TWO museums in Somerset re-opened this week - with some exciting exhibitions taking place.
Both the Museum of Somerset in Taunton and the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury reopened on Wednesday (May 19).
The Museum of Somerset re-opens with work submitted to the Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Competition. It will be the only South West venue to host this annual display of photography from around the world.
At the Somerset Rural Life Museum, guests can enjoy the work of local artists and makers. At the moment, there is a solo exhibition from Glastonbury-based printmaker Joanna Briar.
"I have lived in Glastonbury for over 20 years," she said.
"This exhibition is a response to how I feel about the Somerset landscape. I live just at the bottom of the Tor and I take a lot of walks in the countryside. And so I enjoy sharing the beauty of the landscape.
"And I have done a lot of ink drawings which I started during lockdown, so those are part of the exhibition too.
“It has been lovely to have this art to work on during lockdown as it has been something to focus on. I work at museum and I was on furlough for a lot of the pandemic, so this really helped my mental health and helped to give me something else to think about.
“But now, it is really nice to be welcoming people back onto site and to share the exhibition with them and I have already had some really lovely feedback.”
There will also be many other exhibitions at the two museums this year, including cartoons and art from Horrible Histories illustrator Marton Brown at the Museum of Somerset, and a 'living exhibition' focused on the Bath and West Show at the Somerset Rural Life Museum.
Head of museums for the South West Heritage Trust, Sam Astill, said the team are looking forward to the opportunities ahead.
“We’re collaborating with some brilliantly creative people and some key partners to deliver a programme that can provide enjoyment, inspiration and learning for everyone," he said.
"It’s an important moment for rediscovering the joys and challenges of being the people we are.
"We want these new exhibitions to be part of that process.”
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