A Sense of Place: 2015 at Compton Verney

New Curriculum, New Opportunities

Winter 2014

inside Compton

Verney

Contents

Page 2 Adopt an Artwork Takes Off

Page 3 News Bites

Page 4 A Sense of Place: 2015 at Compton Verney Page 6 Re-Viewing the Landscape Update Page 8 New Curriculum, New Opportunities

Adopt an Artwork

Takes Off

2 Cover photo: ‘If I Can’, Embroidery, 1857, William Morris , Copyright Society of Antiquaries of London: Kelmscott Manor

Artwork adoption has brought much-needed

support for Compton Verney. Caring for

collections and mounting high-quality

exhibitions is an expensive business and the

money raised through adoptions helps us to

do just that.

Works of art throughout our permanent

collections are available from just £25 - 2,500.

If you are interested in adopting something in

your own name, or that of a loved one,

please contact Alexandra on 01926 645547.

Recent adoptions:

Mrs Janatha Stubbs, MBE, MOM, has adopted

Mrs Baldwin in Eastern Dress by Sir Joshua

Reynolds (top image), The Scene at Golgotha

by the Strasbourg School (above left), and

Mirza Abu'l Hassan Khan by Sir William

Beechey (left). A Tang Horse from the Chinese

Collection (above right) has also been

adopted for Matthew Brown.

Page 10 Handbags Galore; A Day in the Life of

Lindsey Fox, Retail Buyer

Page 11 The Arts & Crafts House: Then & Now

Page 12 Highlights of Istanbul & Bunting Bonanza

Page 13 Save the Date

Page 14 Acknowledgements

Award Winning Hire and

Recreation Huge congratulations to Harriet Lund and Melanie

Thorn from Compton Verney Venue Hire for

winning Best Venue Team (Regional) at The

Wedding Industry Awards, and to Emily Medcraft

and all our Front of House team who make our

guests welcome and ensure events run smoothly.

Compton Verney’s Grounds Team can also be

proud that we have picked up an award for

Footpath of the Year from the Stratford Ramblers.

Learning Sponsored in Memory Paul Cooney has generously sponsored the

learning activities for the Periodic Tales exhibition in

memory of Barry and Judy Henman.

News Bites Farewell This season sees one of our long standing and

much loved Gallery Assistants hanging up his gilet

for the last time. Tony Isaacs, has been part of the

team since day one and has helped define our

approach to visitor welcome and experience. We

shall miss him dearly and are hugely grateful for his

support over the years.

Take Over Day Kids in Museums is a national campaign to

encourage more activities for children and young

people to take place in museum settings.

This annual event takes place in November, and

organisations such as art galleries, museums and

heritage sites are taken over by children and young people. This year we worked with Stratford-upon-

Avon School and Campion School. Read more in

the Curator’s Diary Blog.

Emily, Harriet and Event Duty Manager Paul

Work experience students assisting Annelise, Collections

and Exhibitions Manager

3

4

2015 will inevitably be a challenging financial year,

coming as it does after the closure of the Peter

Moores Foundation and before the completion of

the first and most important phase of our Park

Restoration Project. (Don’t forget that we learn the

outcome of our Round Two bid to the Heritage

Lottery Fund (HLF) at the end of January 2015.)

However, we intend to use the next twelve months

to very good effect. We’re not planning just to sit

back, watching and waiting for the anticipated uplift prompted by 2016’s ‘Capability’ Brown and

Shakespeare anniversary celebrations and the

development of our invaluable historic landscape.

Whatever the result of our HLF bid, we intend to

sustain our forward momentum and build on the

success we’ve achieved over the last few years.

The major marketing exercises we commissioned in

2013 and 2014 (much of which was generously

funded by the Arts Council England) provided us

with additional, invaluable information about our

visitors – and, crucially, about those who currently

do not visit. What we aim to do in 2015 is to take

this exercise one step further, and to tackle head-on

the two key barriers to visiting which this research

identified. The first is the perception that we are

difficult to find, and that we are buried in the midst

of the countryside. (Many people in our catchment area are still regrettably unaware of our exact

location, even if they have often heard of us.)

Secondly, we are faced with the obstacle that both

our gallery title and our corporate logo, when

viewed in isolation by those who do not know us,

fail to convey any idea of what we are and what

we offer.

To deal with the first challenge, we intend to use

the summer’s major exhibition, The Art and Crafts

House, to help potential visitors pinpoint exactly

where we are. We aim to do this by creating an exhibition-related Arts and Crafts Trail that will link

us to nearby, well-known Cotswold destinations.

We will, for example, be featuring the work of the

Hart Silversmiths’ workshop in Chipping

Campden (founded in 1902 and still going

strong), cross-marketing with the Gordon Russell Museum in Broadway (which will in turn provide

us with a helpful link to our own Enid Marx

collection), partnering with historic houses and

collections such as Kelmscott and Rodmarton,

and focusing on a cross-section of local

craftspeople. In this way, we will exploit

Compton Verney’s geographical hinterland to

create a trail of contemporary makers across the

Cotswolds.

At the same time, the promotion of our other

exhibitions during the year, along with the site-

specific publicity garnered by partnerships such

as the remarkably successful ‘Coventry and

Warwickshire 8’ cultural alliance and our new

Ambassadors scheme, will also stress our easy-to-

reach location as well as publicising our ever-

expanding offer.

On the issue of brand recognition, we clearly do

not have the resources to initiate a full-scale

rebranding exercise. Nor, in truth, would we

want to: it would surely be rather unwise to

discard a name that has, over the last ten years,

become increasingly synonymous with our

growing national and regional reputation.

What we can do, though, is to enhance our

corporate image, communicating more lucidly so

that would-be visitors have a clearer idea of what

they can experience and enjoy. To refresh our

brand, then, we aim to add a strapline to our

logo which encapsulates all that we can offer. We

have already gone a long way along this path –

partly thanks to the recent research and a

Governors’ brand personality workshop, which helped us to better understand how others see us

– and we hope to bring this to fruition next year.

Any ideas you may have to this end would be

most welcome!

By improving awareness of where we are located,

and of what we can offer our increasingly broad

spectrum of visitors, we aim to create a solid base

on which we can pitch our exciting, diverse and

expanding offer from 2016 – the year, after all, of

Shakespeare and ‘Capability’ Brown, to say

nothing of our major exhibitions on Britain in the

1950s and the Grand Tour. All of this will, in turn,

help us to increase our visitor numbers, currently

at around 65,000 a year, towards our 2020 target

of 100,000. As the cliché has it, onwards and

upwards.

Dr Steven Parissien, Director

A Sense of Place: 2015 at Compton Verney

Photos by Stuart Thomas (main left) and John Cleary (inset)

2015 will inevitably be a challenging financial year,

coming as it does after the closure of the Peter

Moores Foundation and before the completion of

the first and most important phase of our Park

Restoration Project. (Don’t forget that we learn the

outcome of our Round Two bid to the Heritage

Lottery Fund (HLF) at the end of January 2015.)

However, we intend to use the next twelve months

to very good effect. We’re not planning just to sit

back, watching and waiting for the anticipated uplift prompted by 2016’s ‘Capability’ Brown and

Shakespeare anniversary celebrations and the

development of our invaluable historic landscape.

Whatever the result of our HLF bid, we intend to

sustain our forward momentum and build on the

success we’ve achieved over the last few years.

The major marketing exercises we commissioned in

2013 and 2014 (much of which was generously

funded by the Arts Council England) provided us

with additional, invaluable information about our

visitors – and, crucially, about those who currently

do not visit. What we aim to do in 2015 is to take

this exercise one step further, and to tackle head-on

the two key barriers to visiting which this research

identified. The first is the perception that we are

difficult to find, and that we are buried in the midst

of the countryside. (Many people in our catchment area are still regrettably unaware of our exact

location, even if they have often heard of us.)

Secondly, we are faced with the obstacle that both

our gallery title and our corporate logo, when

viewed in isolation by those who do not know us,

fail to convey any idea of what we are and what

we offer.

To deal with the first challenge, we intend to use

the summer’s major exhibition, The Art and Crafts

House, to help potential visitors pinpoint exactly

where we are. We aim to do this by creating an exhibition-related Arts and Crafts Trail that will link

us to nearby, well-known Cotswold destinations.

We will, for example, be featuring the work of the

Hart Silversmiths’ workshop in Chipping

Campden (founded in 1902 and still going

strong), cross-marketing with the Gordon Russell Museum in Broadway (which will in turn provide

us with a helpful link to our own Enid Marx

collection), partnering with historic houses and

collections such as Kelmscott and Rodmarton,

and focusing on a cross-section of local

craftspeople. In this way, we will exploit

Compton Verney’s geographical hinterland to

create a trail of contemporary makers across the

Cotswolds.

At the same time, the promotion of our other

exhibitions during the year, along with the site-

specific publicity garnered by partnerships such

as the remarkably successful ‘Coventry and

Warwickshire 8’ cultural alliance and our new

Ambassadors scheme, will also stress our easy-to-

reach location as well as publicising our ever-

expanding offer.

On the issue of brand recognition, we clearly do

not have the resources to initiate a full-scale

rebranding exercise. Nor, in truth, would we

want to: it would surely be rather unwise to

discard a name that has, over the last ten years,

become increasingly synonymous with our

growing national and regional reputation.

What we can do, though, is to enhance our

corporate image, communicating more lucidly so

that would-be visitors have a clearer idea of what

they can experience and enjoy. To refresh our

brand, then, we aim to add a strapline to our

logo which encapsulates all that we can offer. We

have already gone a long way along this path –

partly thanks to the recent research and a

Governors’ brand personality workshop, which helped us to better understand how others see us

– and we hope to bring this to fruition next year.

Any ideas you may have to this end would be

most welcome!

By improving awareness of where we are located,

and of what we can offer our increasingly broad

spectrum of visitors, we aim to create a solid base

on which we can pitch our exciting, diverse and

expanding offer from 2016 – the year, after all, of

Shakespeare and ‘Capability’ Brown, to say

nothing of our major exhibitions on Britain in the

1950s and the Grand Tour. All of this will, in turn,

help us to increase our visitor numbers, currently

at around 65,000 a year, towards our 2020 target

of 100,000. As the cliché has it, onwards and

upwards.

Dr Steven Parissien, Director

2015 Exhibitions Canaletto: Celebrating Britain

14 March to 7 June

This exhibition spotlights the paintings and drawings which

Canaletto created between 1746 and 1755, when he chose

to celebrate the latest achievements of British architecture

and engineering. This is the first time which these painting

have been gathered together, and collectively they

illustrate Canaletto's nine-year stay in Britain which saw

him document a series of new building works and projects,

commissions which reflected the new-found wealth and

assurance of the British nation. The houses, bridges,

churches and castles he recorded marked out Britain as the

new Venice and conveyed a sense of self-confidence, as

Britons sought cultural inspiration not just from the

Mediterranean but also from their own history.

Martin Parr : The Non-Conformists

14 March to 7 June

The Non-Conformists features the first major body of work

by celebrated documentary photographer and satirist

Martin Parr. These black-and-white photographs from the

mid-1970s document the Yorkshire mill town of Hebden

Bridge and the surrounding Calder Valley. This remarkable

series predates the colour photographs for which Parr was

to become so well known in the following decade.

Kern Baby by Faye Claridge

14 March to 13 December

This enigmatic new commission by artist Faye Claridge in

our historic grounds will take on the form of an

exaggerated sculptural emblem of folklore. Resonating

with Compton Verney’s extensive collection of British Folk

Art, the new sculpture is based on the photographic work

of Sir Benjamin Stone, who travelled the country recording

unusual festivals and customs.

The Arts and Crafts House: Then and Now

27 June to 13 September (see page 11)

Periodic Tales: The Art of the Elements

3 October to 13 December

This exhibition will highlight how the chemical elements

(gold, silver, iron, carbon etc) remain central to our lives

and to artistic creation, through a series of contemporary

and historic works. The exhibition will include work by

Antony Gormley, Cornelia Parker, Thomas Heatherwick,

Marc Quinn and Lucy Skaer and has been supported by the

Beecroft Trust.

5

This major, transformational project continues to

gather momentum as we await the results of our

final round application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Having received a Development Grant for the project in 2013, we were able to develop plans and

make our final submission in October 2014. A

recent visit from a National HLF Board Member and

our Regional Director went well, and we look

forward to a decision in late January or early

February.

We have now also received planning permission for

the Welcome Centre, Chapel refurbishment Grounds

Workshop and footbridge.

We are immensely grateful to those trusts and

foundations who have made generous grants to

help fulfil the match funding requirement for this

project, including:

The Wolfson Foundation

Garfield Weston Foundation

Fidelity UK

29th May Charitable Trust

J. Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust

Country Houses Foundation

P.F. Charitable Trust

The Mercers Company

Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

The Saintbury Trust

Natural England

The Rural Payments Agency

Francis Coales Charitable Trust

Golden Bottle Trust

Lord Leverhulme Charitable Trust

Arts Connect West Midlands

In addition, we have received substantial

support from many individuals, including:

Lord and Lady Goodhart

Alex and Mary Robinson

Wyn Grant

James Robinson

Oliver Simon

Last but certainly not least, thanks to our hard-

working event volunteers, notably Lady Willoughby

de Broke, Bridget Barker, Christine Archer, Belinda

McMicking, Laura Watts, Munchi Choksey and Josie

Cameron-Ashcroft.

There are still opportunities to help before the Board

make their final decision:

Sponsor a bird hide or Chapel window for

£10,000

Sponsor a Chapel pew, or enable us to host

Forest School for a year with a gift of £5,000

Help us bring the landscape to life with an

interpretive panel for £1,000

Restore a Chapel ceiling panel for £500

Inscribe a plank in our wetland boardwalk for

£100

For more information about how you can

become a part of this important and exciting

project, please contact Development on

01926 645547.

Re-Viewing the Landscape Update

Schematics of the Welcome Centre exterior and (below) interior

6

This major, transformational project continues to

gather momentum as we await the results of our

final round application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Having received a Development Grant for the project in 2013, we were able to develop plans and

make our final submission in October 2014. A

recent visit from a National HLF Board Member and

our Regional Director went well, and we look

forward to a decision in late January or early

February.

We have now also received planning permission for

the Welcome Centre, Chapel refurbishment Grounds

Workshop and footbridge.

We are immensely grateful to those trusts and

foundations who have made generous grants to

help fulfil the match funding requirement for this

project, including:

The Wolfson Foundation

Garfield Weston Foundation

Fidelity UK

29th May Charitable Trust

J. Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust

Country Houses Foundation

P.F. Charitable Trust

The Mercers Company

Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

The Saintbury Trust

Natural England

The Rural Payments Agency

Francis Coales Charitable Trust

Golden Bottle Trust

Lord Leverhulme Charitable Trust

Arts Connect West Midlands

In addition, we have received substantial

support from many individuals, including:

Lord and Lady Goodhart

Alex and Mary Robinson

Wyn Grant

James Robinson

Oliver Simon

Last but certainly not least, thanks to our hard-

working event volunteers, notably Lady Willoughby

de Broke, Bridget Barker, Christine Archer, Belinda

McMicking, Laura Watts, Munchi Choksey and Josie

Cameron-Ashcroft.

There are still opportunities to help before the Board

make their final decision:

Sponsor a bird hide or Chapel window for

£10,000

Sponsor a Chapel pew, or enable us to host

Forest School for a year with a gift of £5,000

Help us bring the landscape to life with an

interpretive panel for £1,000

Restore a Chapel ceiling panel for £500

Inscribe a plank in our wetland boardwalk for

£100

For more information about how you can

become a part of this important and exciting

project, please contact Development on

01926 645547.

Interpretation space

Coffee bar

Ticket desk

Shop

Toilets

Forest School

storage

Shuttle parking

Canopy, benches and landscaping

Bike racks

Internal layout of the

Welcome Centre

7

The new national curriculum, which was

introduced in September, has created

opportunities to develop exciting, new

programmes for schools at Compton Verney.

One of the most significant areas of

opportunity is within the history curriculum,

which has changed considerably from the

previous programme of study and now, for

the first time, includes The Shang Dynasty of

Ancient China. Coinciding with the re-display

of our Chinese collection, which will be

unveiled to the public in March 2015, we have

created a new primary programme Rituals and

Bronzes: The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China.

A large number of students (5,000 +) visit

Compton Verney each year and this will be the

first programme we have run that specifically

explores our Chinese collection.

Rituals and Bronzes: The Shang

Dynasty of Ancient China

This programme will enable Key Stage 2

students (7 – 11 year olds) to investigate the

Chinese bronzes within our collection and

explore life during the Shang Dynasty. Rituals

and Bronzes links directly to national History,

Art and Design curriculums and we anticipate

that 800 students will take part in this

programme annually and, to support and

encourage school participation, each child’s

visit will be highly subsidised by Compton

Verney.

In the morning students will tour the Chinese

collection to explore and discuss the objects

and artworks from Ancient China, recording

their observations through sketching.

They will look particularly at the ritual

bronzes, exploring their importance and

learning about religion, life and important

people during the Shang Dynasty. The

students will also have the exciting

opportunity to handle one of the original

bronzes from Ancient China and discover

more about how they were created and their

history.

In the afternoon students will then create their

own Chinese vessel using air drying clay. They

will be shown different ways and techniques

to make a clay pot and, taking inspiration

from the Chinese bronzes, will base their

designs on the ritual vessels they have seen in

the morning.

Vikings, Romans, Saxons and more

In response to the new curriculum we have

also developed six new, hands-on history

programmes that use our Forest School site to

explore life in early Britain: Stone Age Settlers,

Bronze Age Builders, Iron Age Inhabitants, The

Real Romans, Saxon Settlers and Viking

Villagers. In these programmes students

explore what life would have been like during

the time periods and what daily task might

have entailed.

In each programme students will take part in

five practical activities that relate to the time

period they are studying. These could range

from building a miniature settlement, to

making traditional wattle and daub or

weaving nets for fishing.

Each programme also includes a taster session

for traditional food the time period, such as

the Stone Age treat frumenty or Viking

porridge, and making and maintaining a fire,

which they will use for heat and cooking.

Objectives and outcomes

Our mission at Compton Verney is to share

our passion for art and heritage with as many

people as possible, and these schools’

programmes will offer a fantastic opportunity

for students to participate and interact with

our world-class Chinese collection and

landscape.

The most powerful and memorable learning

happens through experience, these projects

will not only enable students to learn about

history through original objects, artworks and

hands-on experiences, but will also encourage

them to explore their own creativity and

artistic skills.

The overall learning outcomes we hope

students will achieve are:

An appreciation of ancient Chinese art and

ritual bronzes and an understanding of

the bronzes use and significance

Knowledge of life, customs, and religion

during other time periods

New skills and an appreciation for how

they can enjoy galleries and landscapes.

For more information, contact the

Learning Team.

New Curriculum, New Opportunities

Rendering of the new Gallery entrance (above) and students from Peking University handling the bronzes (below)

8

The new national curriculum, which was

introduced in September, has created

opportunities to develop exciting, new

programmes for schools at Compton Verney.

One of the most significant areas of

opportunity is within the history curriculum,

which has changed considerably from the

previous programme of study and now, for

the first time, includes The Shang Dynasty of

Ancient China. Coinciding with the re-display

of our Chinese collection, which will be

unveiled to the public in March 2015, we have

created a new primary programme Rituals and

Bronzes: The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China.

A large number of students (5,000 +) visit

Compton Verney each year and this will be the

first programme we have run that specifically

explores our Chinese collection.

Rituals and Bronzes: The Shang

Dynasty of Ancient China

This programme will enable Key Stage 2

students (7 – 11 year olds) to investigate the

Chinese bronzes within our collection and

explore life during the Shang Dynasty. Rituals

and Bronzes links directly to national History,

Art and Design curriculums and we anticipate

that 800 students will take part in this

programme annually and, to support and

encourage school participation, each child’s

visit will be highly subsidised by Compton

Verney.

In the morning students will tour the Chinese

collection to explore and discuss the objects

and artworks from Ancient China, recording

their observations through sketching.

They will look particularly at the ritual

bronzes, exploring their importance and

learning about religion, life and important

people during the Shang Dynasty. The

students will also have the exciting

opportunity to handle one of the original

bronzes from Ancient China and discover

more about how they were created and their

history.

In the afternoon students will then create their

own Chinese vessel using air drying clay. They

will be shown different ways and techniques

to make a clay pot and, taking inspiration

from the Chinese bronzes, will base their

designs on the ritual vessels they have seen in

the morning.

Vikings, Romans, Saxons and more

In response to the new curriculum we have

also developed six new, hands-on history

programmes that use our Forest School site to

explore life in early Britain: Stone Age Settlers,

Bronze Age Builders, Iron Age Inhabitants, The

Real Romans, Saxon Settlers and Viking

Villagers. In these programmes students

explore what life would have been like during

the time periods and what daily task might

have entailed.

In each programme students will take part in

five practical activities that relate to the time

period they are studying. These could range

from building a miniature settlement, to

making traditional wattle and daub or

weaving nets for fishing.

Each programme also includes a taster session

for traditional food the time period, such as

the Stone Age treat frumenty or Viking

porridge, and making and maintaining a fire,

which they will use for heat and cooking.

Objectives and outcomes

Our mission at Compton Verney is to share

our passion for art and heritage with as many

people as possible, and these schools’

programmes will offer a fantastic opportunity

for students to participate and interact with

our world-class Chinese collection and

landscape.

The most powerful and memorable learning

happens through experience, these projects

will not only enable students to learn about

history through original objects, artworks and

hands-on experiences, but will also encourage

them to explore their own creativity and

artistic skills.

The overall learning outcomes we hope

students will achieve are:

An appreciation of ancient Chinese art and

ritual bronzes and an understanding of

the bronzes use and significance

Knowledge of life, customs, and religion

during other time periods

New skills and an appreciation for how

they can enjoy galleries and landscapes.

For more information, contact the

Learning Team. Forest School Leader Vix Curtlin (above) and conker stew

(right).

9

From ballet, embroidery and geology through a

long and varied career with Liberty’s, managing

an embroidery workshop and serving as Stitch

Magazine’s Promotions Manager, Lindsey Fox

brings us both experience and creativity:

My philosophy for the shop is that while it is

important for the look and merchandise to be

sympathetic to the current exhibition, there is

no point in having a shop unless it can

generate a strong income stream. As we are an

independent gallery with no regular

government support, generating income

through the shop is essential to our survival.

Every penny of your purchase, above the cost

of the item itself, is re-invested in the

exhibitions, learning programme and care of

our collections, buildings and landscape. So

when we stumble on something popular, such

as the leather handbags we introduced during

our Italian exhibition last year, we continue to

carry it. The colours may change with the

season, or to reflect the colour scheme of the

current exhibition, but we stick with what

works well for our customers.

We start planning for the year as soon as the

exhibitions are agreed. I research the artist’s

work and life, and talk with the curator about

the design for the galleries and the ethos.

At the same time I attend the gift fairs in

London, do on-line research and talk with

clients and people who have come forward to

offer their work for sale. I always have the

work of at least three local artists or artisans

represented although I don’t single them out

in the shop. I want the buyer to make a

purchase decision purely based on whether

they love an item.

I feel that it is important to bring new stock

into the shop frequently so that repeat visitors

always find something different to tempt

them. We are obviously not a high street shop,

or a National Trust site, so we must also

maintain a uniquely Compton Verney feel to

the shop.

I hope that you will come in and see how we

transform the shop for each exhibition next

year and hopefully we can inspire you to

support our work with a purchase.

Lindsey Fox

Handbags Galore; A Day in the Life of Lindsey Fox, Retail Buyer

10

The Arts & Crafts House traces the origins, legacy

and enduring appeal of the historic Arts and

Crafts Movement and its fascination with the

creation of the home.

In a society where sustainability, regionalism

and the handmade are becoming increasing

benchmarks for design and living in general,

the ideals of the movement have never seemed

so current. The exhibition will also explore

ideas of form and function key to the

movement and present various artists whose

work is pushing the boundaries of craft in

relation to historic Arts and Crafts ideas.

Devised as a series of encounters between

historic and contemporary works, the

exhibition will look at the fascinating link

between the life and work of designers and

makers then and now.

The exhibition will also explore the garden and

the importance of the natural world for the key

early shapers of the movement: John Ruskin

(with items from his Guild of St. George) and

William Morris. The important collaborations of

plantswoman and designer Gertrude Jekyll and

architect Edwin Lutyens will celebrate an

important high point when the house and

garden were to fuse into a single vision. Morris

and Jekyll’s work in particular will be shown in

the context of work by artist Rosa Nguyen who

will work with wallpaper, plants and ceramics

and Landscape Designer and Plantsman Dan

Pearson who will be creating a William Morris

wild flower meadow on Compton Verney’s

extensive West Lawn. The meadow will be

mown into a formal parterre with the design of

Morris’ ‘Trellis’ wallpaper (featured

background and Courtesy of William Morris

Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest )

and was funded through Compton Verney’s

first crowd funding venture.

At the centre of the exhibition will be works

relating to three creative houses – the homes of

William Morris - Red House and Kelmscott

Manor, and Ernest Gimson’s cottage -

Stoneywell in Charnwood Forest Leicestershire.

The Hart Silversmiths: A Living Tradition

This exhibition sits alongside the Arts & Crafts

House to explore the evolution of a living

tradition in design and silversmithing which has

its origins in the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Following the line of the family of Harts who

have worked in the Silk Mill in Chipping

Campden for over a century, this exhibition

brings together both domestic and civic

commissions alongside the spectacular

drawings which have inspired them. The

exhibition has received support from the Hart

Silversmiths Trust.

The Arts & Crafts House: Then & Now 27 June -13 September 2015

Vie

w o

f Kelm

scott (c) T

he W

ilson

Ch

elte

nh

am

11

Although beaten by some three kilometres in our

World Record attempt to create the longest line of

bunting, the project has enabled us to connect

with literally hundreds of individuals and

organisations during our tenth anniversary year.

A fantastic 7.5 kilometres of bunting was created

and a huge “well done” is due to Moira Walters,

our staff and volunteers and all of you who

helped to create this massive work of art.

Thanks to John Crossley (left) and the grounds

team, the bunting was hung in the Gallery and

grounds for the Winter Weekend 2014.

Bunting Bonanza

Highlights of Istanbul Between the wonderful sites, sounds, smells and

tastes; boat trips and seraglios; the Benefactors’

and Patrons’ trip to Istanbul was unforgettable.

Join us next year in The Hague and Amsterdam

(see page on right) and experience exclusive tours

of newly re-opened galleries, unusual heritage

sites and world-class art and cuisine.

12

A visit to the Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Join us to experience the art, architecture, and

history of these spectacular cities. Stay in two

luxurious hotels and enjoy walking tours, boat

rides and sites such as:

The newly re-opened Mauritshuis featuring the

work of Vermeer, Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Van

Dyck and Rubens;

The art deco Gemeentemuseum with its

valuable collection of modern and applied art

including Picasso, Klee and Mondrian;

The Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder auction house

located in a splendid 17th century building with

a beautiful collection of period furniture;

The Royal Delft Blue Porcelain factory, and

The historic Van Kleef jenever distillery.

More details to follow in the New Year.

Benefactors’ and Patrons’ overseas trip to Amsterdam and The Hague

4 - 8 Nov, 2015

Save the Date 2015

Set aside 4 July for our annual fundraising gala with music, an auction and surprises!

Benefactor, Patron and Supporter Events for 2015

13 March - Canaletto: Celebrating Britain and

Martin Parr: The Non-Conformists Private View

Benefactors, Patrons and Supporters (Free of charge)

21 April - Danson House and Hall Place Director-led

tours of the collections and summer contemporary arts shows

at Hall Place and Danson House. Benefactors, Patrons and

Supporters only (At cost)

11 May - Martin Jennings Studio Visit and

pre-auction viewing at Bonham’s, Oxford Benefactors

and Patrons only (At cost)

26 June - The Arts and Crafts House: Then and Now

Private View Benefactors, Patrons and Supporters (Free of

charge)

4 July - Formal Dinner Fundraising Gala Following on

from the success of the 2014 opera gala, we will be holding

another exceptional evening of music, food and surprises. In

addition, ticket holders for this event will be invited to a

special private view of our fabulous Shakespeare’s Painters

exhibition in 2016 (Ticket prices TBC)

September - Benefactors’ weekend excursion to

Brighton to include Director and Curator-led tours

of Charleston (the former country retreat of the

Bloomsbury Set), Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft

and The Royal Pavilion. Exact date TBC. Benefactors only

(Some charges will apply)

2 October - Periodic Tales: Art of the Elements

Private View Benefactors, Patrons and Supporters (Free of

charge)

4 - 8 November - Benefactors’ and Patrons’ visit to

Amsterdam and The Hague Benefactors and Patrons only

(At cost) 13

Martin Jennings’ sculpture of Sir John Betjeman in Saint Pancras Station, London (above left), and the interior of the Hotel Des Indes, The Hague.

Corporate Members

Thank you for your support

Supporters

Lady Goodhart

Dr Catherine MS Alexander

Kirsten Suenson-Taylor

Alex and Mary Robinson

Adrian and Jacqui Beecroft

Wyn Grant

Paul Cooney

James Robinson

Anonymous

David & Jill Pittaway

David & Sandra Burbidge

Bridget Barker & Simon Herrtage

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 Joanne E Perry

Anonymous

William & Jane Pusey

Roger Salmons & Helen Rose Mrs

Christine Archer

P E Shirley

Mrs Michael Markham

Richard Shore

Sir Martin & Lady Jacomb

Victoria Peers

The Brook Family

Nicholas & Marie-France Burton

Professor Robert Bluglass CBE &

Dr Kerry Bluglass

Janet Bell Smith

Benefactors

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 which your membership/donation

will contribute towards:

The Exhibition Fund for our exhibitions

and collections.

The Adam Fund for our built heritage.

The Inspire Fund for art education.

The Capability Fund for our historic

landscape.

For further information, or if you would like to support The Four Pillars of Compton

Verney, please call Alexandra Grimes on

01926 645 547 or donate online now via the

Big Give.

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.

Patrons

Clive Barnes

Gordon Brace

Lady Butler

Mr Peter Boycott

Graham Greene CBE

Jenny Grimstone-Jones

Sarah Holman

David Howells

Howard & Melanie Jackson

Bob & Sandy Marchant

N Meades

Mrs Penny Perris

Andrew & Julia Pick

Michael Robarts

Sir Christopher Trye

Sir Robert Wade-Gery

Barrie Dugdale OBE

Mike & Joan Broad

Philip & Lulette Monbiot

And 40 others who wish to

remain anonymous, or have

not yet specified how they

would like to be listed.

Martinspeed Ltd Bonhams Farrow & Ball Aquarelle Publishing

Blackwall Green

Fred Winter Ltd

Goldcrest Cleaning Ltd

Lightmedia Communications Ltd

Mitchell Gallery

Renaissance Creative

Wright Hassall

Perrywell Computer Systems Ltd

Larch Consulting Ltd

James Butler Ltd

Avidity IP Limited Healthcare Development Services Ltd

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

Our first Forest School birthday party was a huge

success. If you’d like to know more, call Harriet on

01926 645521.