My placement

 This year, in my 2nd year of my Fine Art Degree, I was tasked with finding a placement. 

When you're still figuring out where your Art 'fits' in the world, this is a bit of a task.  To be clear, I'm at a stage where I'm still exploring which themes my work explores; What mediums I use, and honestly...       not many people in the 2nd year of their Art degree have a solid idea of what they want to do after graduation.  There are so many options, from teaching to commercial art sales, community art projects to film-making, or a combination.

One thing I did know, is that I'm proud to be from Stoke on Trent.  I didn't want to travel to another city to find my path.  I wanted to tap into what we have right here on our doorstep.  So, I set off to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery  (PMAG) to get up to speed.

Now I've been to the PMAG before.  Tons of times.  I grew up in Longton and have nostalgic memories of catching the bus to go "up 'anley" to visit amongst other things; the Dolls House, the Natural History taxidermied collection and the Spitfire RW388.  I've been to the Art gallery and seen original Picassos and Lowrys but this was to be my first time going to look at the collection from the perspective of an Art Student and wow! .... I'm so glad I did. 

A lot has changed at the PMAG since I was 10.  Online information has opened up the collection.  Yes, yes I know, the internet has been around for ages... but until now, I hadn't really thought about how the PMAG had tapped into it. Whenever I visited, I did just that.. I visited.. saw some lovely artworks and artefacts, I had a peek at the museum shop ..and then I left.  This is a mistake.. There is SO much information online.. and once you tap into that - it changes the entire collection so you see it with fresh eyes.  There are stories behind everything and it's all there for you to find. 

Want to know about the art collection..?   It's all here on the Art UK website. 

Want some personal insight from one of the amazing curators? There are some great blogs that you can tap into. 

Stuck for something to do at the weekend? Add them on Facebook.. there's loads going on.  Take the Fam.

This, and the fact that I was met by the Rodin sculpture "Eternal Spring" at the entrance to the gallery meant I was sold. 

I wanted to spend some time at the PMAG and if they were receptive to taking me in for a couple of weeks, I hoped to spend some time sketching the collection and doing some research.  I arranged a meeting with them and shared a proposal around what I hoped to work on with them.  

I need to point out ..this is all a bit daunting. I didn't know what kind of reception I'd get.  I was so chuffed to be met with absolute positivity!  I met Samantha Howard, curator of the Fine Art Collection and was offered a pop-up studio space to work in. I was introduced to the director of the museum, Jean Milton.  Andy Mackay shared information on social media.  The entire team were great and really behind my placement.

Over a series of weeks, I worked in the design gallery to produce studies of Dolly Henry using lino print and mixed media.  Dolly Henry was an Artist Model who was painted by a Staffordshire Artist named John Currie.  The PMAG have 2 of his portraits of Dolly on display.  "Head of a Girl" and "The Witch". These paintings took my attention because the historical story behind them depicted a tragedy where the emerging artist took both their lives, after being driven to despair by Dolly.  My research led me to numerous articles which shed an alternative truth of the events.  

                                                 

At the end of my placement, I changed my pop-up studio space into a pop-up exhibition gallery and shared the findings of my research.  

After the exhibition, I considered Dolly Henry's story in a wider historical and contemporary context, and this informed a zine publication.  

The entire placement was just amazing and really helped shape my practice.  The work I produced at the PMAG met with my emerging studio work around family and belonging. I really enjoyed having conversations with the PMAG team and visitors.  I've found that research and discourse are crucial to my practice.  The whole experience has helped me to find a direction for the last year of my degree. 

I've exhibited the Dolly Henry studies for a 2nd time at my end of year exhibition alongside works based around my own family.  The exhibition is titled: Belonging. 

So what now?  

There's so much more happening at the PMAG and I'm hoping our paths meet again as I move towards establishing myself as a professional artist.  Before leaving, I was offered store tours across all of the collections and it's just fantastic.  What really makes it though, is the curators.  The team have so much knowledge.  Each acquisition has a story and the curators know exactly how to select and curate items to best share those stories.   

When I started this placement, I had no aspirations to be a curator but now... you never know.  These people are amazing!