MUSEUM DISPLAYS ICONIC TURNER PAINTING AND MORE FOR GLOBAL ‘SLOW ART’ DAY

The Athelstan Museum in Malmesbury will be joining the global ‘Slow Art’ initiative which will take place this year on Saturday April 2.

Founded in 2010, Slow Art Day is a global all-volunteer event with a simple mission – to help more people discover the joy of looking at and loving art. The museum is welcoming guests who would enjoy a guided ‘slow art’ session. 

Sharon Nolan, chairperson of the Athelstan Museum said: “You need the time and space to see one or two paintings and to really look and shut out all the noise of life. The more you look, the more you see and the more you discover about artwork and the artist.

“Our volunteers understand this and want to support others to simply take the time to enjoy the art around them.”

On one day each year people all over the world can visit local museums and galleries to look at art slowly and appreciate it properly. At the Athelstan Museum’s Slow Art Day, visitors will be encouraged to look at several works of art for ten minutes each and then meet together to talk about their experience.

Part of the slow art session will be around the Turner painting (at the top of the staircase in the museum) which is a watercolour over pencil painting of Malmesbury Abbey painted by Joseph Mallord William Turner in 1827. 

This is a great chance for visitors to have a close up look at the famous painting that was acquired by Athelstan Museum two years ago and talk with a Turner volunteer guide – recognisable by the red lanyard that they wear – about the work of art, the artist and his life.

It was thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Art Fund and local Wiltshire donors that the Athelstan Museum was able to purchase the iconic painting for future generations to enjoy. It now has pride of place at the top of the stairs on the newly renovated mezzanine floor along with several prints of similar views from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Turner guides will be available from 11am to 4pm to talk about the painting. To find out more about the museum visit https://www.athelstanmuseum.org.uk