Exhibitions

Museum's 2018 Exhibition Programme

March - April        

Devon Birds, together with the South Molton Museum, is putting on an Exhibition of photographs of birds from the 19th March to the 26th April 2018.   All of the photographs have been taken in Devon, and reflect a wide cross-section of species from the “common” birds that most of us see in our gardens, to much rarer visitors that can be seen from time to time only at particular seasons of the year.    

Devon Birds is a county bird society with a long and distinguished history dating back to 1928.  In addition to providing records of the birds found in Devon, it has a further focus on the study and conservation of wild birds and the changes in the numbers of particular species. To support this activity, Devon Birds works with the RSPB, (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), and other Wildlife Charities in Devon and Nationally across a range of initiatives.  These include the protection of rare breeding birds, surveys of particular birds such as the Cuckoo, Wood Warbler, etc., and a variety of habitat surveys on estates across the county.  Devon Birds has also acquired or taken on management responsibilities in the running of a number of Nature Reserves across Devon.

Over the past decade, membership of Devon Birds has steadily grown, reflecting the pleasure people get from seeing birds in their gardens, out on family walks, and in their day to day lives. It is really heartening as well to see how the membership demonstrates a commitment to supporting the activities of the Society, and in contributing to their conservation activities both practically and financially.

By staging this exhibition it is hoped that visitors to the South Molton Museum will be stimulated to appreciate even more the wonder of the nature, and the good fortune that we have in Devon in living in the proximity to such a wide range of habitats that encourage these beautiful birds to come to this part of the world.

May - June    A Celebration of Devon Villages

An exhibition of images and items relating to the villages around South Molton in collaboration with Beaford Arts – photographs from our own archive and the Beaford Hidden Histories project including photographs from the James Ravilious collection. We would be delighted to hear from anyone with memories of village life around South Molton.

July - August   An exhibition of exquisite Chinese Paintings by Sheila Lovell.

Chinese painting is one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. Painting

in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as guóhuà meaning "national" or "native painting", as opposed to Western styles of art which became popular in China in the 20th century. Traditional painting involves essentially the same techniques as calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black ink or coloured pigments; oils are not used. As with calligraphy, the most popular materials on which paintings are made are paper and silk. The finished work can be mounted on scrolls, such as hanging scrolls or handscrolls. Traditional painting can also be done on album sheets, walls, lacquerware, folding screens, and other media.

September    South Molton Community Trail

South Molton Community Trail: a new resource for locals to make new discoveries about the town and an interactive map for visitors to the area, to help them understand what makes this area unique.

Over the course of 18 months, and as part of a major project involving almost 200 children across North Devon  the pupils have investigated the heritage of the Beaford Archive to create themes such as ‘landscape’, ‘river’, and ‘trade’ for walkers to explore through a map and information pack presenting a selection of 10,000 newly digitised, never before seen, photographs of South Molton.

This is an exhibition showcasing the development of this trail, the photos that inpired it, and artworks and writing created by the children from South Molton Community Primary School, together with a large scale 3D sculpture designed and created with the Fab Lab at Libraries Unlimited.

These trails have been created with the help of Devon Wildlife Trust and 6 artists in residence, and through funding from supporters including the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

October   North Devon Arts

November   WW1 - the aftermath

The exhibition will focus on local servicemen and women who returned home to the area after the War  ended – what happened to them, their work life, homes, and families.  

The exhibition will include photographs of local organisations and scenes from the 20’s and 30’s