Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland concludes its year-long celebration of the Pitmen Painters with the launch of Coalface Drawers, a new exhibition focusing on the early years of the Ashington Group and the lasting impact of the miners’ artwork.
Coalface Drawers exhibition
Opening on Saturday, 5 October 2024, Coalface Drawers showcases never-before-seen artworks, artefacts, and ephemera. The exhibition offers a unique insight into the formation of the Ashington Group, the artist collective established in 1934 in Ashington, Northumberland.
Curated by award-winning painter and artist Dr. Narbi Price, Coalface Drawers brings together Museums Northumberland’s extensive collection with new items loaned and gifted from private collections, as well as personal stories shared by the group’s family members and friends.
Dr. Narbi Price explained:
“Anniversaries are always fantastic opportunities to reflect on what’s come before, and Coalface Drawers is all about celebrating the formation and the beginnings of the Ashington Group. As well as works from private and family collections that have never been seen by the public before, we also have some very poignant objects that give us an insight into what happened in the Ashington Group hut during those early meetings.”
The Pitmen Painters’ legacy
Some of the items on display include East Wind, an early painting by Harry Wilson that has been privately held since the 1940s, and the iconic The Bedlington Terrier by William Scott, both of which were prominently featured in Lee Hall’s hit play The Pitmen Painters.
In addition to the artworks, the exhibition will feature objects and equipment used by the miners to create their paintings, such as Oliver Kilbourn’s easel, William John Dobson’s paintbox, and George Brown’s paint brushes and case. Visitors will also be able to view Robert Lyon’s projector and slides, thanks to the contributions from Lyon’s family.
Charlotte Lyon, granddaughter of Robert Lyon, shared:
“We remember well as Robert’s grandchildren the intriguing brass miners’ lamp that sat in the hall, the projector that sat in his studio and their gifts of paintings that hung on the wall. Robert, or Bob as we knew him, was immensely proud and privileged to pass on his knowledge to the miners; not only a better understanding of art history but more importantly the process, the pleasure and the therapy that it bought him.”
Dr. Price added:
“The unique opportunity to view the actual projector and slides used by Lyon in those early settings, so evocatively dramatised in the play, is tremendously powerful. Alongside the newly rediscovered and digitised radio interview from 1939, it’s a moving experience that I’m very excited to share with visitors.”
Museums Northumberland
Rowan Brown, chief executive of Museums Northumberland, reflected on the year-long programme, saying:
“It really has been a privilege to mark 90 years of the Pitmen Painters at Woodhorn Museum in Ashington; the mining town where the story of the Ashington Group first began. As custodians of the Ashington Group Collection, this year-long programme has given us the chance to better understand, care for, and share one of the most important and unique stories in British art. Coalface Drawers is a fitting end to Ashington Group 90 as it takes us right back to where the story began.”
Exhibition details
Coalface Drawers will run from Saturday, 05 October 2024 to Saturday, 05 January 2025. Entry is free for children and young people under 18, with an admission fee of £9.50 for adults and £8.50 for concessions. All passes are valid for unlimited visits for 12 months from the date of issue.
For more information, visit museumsnorthumberland.org.uk.
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