Volunteers are needed for the next stage of the latest Heritage Lottery funded project at The Ropewalk
Anyone with a connection to Barton’s former ropemaking factory, Hall’s Barton Ropery, or with a love of social history has the opportunity of becoming involved in the next stage of a Heritage Lottery Project at the Ropewalk Museum.
The highlight will be the production of an exhibition about the company which will take centre stage in Gallery One in March and April next year.
For the past few months the Museum’s Heritage Officer, Jonathan Holt, has been sifting through the archives of the Ropewalk which had been either rescued by the buildings owners, Ian and Mark Proudfoot, donated by former employers during an earlier Heritage Lottery Project or rescued from other buildings in the town where they had been stored for safe-keeping.
“We’ve now got to the stage where we are happy to welcome volunteers to help in the task of cataloguing company records, including sales information and information on the material imported for the production of rope as well as correspondence with clients such as letters and telegrams” said Jonathan.
“It is also essential that the archive material is repacked into the correct archival packaging to ensure the heritage of Hall’s Barton Ropery is preserved for future generations,” he went on.
“Volunteers will be able to research working conditions and practices at the company which will form the backbone of the exhibition,” he continued. “They will also be a part of this very exciting opportunity to ensure that the history of The Ropewalk and its workforce is accessible to as many people as possible
The £50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund has not only enabled The Ropewalk to secure the services of Jonathan for a year but also transform an area of The Ropewalk into a bespoke research area which will afford local historians far better access than enjoyed presently.
“Until now we lacked the necessary facilities to allow visitors or researchers to access our archives but thanks to the HLF this is now possible,” said The Ropewalk’s Managing Director, Liz Bennet.
The Ropewalk, which dates back early 19th century, is one of the very few surviving and the only publically accessible historic building which documents Barton’s significant industrial heritage providing employment for generations of families.
“Even though it closed its doors for the final time in December 1989 The Ropewalk continues to be a powerful symbol of the industrial roots of the town,” Liz went on.
Anyone wanting to help with the project, or wanting more information, can contact Jonathan by emailing him on jonathan@the-ropewalk.co.uk or calling 01652 660380.
Spring Awakening
In the Box Gallery this month we have been inspired by the weather, and have put together a display celebrating spring. The focus is on the rebirth of nature, selecting pieces which represent the bloom of new flowers and joyous animals. The range of work within the exhibition is from a variety of makers working in different crafts all embodying our theme of spring.
Here is just a selection of the pieces we have on display in the Box Gallery.
Paul Collinson | Gary Saunt | Kat Saunt | Steve Upton
This exhibition shows work by a group of East Yorkshire and Hull based painters whose practice involves, either incidentally or wholly, the used of photography or computer software.
This can be in the organisation of the idea, the capture and use images as subject matter, or in the very creation of the artwork itself.
What all the painters do have in common is that need, the “agitation”, to produce something that has a presence.
Obviously my specialisation is in ceramics, but over the last 3-4 years I have diverged into 2D abstract and flitted back and forth between the two often combining techniques across both. A constant theme throughout has been the printed letter/text and the interplay between positive and negative space therein. The older letter bottles are relief printmaking in clay and from them blossomed the larger industrial 2D abstracts onto old metal shelves and disused wooden pallets. Another ever present has been my trusted blowtorch, which has enabled me to produce interesting surfaces and textures in the clay through forced drying and also letting me introduce dirt into the painted surface in the form of trapped carbon. It is important for me to be true to the material and allow it to be inherent in the final pieces.
Topics and style vary, from heavily textured, distorted pots, to letters bottles discussing elements of jazz, to political and social commentary and stuff about bikes? The large abstracts initially explored the rhythms between the letters but then began to migrate into the self-portrait in the form of big selfies and some of these themes then translated back into the pot form.
Throughout my career my work has cycled back to the same themes – surface and form – and these are essentially what this exhibition is about.
Customisable jewellery by Jackie Selcraig
Jackie Selcraig does not abide by the taught rules of creative design, for her it is very fluid and unstructured. Governed instead by play Jackie begins by siting down and experimenting with the composition of the bits and pieces she has collected over the years. Enjoying mixing colours, textures and materials, the aim is always to create something different, unique and unusual.
Modjool started with the Build Ring, since then, it has grown into a whole family of interactive jewellery, attracting fashion conscious customer eager to take advantage of the versatility of the range. Modjool is a system of statement jewellery, which features ranges which can be worn individually, mixed and matched or combined magnetically. The wearer can adapt the appearance by simply changing colour, shape, size, material or style all within the same jewellery collection.
Shape is bold, geometric, statement jewellery. The pendants can be magnetically attached to any of the colourful Click Range using a special bail.
Build is fun customisable jewellery. The silver ring and necklace base pieces can be transformed by adding a variety of colourful beads and stoppers. You can create a different look every day. Mix the colours up or choose a neutral palette for something more sophisticated.
There’s something about the contrast of textures of the different metals and etched parts that is so compelling. Metal is not always a hard shiny intractable thing – it can have a softer look, have variable colours created by the act of heating, can be a way of drawing in the air.
Jill Stewart was brought up in rural Northumberland, surrounded by nature and colour, always noticing the tiny details that surround us. After city adventures and unsuitable jobs, she started to make things, and developed unique ways of working in brass, copper, silver and titanium. The clocks developed after she was challenged to make larger items than jewellery, and to really develop a colour palette using the effects of heat on different metals. After cutting out the shapes, a large flame is used to solder parts of the design together, but also makes copper go beautiful unpredictable shades of dark red, and changes the look of other metals, especially the etched parts. The handmade look is important, that you can tell an actual person worked closely with their materials here, not absolutely sure how each process would turn out.
Harrison’s Garden
If John Harrison had a garden, how might it have looked?
In 2017, artist Luke Jerram took that thought and turned it into an amazing and imaginative exhibition that has been touring the UK. His idea was to create a ‘an imagined garden’ of clocks clustered into species, forming ‘flowerbeds’, ‘islands’, ‘pathways’ and borders’. Luke’s array of around 3000 timepieces has now visited the beautiful National Trust properties of Nostell Priory, Gunby Hall and Penrhyn Castle.
And in January 2019, Harrison’s Garden will reach its final destination at The Ropewalk. Bringing Harrison’s Garden home has been organised by the Better Barrow Community Project and Luke has kindly offered to donate the clocks to their fundraising cause to erect a statue of John Harrison. The clocks will be auctioned at the end of the exhibition – for further information visit betterbarrow.org
Harrison’s Garden was originally commissioned by Connect! and presented over 5 days at Devon’s Thelma Hulbert Gallery in 2015.
