Historic artwork and artefacts kept hidden away for decades will finally be dusted off and brought back into the spotlight in Wolverhampton thanks to a near £250,000 grant.
The city’s public collection of Victorian art and artefacts, depicting influences which helped to shape the face of Wolverhampton, will once again be proudly displayed after being kept in storage for years.
Among the hidden treasures are Asian decorative arts and 19th century paintings, which will go on display at Wolverhampton Art Gallery’s new Victorian Room once the new room is completed.
Bosses hope to have the work on the room finished by March 2009.
Bantock House already has some of the artefacts on show in a bid to show visitors exactly how the historic house would have looked when its original owners lived there.
The precious objects will be taking centre stage once again thanks to a £249,000 Heritage Lottery grant to Wolverhampton Arts and Museum’s Cultural Connections project.
Councillor John Reynolds, Wolverhampton City Council’s cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund will enable the redevelopment of the Victorian Galleries to take place. We are proud of our city’s collection of fine and decorative arts, and this will give us the opportunity to share it with more visitors from Wolverhampton and beyond.
“The Victorian Collection is especially important as it represents the diverse community of Wolverhampton by showing how the East and West have influenced Victorian arts and manufacturing. By exploring these links we hope the exhibitions will appeal to a wide section of the community and show a shared sense of heritage in our city.”
A community panel is now set to be formed which will help choose the exhibits to go on display and research the history behind them.
By Victoria Nash
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