THE inspiration gained by Clarendon Sixth Form College students on a tour of Portland Basin Museum has led to “Inspired By”, a new exhibition which opens on Saturday March 1.
It comprises a diverse range of work in a variety of media. There are pieces inspired by the 1920s street and its component areas such as the parlour, school room and pub, as well individual objects like the dress worn by 1930s Cotton Queen Frances Lockett from Hyde, and chain mail from the medieval display.
During their tour, the students were shown a range of objects from the Ashton museum’s social and industrial history collections and then worked on their final pieces.Their artwork will be displayed alongside the objects and displays they were inspired by.
Tameside Council’s executive member for lifelong learning and culture, Cllr Leanne Feeley, said: “I can fully understand how the Clarendon students were inspired by our award-winning museum at Portland Basin. It features a wealth of artefacts covering Tameside’s history from pre-Roman times to the present day.
“But in addition to that, they have converted that inspiration into a wide and diverse range of stunning artwork which I’m sure will inspire visitors over the coming weeks. ‘Inspired By’ is well worth a visit and I am sure it will prove to be a very popular exhibition.”
Portland Basin Museum, Portland Place, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL7 0QA, is open Tuesday to Sunday (10am to 4pm) and admission is free. It is part of the Quality Assured Visitor Attraction Scheme.
