NEWS RELEASES
Buying the Future
6 March 2009
In the current world of uncertainty where everything is “doom and gloom,” Horsham Museum is holding a brilliant temporary exhibition that puts faith in the future. Using the creative spirits of Horsham and Sussex arts and craftsmen the new exhibition ‘Buying the Future’ reveals a dynamic artistic culture which raises the spirits and a sense of hope to those who may feel despondent.
To many, contemporary art is summed up by the brilliant marketing and salesmanship of artists such as Damian Hirst and collectors like Saatchi. This exhibition featuring works by 52 talented painters, sculptors, photographers, print-makers, ceramicists and glass-workers, including Chris Kettle, Simon Dixon, Jimmy Lawlor, Rolf Hook, Chris Mitton, Hannah Stewart, Vic Bamforth and Piers Ottey, shows that Contemporary art and crafts can inhabit another simpler world - a world where you can buy and enjoy the fruits of artistic labour.
Horsham Museum is an ideal place to explore the world of ‘Buying the Future,’ as it actively collects and preserves the past for future generations. Visitors to the exhibition can also explore 2,000 years of glasswork and pottery on show in the Museum. The stunning works of art on display are reflected in the beauty of the Museum’s gardens. The medieval timber framed building provides a fascinating backdrop to the modern art in ‘Buying the Future’ – a perfect foil!
‘Buying the future’ is also a very modern type of exhibition as it links in with Worthing Museum and the world of Toovey’s auction house. For a number of years Toovey’s in Ashington have created a modern art experience, where contemporary artists sell their work through the auction, rather than the gallery. Drawing on contacts and their experience, Toovey’s have pulled together the best of what the region’s creative forces have to offer. As Nicholas Toovey has commented, “The ethos of these sales has always been to promote the arts in Sussex by creating a new stage for artists to showcase their work. We are delighted that both Horsham Museum and Worthing Museum and Art Gallery share this same outlook and have shown their support by hosting exhibitions of the entries prior to the auction. We hope that the auction will reciprocate this support by acting as a stimulus for people to visit each of the museums. Both feature stunning collections of local and national importance and are free to enter.”
‘Buying the Future’ opens on Tuesday 10th March and runs until 9th May. Worthing Museum’s display runs from 14th March to 23 May, with Toovey’s auction taking place on Saturday 30th May.
For further information please contact:
Jeremy Knight, Horsham Museum
9 Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1HE
Tel: 01403 254959 Fax: 01403 282594
Email: museum@horsham.gov.uk
Web: www.horshammuseum.org