Guest blog by student coproducers Bethany, Faye and Rebecca. Three graphic design students were offered an open brief to design a participatory artist book that reflected the creative and aesthetic ethos of the Finding Lines project. We're delighted with the result. "After creating work for the finding lines exhibition as part of one of our university projects, we were all excited to see what else we could design, and how we could engage the audience to draw through a publication. The 25 bespoke publications have been hand crafted by myself Rebecca Leam, Bethany Wootton and Faye Brooks. The publication has been printed using the risograph onto a 200gsm Fabriano paper. We used a variety of processes to produce the publication, including laser cutting to remove sections in the publication and cut out the envelopes. We chose to have the publication hidden away within an envelope to give a precious and bespoke feel which we also enhanced with a letter pressed edition number 1 to 25. To add a more handcrafted and delicate feel, which is one of the key aspects to the brief, we hand stitched elements of the design with thread. This includes the two pockets each holding 3 small cards with a cropped section of artwork and a personal quote on the reversed side, for each of the contributing artists. Small bags containing fragments of drawing materials influenced by the artists processes have also been hand stitched onto the publication, to allow the audience to make their own marks."
Drawing Card 6: Draw your mood. Expectant, like waiting for a cup of tea.
Drawing Card 7: Draw what makes you happy. A bus arriving on time. By special guest Ari.
Our day on the Drawing Card project at Derby Hospital was good and we gave out lots. This week we have placed a box and some cards in one of the waiting rooms and we’ll see what we get me to week. We also handed over some cards in another waiting area and while watching what people did with the cards me and Ari picked one each to draw, the results are above. Ari filmed me drawing mine and will make a short animation of it so I’m looking forward to that. We had some positive feedback from a few nurses who took the cards back for some for their young patients. All in all it was good 2 hours of getting the cards out there in the hospital and getting some more thoughts how to make it work better next time.
Good morning & Happy Thursday everyone Middlebrook Transport Ltd on @gmb Good Morning Britain🌅for @derbyramtrail for @derbymuseums My husband Baz & all the team were up all night installing the Rams around Derby. Press release Private Preview Evening was at Middlebrook transport 🐏🐏 🌃 🐏🐏 #derbyramtrail #theramsarecoming #derbymuseum #derby #therams #artsculptures #ramtrail #artbymandyuk (at Derby UK) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPXfV4HHW3K/?utm_medium=tumblr
Of course I couldn’t resist going back to the Derby Museum yesterday to spend some time looking at the paintings of Joseph Wright of Derby, particularly my favourite, which I could sit looking at all day, The Orrery (for short) or tomorrow give it it’s full name A Philosopher giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in which a Lamp is put in the Place of the Sun #derbymuseum #derbymuseumandartgallery #josephwrightofderby #the orrery #aphilosophergivingalectureattheorrery #oilpainting https://www.instagram.com/p/CFmTvdjF5Hu/?igshid=47zrht5vt0kz
It Takes a Village to Make a Museum - Oliver Taylor
I was first introduced to the workshop that forms part of the forthcoming Museum of Making during my introduction to the project, having been shown around it as part of a health & safety induction. Located at the western corner of the Silk Mill site by the corner of Full Street, it is playing an important role in both the creation of the new museum, and in its future. Through comprehensive fabrication and woodworking facilities, the workshop is helping to manufacture the furnishings that will both display and store collections and artefacts, and in the future it will help nearby makers and artists share their’ skills and contribute to exciting and worthwhile local projects. It is helping the Museum become an active ‘doing’ space, rather than just a repository of objects.
A workshop window
Coming back to see the workshop again, I really wanted to see how it operates on a typical day, and catch-up with what activities are currently being undertaken. Initially, the workshop had to furnish itself, using equipment and tools newly acquired and moved into the space to produce the shelving, cupboards, benches, and tables needed so that multiple people could work efficiently in the same space at the same time.
Shelves and demonstration pieces around the workshop that helped to shakedown its new facilities
Now fully up and running, led by experts Steve and Andy, the workshop is now really getting stuck in to the task at hand: making parts for the ‘fit-out’ of all the different spaces within the Museum of Making. The most obvious and abundant of those elements are large jigsaw-piece like wooden sheets, cut from a sustainable wood product on a computer-controlled router, then sanded, bevelled and white-washed ready to become large robust shelving for the public facing collections storage rooms. These are almost all made now and are waiting in the wings to be assembled when overall building work has advanced far enough.
Pre-fabricated wooden shelves, and a diagram on the wall of the workshop showing their end use
Also currently on the agenda, with members of museum staff even coming in during my visit to discuss final details, are a series of large sets of drawers, made from the same material as the shelves, that can hold and display smaller and more delicate items in the museum collection. Around 4 feet across and with a transparent acrylic sheet inset into the lip of each drawer, these will be used by both museum curatorial staff and the visiting public. I saw some of these being worked on by one of Derby Museums many volunteers, Emson Maneya, who was sanding near-complete draws ready for finishing and fitment of their acrylic tops. Emson, a Derby local of ten years, initially started volunteering at Pickford’s House museum a few years ago. More recently he moved over to the workshop at Museum of Making – despite no former fabrication experience – as a way to continue his involvement and gain skills that improve his job prospects.
Part-built display drawers, and one being sanded down by Emson Maneya, a museum volunteer
Later, two more volunteers arrived to do some other work on this area of the project, Barbara Grundey, a retired NHS public health worker, and Jackie Taylor, a former Psychotherapist. They were both prepped on what they were going to be doing that day, and eagerly went off to undertake those tasks. These were, sanding down wooden batons that will become the drawer handles and the lip the acrylic sheets will be fixed to, and giving said batons a bevelled edge so they are easier to handle. Upon speaking to each, I discovered that Barbara has always loved crafts and making things, and enjoys being able to combine that with contributing to the new museum. Whereas Jackie, who started off volunteering in admin four years ago, moved into this more hands-on area as a way of challenging herself and enjoys being part of a wider team.
Museum staff member Steve demonstrating a process for volunteers Barbara and Jackie
What I noticed most during my time in the workshop was the positivity. In the interactions between staff, volunteers, and contractors that the museum works with, and in the pride each shows in the job they are doing. This inclusive and productive atmosphere is just one reason why I would heartily recommend anyone interested in volunteering at Derby Museums to go to https://www.derbymuseums.org/support/getinvolved to see how you might be able to help with the creation of Derby’s Museum of Making.
Volunteers Barbara and Jackie helping to create parts for drawer displays
Tickets are still available for the Kentucky Derby Museum Gala Post Party in #Louisville April 26th! ✨🏇👉🏼Call (502) 637-1111for more information about this highly-anticipated #event! @derbymuseum⠀⠀ .⠀⠀ .⠀⠀ .⠀⠀ #citiviewtravel #derbymuseum #derbyeveryday #kentuckyderby #derbycity #kentuckiana #louisvillekentucky #sharelouisville #mylouisville #hellolouisville #kentuckyderbyparty #louisvillelocal #louisvillelove #yestravelky #do502 #horseracing #theville #502 #louisvilleky #explorelouisville #theville #louisvilleblogger #yeslouisville #gotolouisville (at Kentucky Derby Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv5DwFwhJzn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=uxjeeqqjwvwr
