The World Around Us

26th April – 31st May at the Tourist Information Centre, St Paul’s Square, Bedford

We have been working in partnership with Carers in Bedfordshire to create artworks inspired by the work of Edward Bawden. The work produced during their six-week course will be on display at Bedford Tourist Information Centre. If you are a Family Carer and would like to join please contact sally.petre@carersinbeds.org.uk



Visit http://www.carersinbeds.co.uk/ for more information

What – The Higgins…?

Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museum is being rebranded ‘The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford’ or, ‘The Higgins’ for short!

We have been involving various groups of people within our re-development project and are very keen to gather teachers’ opinions about our future education provision. With this in mind, we are organising a Teachers’ Advisory Group to help us reformulate our approach to learning, using the new art gallery and museum displays.

This group will meet once a term from summer term 2012, during which time participants will be introduced to the redevelopment project and the new themes across the art gallery and museum displays. Members of the group will be asked to contribute to developing new education sessions for schools and help us review and devise ways that we can extend our schools’ learning provision.

Art Gallery & Museum staff education workshop

Teachers Help The Higgins

You and teaching peers have told us about the value of seeing genuine artefacts when it comes to comprehending, appreciating and being able to consider history, cultures and art critically. We want you, as teachers of humanities and arts, to inform us about your curriculum needs, so we can help to enhance your school’s cultural provision.

We can’t promise the earth, but this is the opportunity to work together, to push for what works for you and us, locally. The Higgins will be a significant Borough resource in the ownership of local people and a venue on your doorstep, that pupils can revisit as often as they like. This is the chance for you to have your say in the provision of learning opportunities within this exciting new development.

If you are interested in joining the advisory group, please contact Susannah Oliver on 01234 276351 or susannah.oliver@bedford.co.uk

The Higgins Museum & Art Gallery, Bedford

We are very pleased to be able to unveil our new name and brand, The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum, Bedford.The new name and brand for the former Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museum brings a fresh new look and provides a glimpse of what is to come when we reopen in Spring 2013. They mark a new beginning for the art gallery and museum, illustrating the bringing together of the organisations and the buildings.


We love our new name and look but it does mean we're going to be making some changes.


Our main blog will be changing its address to http://www.thehigginsbedford.blogspot.co.uk/
Our News From The Stores blog will be moving to http://www.thehigginsbedfordcollections.blogspot.co.uk/
Our Out & About blog will be moving to http://www.thehigginsbedfordoutandabout.blogspot.co.uk/


We will be moving to these new addresses on the 20th April 2012.

Egg-tastic Easter Painting

Creative young people had a height advantage

Painting in the open air, or 'en plein air'  was enjoyed by the 19th Century Impressionists and the budding artists of Bedford had fun in the fresh air too this week as they applied their creative flair to the giant hoarding surrounding the Art Gallery and Museum buildings. The broad theme was Spring and Easter so we had eggs, chicks, rabbits and flowers galore.

Georgina created a lovely pink nest for her egg

The urge to make your mark where others will see it is hard to resist and local people of all ages (from tiny toddlers to very tall teens) responded to the opportunity to pick up a brush and have a go. The rain held off, the sun came out and our marvelous volunteers helped make it very successful event.  Eastcotts and Bedford Central Children's Centres both brought groups of parents and children along and over  two days around 239 people took part in the painting or rose to the challenge of a puzzle hunt around the Castle Gardens.


Keen to make the most of this outdoor canvas, we will be returning to the lawns again on Saturday 5th May for 'The Thing about Me' a Pop-Up Museum and on Sunday 3rd June to paint flags and bunting for the jubilee. Keep an eye on our main news blog for details.

Out and about at Harrold-Odell Country Park

Glad of a change in the weather, the Learning and Access team were out and about in Harrold-Odell Country Park for St Valentine’s Day.

Reviving the ancient tradition of tree dressing, visitors were invited to create a special message to a loved one to hang in the trees for others to find.

February half-term is clearly a time when lots of grandparents have their grandchildren to stay and we had lots of declarations of love for the older generation, including two messages to much loved granddads who are no longer with us. We also had a message of love from one girl to all the dogs who walk in the park.

Today we are making Roman mosaics and wall paintings at Wixams and tomorrow it is Saxon shields and beads at Project 229 in Kempston. You can keep up to date with our holiday activities at our 'What's On' page.

Apple Day = Fun Day!

On Sunday 16 October we took part in Apple Day at Bromham Mill. We brought an activity inspired by the wonderful varieties of Laxton’s Apples. Children invented new names for varieties of apples and then drew pictures of those delicious new varieties.

What a fantastic day it was! More than 100 children joined in. We had: Pink Higgins Spitfire by Hannah age 3, Champion Pink Delight, Royal Polka Dot Victory, Stunning Ruby, Brown Custard Epicure by Mathew and Strictly Crimson Duchess. Emma awarded herself first price for this last one.Apple seed growers take notice; for naming future varieties contact us; we have a long list of apple names to choose from!

We also took some artefacts from the Art Gallery & Museum handling collection. The sugar snips were a real conversation piece. Generally speaking people thought they must be for something much more gruesome and scary then they were.

We had a great day, and we hope everyone that joined in had a great day too!

Working in Partnership with Bedfordshire Carers Group

Mother Nature is the title of a mini Exhibition of work by the Bedfordshire Carers Group at the Town Hall, Bedford, from 23rd August – 20th September 2011. The exhibition will then move to Bedford Borough Hall from 20th September – 18th October 2011. The exhibition is the result of a six week creative course put together by Cecil Higgins Art Gallery & Bedford Museum in partnership with Bedfordshire Carers.





Photographs of the Bedfordshire Carers Group with their exhibition at the Town Hall, Bedford

The Art and Photography classes offer carers a unique opportunity to socialise with others who share similar experiences of looking after a family member, sometimes for twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The experience provides an invaluable break from the duties of caring and is of great importance.

Bedfordshire Carers is a not-for-profit registered charity and a member of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers.  The charity, founded in 2004, specialises in supporting all family carers and past carers aged 16 onwards.  People who care for a family member are often hidden away by the continuous work of caring for a family member. Time spent away from the cared for is rare and therefore very special. Angie Millar, one of the participants, said ‘Carrying out new projects is so interesting. I forget all my worries when I am here’.

 

The Art Gallery & Museum has been working with Bedfordshire Carers for several years. We have hosted classes in photography, drawing and painting.   In a series of artist-led workshops, the Carers have learned new skills, brushed up old ones, made new friends, shared experiences and exchanged ideas.  In 2009 at Bedford Museum we hosted the Carers first exhibition ‘Treasures’, this was inspired by the Treasures Exhibition that marked the opening of Bedford Gallery.

The success of that first exhibition encouraged us to run a further series of classes on card making, printing and box-making (the latter inspired by our Lace Collection).  Great fun was also had making Christmas tree decorations for the Tree Festival at St. Paul’s Church.  Meanwhile the photography class has documented the start of the Art Gallery & Museum’s redevelopment by taking portraits of members of staff.  

I was surprised and pleased to be presented with a collage of these photographs at the opening of the 'Mother Nature' exhibition.

Carmela Semeraro

Community Historian