A peep into the Gallery future
5 July, 2011 – Sketches of how the rooms in the William Morris Gallery will look when it reopens next year were shared with appreciative members of the Friends at their AGM yesterday.
The drawings were part of an illustrated presentation by Lorna Lee, who is head of Waltham Forest Libraries and Museums, project director and a member of the Friends.
Mrs Lee explained that the aims of the redevelopment were to increase the number of visitors, offer more information about Morris to a wider audience and develop greater public interest in him and the work of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The project would also enable people to see more of the Georgian house in its original form, she said.
The rooms will tell the story of Morris from his birth, through his development in business,arts and literature to his involvement in the Socialist movement. New features will include a larger shop, a tearoom and a temporary exhibitions gallery in the new extension and a temperature-controlled storage space for the collection below it. A lift to all floors and the basement will make the building fully accessible.
As well as exhibits from the collection, visitors can expect to find touch screens and multi-media displays, meeting and education areas and WiFi connectivity. If all goes to plan, the Gallery will reopen to the public immediately before the start of the Olympics in July next year.
Funds for the project are now just £849,000 short of target, said Mrs Lee. In addition to the Heritage Lottery grant (£1.532 million) and the council’s match-funding (£1.5m), the Friends’ fund-raiser Fiona Boundy has so far secured grants of £1.072m and has other bids in the pipeline. Individual donations are also included in the total so far raised. (If readers would like to donate, just visit the site on this page).
During the formal business of the AGM, the existing 10-strong committee was re-elected. Members are Bill Meaure (chair), David Brangwyn (vice-chair), Helen Dunstan-Smith (secretary), John Philpott (treasurer), Jennifer Davies (membership secretary), Pat Stannard (minutes secretary), Martin Adams, Fay Crowder, Roger Huddle and Katherine Green.
July 5, 2011 | Category: News | no responses
