A NATIONAL COLLECTION OF CONTEMPORARY MEMORIAL ART
Remembering the past - shaping the future
Over the last two years we have been commissioning fifty-five new lettered works on a memorial theme. These works bring together the traditional components of British memorial making, above all fine lettering, with the fresh interpretative vision of fifty-five different makers. The proposals range widely, from the traditional to the very contemporary. They include works in stone, slate, wood and other materials in the form of standing stones, headstones, lettered steps, sculptures, a bird bath and a fountain. The ability of such works to comfort, move and inspire the public, and the necessity for founding a permanent collection of Memorial Art, was borne out by the overwhelming response to our first exhibition, The Art of Remembering (Blickling Hall, Norfolk, 1998). Fifteen works from this first exhibition will be included in the permanent Art & Memory Collection. The Art & Memory exhibition was launched on 2 April 2009 - in the gardens and arboretum of West Dean College. The exhibition has now concluded and the collection will be distributed between six major public sites around the British Isles: Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol; Blair Castle in Scotland; Canterbury Cathedral Memorial Garden; Winterbourne Botanic Garden in Birmingham; the Monnow Valley Arts Centre in Monmouthshire and Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire. The Collection will enable a wide audience to discover this rewarding but under-appreciated art form – to learn about good design and fine lettering, poetry and prose and the possibilities for commissioning individual memorials.Education and outreachDuring the eight months of the Art & Memory launch exhibition, the charity organised lettering workshops for adults and school children and a symposium for professional lettering artists. We will also be running workshops for visually impaired and blind young people. A children's worksheet is available, free of charge, on entry to the gardens. More details can be found on the Latest News page.When the Art & Memory Collection moves to the six permanent sites, a website will be maintained to provide detailed information about the Collection and a virtual tour of all six sites for those unable to visit in person. It will be kept up to date with educational and interpretative material for different audiences, and links to other sources of useful information.The Art & Memory Collection catalogue and information
A fully illustrated catalogue is available from the charity, with a Forward by Libby Purves.
A short DVD about the work of the Memorial Arts Charity is also available at a nominal charge.
Details re purchasing a catalogue or DVD can be found on the Latest News page.
We are happy to send you any information regarding the Art & Memory exhibition, and also its ongoing Appeal.
Information regarding our Apprenticeship scheme and letter carving courses can be found on the Training page.
