: British sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986) with that of French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917).

This is the first exhibition to be devoted

exclusively to these artists, and many major

works will be displayed together in our

beautiful, ‘Capability’ Brown landscape as

well as in the gallery spaces.

Despite being regarded as two pioneers of

modern sculpture, Moore and Rodin never

met. At the time of

Rodin’s death in 1917,

Moore was fighting with

the British army in France

at the age of nineteen.

Yet, Moore’s debt to

Rodin was profound.

(Left to right) Auguste Rodin, Monument to the Burghers of Calais, (1889) and Henry Moore, Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae, (1968-69),

reproduced by permission of The Henry Moore Foundation, musée Rodin, Paris and The Royal Parks, photography by Jonty Wilde

‘I began to realise that a lot of things one might

be using and being influenced by are, compared

with Rodin, altogether too easy. So that as time

has gone on, my admiration for Rodin has

grown and grown.’

- Henry Moore

fuse the figure with nature, dissolving the

boundaries between anthropomorphic and

geological forms. Michelangelo’s depiction of

internal tension was a strong influence for

both Moore and Rodin, and both were lifetime

collectors of antiquities and natural objects.

Whilst the physical relationship of sculpture to

its surroundings, and the dialogue between

human form and landscape are prominent

themes, this exhibition seeks to explore motifs

in the work of both artists ranging from the

Mother and Child, the torso, movement,

interlocking forms and more general artistic

practise such as drawing from life and

photography.

Moore Rodin features important loans from the

Henry Moore Foundation, musée Rodin, Paris,

and public collections in the UK. The works

include one of Rodin's most famous works,

Monument to the Burghers of Calais, (1889),

(usually on display outside the Houses of

Parliament). There exhibition also houses an

extensive selection of drawings by both artists,

a display of their own antiquity collections,

rare archival documents and photographs

taken by Moore.

This is a unique opportunity to view the work

of Moore and Rodin in a completely new light.

The exhibition is organised in collaboration

with the Henry Moore Foundation and musée

Rodin, Paris. A fully illustrated catalogue is

available. Exhibition paints sponsored by

Farrow & Ball.

Auguste Rodin, The Three Shades, (before 1886) reproduced

by permission of The Henry Moore Foundation and musée

Rodin, Paris, photography by Jonty Wilde

Foreground: Auguste Rodin, Cybele, large model (1905).

Background: Auguste Rodin, The Fallen Caryatid with Stone, (1911-18) and Henry Moore, Three Piece Sculpture: Vertebrae,

(1968-69), reproduced by permission of The Henry Moore Foundation and musée Rodin, Paris, photography by Jonty Wilde.

Moore Rodin

Corporate sponsorship

We expect this exhibition to attract over

60,000 visitors which means that it will

provide a large platform from which

businesses can extend profile, develop client

relationships, build regional partnerships and

realise philanthropic goals.

There are many ways in which businesses can

become involved, ranging from fully

sponsoring the exhibition to supporting the

Learning Programme for regional schools and

families.

We are able to offer a variety of benefits in

return, ranging from acknowledgement in the

exhibition space to the opportunity to have a

Private View of the exhibition for 25 guests.

Sponsorship prices start from £2,500 + VAT.

We believe this is an ideal opportunity for

businesses to show support for an important

regional exhibition, and worthwhile charitable

cause.

To receive further information please

call Jessica on 01926 645 562 or email

jessica.brown@comptonverney.org.uk.

The Fellowship provides professional training

and personal development for current and

future leaders in the cultural sector. It was

founded by the Clore Duffield Foundation in

2002 in response to its own research into the

state of leadership in the cultural sector.

Each year around twenty-five to thirty Clore

Fellows are selected following a rigorous

application and selection process. They

embark on a seven to eight month journey

which includes core training courses in

practical skills including fundraising, media

training, financial planning, governance, and

personal development.

The Fellowship also involves going on an

extended secondment to an organisation

outside of their previous professional

experience. Penelope has selected Royal

Opera House, London or Liverpool Biennial as

her secondment options. Each Fellowship is

tailored to the individual development needs

and aspirations of the Fellow. Throughout

their Fellowship, Fellows also benefit from

support by a Mentor, who is a leading figure

in their field.

With more than thirteen candidates applying

for every place, competition for Clore

Fellowships is fierce. For 2013/14 twenty-one

Fellows have been selected from the UK,

Ireland, Egypt, India, China, Hong Kong and

Singapore, with over all support from twenty-

eight funding partners. The Clore Fellows are

working in areas as varied as theatre, opera,

dance, music; museums, visual arts; libraries,

literature and new media; arts and science;

and archives and heritage.

Following the installation of the exhibition

Programming Department leading the way

Moore Rodin, Penelope will be off on her

Fellowship from mid-February 2014 until the

end of July 2014. Verity Elson, currently

Assistant Curator, will be stepping up to

Curator during this time.

In July, Alison Cox, Head of

Programming, also secured one of

12 places on Museums and

Resilient Leadership, a course for

senior museums professionals.

Funded by Arts Council England with the

Black Country Living Museum and led by a

team with rich business and museum

experience, the course runs over nine months

and aims to support and develop

entrepreneurial and resilient leaders. It focuses

on growing participants’ personal,

organisational and relational ‘asset banks’.

The content is a rich mix of workshops, visits

and master classes on leadership skills,

funding, strategic planning and making

money and provides regular mentoring.

Alison’s mentor is Andrew Lovett, Director

and Chief Executive of Black County Living

Museum, also, like us, a self-funded museum.

Funding for a European trip allowed Alison to

visit the Netherlands where she met with the

Deputy Director of the Kröller-Müller

Museum, two hours south of Amsterdam. Like

Compton Verney, the Kröller-Müller is an art

gallery with grounds in a rural setting,

founded by an avid art collector. It was useful

to find out more about how the museum is

thriving through the recession. 8

(Left) Curator, Penny Sexton (Right) Head of Programming,

Alison Cox

Curator, Penelope Sexton has been selected for the 2013/14 Museums

Fellowship for the Clore Leadership

Programme supported by Arts

Council England.

As an Art History graduate and aspiring

curator, my role as Curatorial Intern has

been exciting and valuable, providing an

insight into the day-to-day running of the

busy Programming Department at

Compton Verney. I started back in June, in

conjunction with the Warwick University

Summer Internship Scheme.

In my first weeks alone, I paid a visit to the

fascinating, yet slightly eerie, taxidermy

stores of the Herbert Gallery with Curator

Penny Sexton to view some weird and

wonderful creatures for Curious Beasts. I

also watched as the Italian masterpieces

were taken down from the spring show

and unwrapped Simon Faithfull’s latest

cherry-wood etchings, posted from Berlin,

for Re-viewing the Landscape. Seeing the

landscape paintings installed for the

summer show Turner and Constable:

Sketching from Nature was another

highlight – a far cry from viewing art on a

slide show in a lecture hall.

I had little idea

of the sheer

scale of the

workload which

takes place

before a show,

often planned

up to four years

in advance. I

have been able

to get involved

in the different

stages of exhibitions: have a go on design

software, updating databases, meeting

designers, editing wall captions and social

media, to name a few things.

Four months on and I am still here, now

enjoying being Curatorial Assistant, Gallery

Assistant and ARA, and gaining a rounded

experience of gallery life.

Lucy West

The Next Generation:

Lucy West,

Curatorial Intern

To mark this special occasion we will open our

2014 season early, on Saturday 15 February,

and hold a festive birthday party on Monday 5

May. Save the date!

British Folk Art 27 September – 14 December 2014

This exhibition is the first major survey of

British Folk Art featuring over 100 paintings,

sculptures, textiles and objects that have

been drawn together from collections across

the country including Compton Verney which

is home to one of the most important

collections of British Folk Art in the country.

Folk Art is an established subject in many

countries; however in Britain the genre

remains elusive. Rarely considered in the

context of art history, ‘Folk Art’ has often been

viewed merely as part of social history or

folklore studies.

This show unites an extraordinary selection of

objects, exploring the threshold between art

and artefact and challenging perceptions of

’high art’. It includes surprising and diverse

examples of British Folk Art, from rustic leather

Toby jugs to brightly coloured ships’

figureheads and highly-accomplished carousel

horses. The imposing larger than life-size

thatched figure of King Alfred created by a

master thatcher, Joseph Myatt, in 1960 is just

one of the highlights of the exhibition.

The exhibition is curated by Martin Myrone,

Curator, Tate Britain and artist Jeff McMillan.

Exhibition organised by Tate.

Sneak Preview: Happy Anniversary

Compton Verney!

2014 is a milestone year for

Compton Verney as it will be ten

years since the award-winning art

gallery opened its door to the

public for the first time.

10

If you are thinking of having a larger

celebration you can use the Adam Hall for a

drinks reception and photographs, before

having dinner in your own dramatic lakeside

marquee.

Whatever your event, rest assured that

Compton Verney’s dedicated event

co-ordinators will guide you through every

step of the way, from initial planning right up

to and including the day of the event. This will

leave you and your guests to relax and enjoy

your time with us.

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Hiring Arcadia: Your event

at Compton Verney

Providing a distinct and creative environment

the contrasting spaces at Compton Verney are

available for events such as meetings, training

days, private dinners, lavish parties, weddings,

filming, photo shoots and much more. Events

staged at Compton Verney offer the grandeur

of the Grade I listed Georgian mansion with

the appeal of rural seclusion.

We also have luxurious and extensive grounds

where we can cater for larger numbers in a

sophisticated temporary structure on the West

Lawn. With views of our beautiful lake and

stunning historic grounds, the West Lawn is

directly adjacent to the gallery and has its own

separate road access from the main road,

ideally located for product launches, large-

scale corporate hospitality, open air theatre or

concerts and antique fairs.

For weddings the stunning Adam Hall with its

marble floor and ornate ceiling will be the

focal point for your day. This is a beautiful

room for your civil ceremony or partnership,

wedding breakfast for up to 100 guests and

your evening reception for up to 150.

Contact Harriet Lund on 01926 645 521

or harriet.lund@comptonverney.org.uk

for more information.

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What our clients say:

“Thank you for arranging today’s visit by

Bloxham’s leadership group. We were greeted

on arrival by Melanie and well looked after by

the catering staff during the day. It was just the

right environment for us to think our big

thoughts!”

“After a stunning honeymoon and wedding day,

which can only be described as the best day of

our lives, we would like to thank you again for

all the hard work and effort that went into

organising the day. The venue coordination and

catering were outstanding and made the day a

real triumph. It really was a truly outstanding

day.”

Compton Verney is a truly unique

location and the perfect backdrop

for a variety of special occasions

and events.

John Bishop and Clifford Newgas support the

Learning Team every Thursday. John, an

ex-fire fighter, has a BA (Hons) in both Graphic

Design and Fine Art and Clifford from a

managerial background in telecoms. They

started at Compton Verney in the first influx of

Volunteers and have been here for five years.

Starting out in the galleries, they moved

around various roles in maintenance,

cataloguing, research and administration

before joining Learning when a high demand

of extra support was needed to assist with

schools, family activities and events.

Volunteering’s Dynamic

Duo

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Outside In is an arts agency providing a

platform for artists who find it difficult to

access the art world either because of mental

health issues, disability, health, social

circumstance or because their work does not

conform to what is normally considered as art.

Outside In is based at Pallant House Gallery in

Chichester.

Throughout 2013 Compton Verney has

hosted Outside In: Central, an exhibition that

showcases work by 16 Outside In artists from

eight counties across the central region. Six of

the artists also selected works from our British

Folk Art collection to show alongside their

work.

What you may not realise is that the

associated learning programme has also

fulfilled the inclusive and outreach ethos of

the project by reaching out to special schools

and students not in mainstream education.

The project focused on the six artists who

worked with the British Folk Art collection. A

resource pack was created to support teachers

and allow them to deliver the project from

their class rooms. This allowed students to

participate even if they were unable to visit

due to the severity of their needs. The

resource pack provided information about

Outside In, the artists and the Outside In:

Central exhibition, along with images and

suggestions for activities.

Learning Team members Alice Kirk and Joanna

Essen recently presented the project along

with Jennifer Gilbert, Outside In Co-ordinator

from Pallant House Gallery and Christopher

Samuel, Outside In artist, at the Engage

International Conference for those involved in

gallery education.

Outside In: Central runs until 15 Dec 2013.

Outside In artist, Natasha Boyd; DNA (2007) dyed and batiked silk

Outside In reaches out

They assist with the activities by preparing

materials, making sample pieces and offering

one to one support to students who need that

little bit extra attention during school visits.

Every day is different. During Forest School,

they work alongside teachers and the group

leader to keep children to schedule and

minding the fire and other health and safety

issues.

They also design booklets and trails such as

the discovery pack, nature and Christmas trails

for families. This often involves many hours of

research at home but allows them to use their

knowledge and life experience creatively.

This has been a super year for events with exclusive tours, a trip to Vienna and another successful gala dinner lead by our Patrons.

On 10 May 2013, Compton Verney’s Benefactors,

Patrons and Supporters enjoyed an exclusive day

out at Chiswick Villa and Hogarth’s House in

London. Accompanied by Dr Steven Parissien, the

tour was led by English Heritage’s expert on

historic interiors, Treve Rosoman, who delighted

the group with his extensive knowledge of the

villa’s interior. After lunch and a walk in the

garden, everyone ventured only a few moments

down the road to Hogarth’s House, where Treve

managed to secure us entry into the historic roof

space of the museum where visitors aren’t

normally admitted, much to the group’s delight.

The day then finished with a short walk around the

graveyard at St. Nicholas’ Church, where William

Hogarth is buried among notable others.

On Thursday 13 June, our Benefactors, Patrons

and Supporters travelled to Wales for an exclusive

invite-only tour of The Royal Mint Collection, and

also a private tour of the prints and drawings

collection at The National Museum and Gallery

(Left) Patrons Belinda

McMicking and Peter

Gregory-Hood, Lord and

Lady Willoughby de

Broke, Jill Pittaway, Ludo

and Camilla de Walden

and Charlotte and John

Brook visit a rather

different sphinx in the

grounds of Vienna’s

Upper Belvedere.

(Below right) Gala

committee members

Charlotte Brook, Josie

Cameron Ashcroft, Min

Willoughby de Broke

(Chair), Belinda

McMicking, Matt

Broadhurst and Laura

Watts

12

(NMG). The day began at NMG in Cardiff, where

the group was taken on a tour by Curator, Oliver

Fairclough, around their impressive collections.

The Curator of the Prints and Drawings room then

invited everyone for a wonderful tour of their

drawings collections, and offering everyone the

chance to handle original prints by the likes of

Picasso and Edward Burne-Jones. Following a

delicious meal in their cellar restaurant, the group

then continued our journey to The Royal Mint

Collection near Cardiff which included a tour of

the factory, museum and design studios to learn

all about the fascinating processes involved with

coin making, which was thoroughly enjoyed by

all.

Making the most of the last summer days, the

Benefactors enjoyed a trip to Wiltshire to explore

the hidden heritage that lay within the hexagonal

Longford Castle to encounter fabulous paintings

by Van Dyck and Reynolds. In the afternoon we

headed to the New Art Gallery sculpture park at

Roche Court. There before everyone lay an

astounding selection of sculptural works nestled

amongst the acres of sprawling Salisbury

countryside including that of Michael

Craig-Martin, Barbara Hepworth and not

Benefactor, Patron and Supporter events 2013

Join or upgrade now to participate in

these exclusive events and tours:

(please note, all dates to be

confirmed):

14 February

Private view of Moore Rodin

(Benefactors, Patrons & Supporters)

3 April

Tour of Birmingham Museum &

Gallery and The Barber Institute

(Benefactors, Patrons & Supporters )

5 May

Compton Verney Anniversary

Celebrations (open to all)

Also in May

Tour of the Pangolin Foundry and

Kelmscott Manor TBC (Benefactors &

Patrons)

12 September

Private tour of the Royal Collection,

Buckingham Palace with the Surveyor

of the Queen’s Pictures (Benefactors

only)

26 September

Folk Art Private View (Benefactors,

Patrons & Supporters)

2-5 October

Benefactors’ & Patrons’ trip to

Istanbul

27 November

Benefactors’ and Patrons’ Dinner

(Above) Compton Verney Dr Steven Parissien, Belinda

McMicking, Kirsten Suenson-Taylor and Peter Gregory-

Hood by the riverside view at Longford Castle

forgetting Laura Ellen-Bacon; former artist-in-residence at

Compton Verney!

From 26 - 29 September the Patrons and Benefactors

embarked on the yearly trip abroad this time to Vienna where

they were shown all around the beautiful city by guide Gerti

Schmidt. The tour began on Friday with a visit to the Upper

Belvedere designed by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt as a

summer palace for Prince Eugene of Savoy. Housing a

magnificent array of paintings from Klimt, Schiele and

Kokoschka, the group then arrived at the Secession Building

to explore its many famous treasures including Klimt’s 90-

foot long Beethoven Frieze, before a private view of the

Lichtenstein Museum.

On Saturday the group spent the morning at the Hofburg

Complex which now houses several museums and which

once served as both the Imperial Palace and administrative

centre of the Hapsburg Empire. Lunch at traditional Viennese

restaurant, Café Landtmann, followed before a guided visit of

the Kunsthistorichesmueum (Museum of Fine Arts), one of

the world’s foremost galleries.

Due to the resounding success of the Vienna trip, we plan to

take our Patrons and Benefactors to Istanbul in October next

year. So if that tempts you, do consider joining or upgrading

as a Compton Verney Patron.

12 October saw the return of our glittering gala dinner and

auction event which helped to raise over £15,000. A

spectacular evening was had by all, with our Adam Hall

looking wonderful offset with illuminated table decorations.

Many thanks again to Charlie Brooke, Josie Cameron

Ashcroft, Min Willoughby de Broke, Belinda McMicking,

Matt Broadhust and Laura Watt organised the event and

helped to rally fabulous auction lots including Wimbledon

tickets, behind-the-scenes tours of Christie’s and Tate

Modern and the very first jar of Compton Verney honey!

2014 Events

14

Join us for our popular Winter Weekends featuring

family workshops, storytelling and music in the

Chapel:

7 December – The historic Royal Spa Brass from

Leamington Spa perform well-known classic

compositions and modern family favourites.

8 December - The Osney Singers will sing the first

carols performed in the Chapel for almost a century.

14 December - Cabinet of Curiosities directed by

Clive Letchford performs Baroque Music using

authentic instruments and playing styles.

15 December – The highly-regarded director

Benedict Wilson and his Holy Trinity Church Choir

Shopping! With a popular line of reasonably priced and unusual

handbags, scarves, toys, ties, stationary, books, soaps

and other gifts, the Compton Verney shop is a great

place to buy your seasonal gifts. Why not combine your

trip with a traditional Christmas lunch or cream tea in the

café and make a day of it!

Contact Harriet on 01926 645 521 to

arrange your office party in elegant

and unique surroundings

Gift shop, Christmas parties, Winter

Weekends for all the family, what’s not

to like about the festive season at

Compton Verney?

Christmas at Compton Verney

Why not upgrade?

The nature my role takes me in to the galleries

perhaps more than any other member of the

permanent staff at Compton Verney.

I check all of the lighting to ensure the exhibits are

displayed to their full potential and use the time

before opening to perform a condition check on

the artworks. I also see to any maintenance tasks

that require attention such as repairing the oak

floorboards on the ground floor.

The main focus of my work is associated with the

planning of the temporary exhibition programme.

This includes the fabrication of plinths for 3D

artworks like the one currently underneath the

taxidermy rhinoceros in the Curious Beasts

exhibition and display solutions for audio-visual

projections and any other requirements requested

by an artist or lender. I work closely with the

Exhibitions Manager and the Curators at Compton

Verney to arrange and manage the installation of

temporary exhibitions, liaise with builders and

painters, hire technical art handlers and oversee

contractors working on-site.

Compton Verney’s temporary exhibition

installations are the most thrilling (and nerve-

racking) part of my role since we aim to get the shows hung and open to the public as soon as

possible. There are fantastic challenges, such as

hanging a Van Dyck with a courier from The Royal

Collection watching your every move. Some I’d

rather forget, like the time paintings from Iceland

due to form part of the Volcano exhibition in 2010

were bumped off the flight in favour of several

crates of Haddock, Halibut and Herring. The catch

of the day seemingly more note-worthy than any

pre-arranged cultural exports!

Engaging with partners from prestigious

institutions and working closely with a huge

range of traditional and contemporary

artwork from all over the world makes the

time pressures associated with installing such

a varied programme worthwhile. I am

fortunate to get an intimate look at the works as

they are unpacked and seeing a show develop

from design through to realisation is always highly

rewarding.

John Crossley

A Day in the Life of

John Crossley – Gallery Technician

Why not give Moore this

Christmas?

There are several quick and easy ways to upgrade

your membership:

By phone on 01926 645 547

By post via Compton Verney, FREEPOST

NAT9520, Warwick CV35 9BR.

By annual or quarterly Direct Debit with

the Direct Debit form

Online at www.comptonverney.org.uk

Or visit and upgrade in the ticket lodge!

Please take a moment to consider

upgrading your membership, or

giving the gift membership, and

support our efforts to share our

passion for art.

Corporate Members

Thank you for your support

Supporters

Lady Goodhart Dr Catherine MS Alexander

Kirsten Suenson-Taylor Alex & Mary Robinson

Adrian & Jacqui Beecroft Wyn Grant

David & Jill Pittaway

David & Sandra Burbidge Mr & Mrs Roger Keverne

Peter Gregory-Hood Roger Cadbury Lord & Lady Willoughby de Broke

Mrs Susan Bridgewater Pam Barnes

Dr & Mrs Munchi Choksey David & Catherine Loudon Sarah Stoten

Mr & Mrs Ludovic de Walden Mrs Patricia Trahar

Dr Stephen Large

Prof Jacquie McGlade

William & Jane Pusey

Paul Cooney Mrs Christine Archer

PE Shirley Margaret Fraser Mrs Michael Markham

Sir Martin & Lady Jacomb Victoria Peers

The Brook Family Nicholas & Marie-France Burton Professor Robert Bluglass CBE &

Dr Kerry Bluglass Bridget Barker & Simon Herrtage

Richard Shore

Thank you to all our Benefactors, Patrons, Supporters and

Corporate Members for your continued support. Your

membership makes a huge difference to us and contributes

towards all aspects of Compton Verney, from our

exhibitions and collections to our grounds and educational

work.

The Four Pillars

When you purchase a membership at any

level and/or make a donation, you are

welcome to specify an area of your own

interest towards which your membership/

donation will contribute. Funds, and the

kinds of things they supported in 2013, are:

The Exhibition Fund for our

exhibitions and collections helped to

reinstall our Enid Marx Collection.

The Adam Fund for our built heritage

has contributed to the repair of the

Adam Hall floor and plasterwork.

The Inspire Fund for art education has

supported the development of a new

outreach programme for schools.

The Capability Fund for our historic

landscape has supported the lake

maintenance and bulb planting.

For further information, or if you would like

to support The Four Pillars of Compton

Verney, please call Aly Grimes on

01926 645 547 or donate on-line now via

the Big Give.

Benefactors

Patrons

Mr & Mrs Peter Kenworthy-Browne

Clive Barnes Lady Butler

Mr Peter Boycott Graham Greene CBE Jenny Grimstone

Sarah Holman David Howells

Howard & Melanie Jackson Bob & Sandy Marchant N Meades

Dr James Mooney

Mrs Penny Perriss

Andrew & Julia Pick

Michael Robarts Bill Slora

Christopher Trye Sir Robert Wade-Gery Benjamin Wiggin

Matt Broadhurst

Mike & Joan Broad

And 40 others who wish to remain anonymous, or have not yet speci-fied how they would like to be

listed.

Martinspeed Ltd

Aquarelle Publishing

Blackwall Green Fred Winter Ltd

Goldcrest Cleaning Lightmedia Communications Ltd Mitchell Gallery

Renaissance Creative Travel Club Elite

Wright Hassall George Pragnell

Quilter

Perrywell Computer Systems Ltd Larch Consulting

Audley Binswood Hall Castleacre Insurance Harrison Beale & Owen

James Butler Ltd Clifton Cowley

Bonhams Farrow & Ball Healthcare Development Services

Ltd

Other ways you can help

Consider leaving us a legacy, organising an

event or naming a tree, artwork or room for

yourself or a loved one! Call 01926 645 547 or

visit the website for more information.