St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery

Here's our calendar of events.
You can also download our brochure HERE

• St Barbe Museum and Art gallery hosts regular events for older local residents to share their experiences of days gone by. These discussions are held every couple of months around a theme, this month on Wednesday 17 October the topic is ‘Wellworthy’.

  In 1912 John Howlett started Wellworthy in Lymington, they manufactured shells during the war and were a key producer of piston rings. Howlett developed a method of producing pistons that were more reliable than his rivals which put them in great demand. At its peak, nearly every family in and around Lymington had some connection with the firm. They provided housing for many employees, established a social club, arranging dances, a sports club and had a prize-winning brass band.

  Jim Insole worked on the Ampress factory in 1967: “My job was very social. In the course of my rounds I could chat briefly to the operatives and I made many friends. Some were originally from Pakistan, who commuted daily from Southampton; we had some very interesting discussions on all manner of subjects.”

  We would love more stories of those who worked at Wellworthy or who’s family worked there would join us at St Barbe on Wednesday 17 October, in the McCarthy Room between 2-4pm to share their memories and pass on their knowledge. Tea and biscuits provided!

• Using the art materials scattered around the gallery, be inspired by our current exhibition and unleash your inner artist – including chalking on the terrace!

  Included with admission. No booking necessary

• OCTOBER SPEAKER: Julian Sheppard, Wildlife Ranger – Hampshire Countryside Services
  A fun hands-on activity morning with New Forest Ranger Julian
  Sheppard. Learn about how rare birds are looked after in the National Park and along the Solent coast, then make your own bug hotel and bird finger puppet to take home.

  MY Museum Children’s Club (MC2) is a project designed by St Barbe Museum specifically to inspire children to be involved in the cultural shaping of our community. Using the museum as a platform, child-friendly – suitable for 6-11 years old – talks are hosted in the museum on the third Sunday of every month from 11.00am-12.00pm.

  Further information on MC2 here

• From October hArt will be running a ‘Creative Cafe’ group at St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery!

  Beginning on Tuesday 23rd October, the sessions will run every 4th Tuesday of the month, in the McCarthy Room. All materials are provided for a small donation and refreshments are available to purchase from the gallery cafe.

  For more information, please contact fran@hart.works or call 01590 435045

• Natural Selection Learning will be helping us discover more about the natural world with hands-on activities in this Halloween inspired workshop.

  Get the chance to examine real animal bones, construct a full-size skeleton, discover creepy crawlies that glow in the dark, and gather body bits for a witch’s spell. Note: No live animals used

  £3 per child (does not include admission to the museum)
  One adult free of charge per child.

• Drop-in 11am to 12:30 and 13:30-15:00 (no booking necessary)
  A mash-up of Halloween and Bonfire Night crafts, such as spooky window pumpkins and sparkling cardboard fireworks, to keep the kids amused and your house decorated for the coming festivals.

• Make your own Halloween lantern, then stay late at the museum to hear spooky lantern-lit, ghost stories by master story teller, Michael O’Leary.

  Suitable for 5+ (please note the scary stories may not be suitable for our youngest visitors).

  £5 per child. One adult free.

• Rev E. L. Berthon and the folding boats that he designed
  By Phoebe Merrick, Chairman Romsey Local History Society

  When, on the 18 June 1850, the SS Orion was wrecked off Portpatrick, Revd Clark, a survivor, wrote to Revd Berthon: “Can not you think of a way in which boats, enough for all on board, be stowed on a passenger steamer without inconvenience?” This led to Berthon’s development of the Berthon Collapsible Lifeboat.

  Friends of St Barbe talks are held at Lymington Baptist Church, opposite St Barbe Museum, in New Street, Lymington.
  Doors open at 7pm and talks start at 7.30pm.
  The talks are free for Friends and £5 for non-members

• Become a Mini Curator of St Barbe Museum for the day. Learn how to care for your toy collection, go on a bug hunt to discover what beasts are a danger to the museum, and create your own mini exhibition using real museum objects. Included with admission. No booking necessary.

• Get a ‘behind the scenes’ look at our archive, learn how to care for your family treasures and pick up some research tips.
  Free of charge (entrance to King Research Room only)

• Join Sarah Wilkins of Corbins Florist, Brockenhurst to create your own beautiful wreath for Christmas. All flowers and materials provided.

  The workshop starts at 3pm and costs £45.
  Book your place now by calling us on 01590 676969, emailing rosalyn.goulding@stbarbe-museum.org.uk or dropping into the museum

• The first of a series of invited artist exhibitions in which we bring together leading contemporary artists working in a range of media to explore their responses to a common theme. Coast: its atmosphere, landscapes, wildlife, activities and communities are all examined in this first exhibition which includes work by Richard Bawden, Alison Bolton, Jeremy Gardiner, Angie Lewin, Ffiona Lewis, Howard Phipps, Pine Feroda, and Michael Porter. The exhibition will explore how aspects of the British coastline have inspired each artist’s practice and its incredibly varied character will be reflected in an eclectic celebration of the shoreline. This will be a selling exhibition.

  Gallery 3 will host a local history exhibition exploring how the coastline has changed over time.

• An oil painting workshop with Kim Whitby.
  Create a still life oil painting for that special someone this Christmas – no experience required. Bring along items which are significant or evoke memories of the recipient (or maybe things that will remind the recipient of you), and you’ll end up with the perfect gift for the person who has everything! Click here for information
  Price: £35. Limited places available
  (with 1 hour break for lunch – not included)

• Please join us at St Barbe for Mulled Wine and Mince Pies to celebrate this festive season.

  This is John Ward’s last event as Chair of the Friends after 10 years of dedicated service to the Museum. John and his wife Sheila (who until recently organised our Volunteers) have been a real mainstay of St. Barbe and we encourage you to come along and share your thanks with them and all our best wishes as they move on to pastures new.

  We will also have a review of 2018 showing how much money we raised and how the funds have been used. Alongside this will be a look at 2019 and how we are planning for the future.

• This months MC2 speaker is Gregg Young, member of the Southampton Beekeeper Association

  A lot of work goes into one jar of Honey… “ A Busy bee might visit as many as 2000 flowers in a working day”

  A little Honeybee will fly 500 miles in a lifetime – that’s like going from Lymington to Edinburgh. Come along to see and hear how the Honeybee lives.

  Find out all about how to join in here

• Explore the museum, spot all the hidden Christmas crackers and collect a prize from our front desk.
  (please see our Christmas opening times for specific days)

• 10am-4pm | DROP-IN FREE
  Take part in our photography competition and let everybody see
  what a great wildlife picture you have taken! Every child (6-15) can take part in the competition with 1 picture each.

• Wonderful winter themed crafts for all the family.
  Included with admission or £3 per child without admission.
  Children must be accompanied. No booking necessary.

• The British Wildlife Photography Awards celebrate the beauty and diversity of British wildlife as captured by amateur and professional photographers. This exhibition presents the winning pictures chosen from thousands of entries and is a showcase for the country’s leading photographers.

  This stunning collection comprises around 90 photographs chosen across fifteen categories including coast and marine life, animal behaviour, plants, habitats, the seasons and urban wildlife. There are also categories for film and junior photographers. Each image is accompanied by the photographer’s personal insights into the circumstances and inspiration behind the shot.

  These incredible photographs give us a chance to marvel at the wonders of British wildlife from the spectacular to the everyday, all presented in thought-provoking and eye-catching compositions.

  Image: Bug Eyed by Keith Trueman 2018 winner – 2019 winners yet to be revealed!

• Join Pete and Aimee Durnell for an enjoyable day learning how to design and print linocuts. Equipment and materials will be provided but you might want to bring along some favourite objects or pictures for inspiration.

  10am-4pm | Limited places available | PREBOOKED £60 per workshop (with 1 hour break for lunch – not included)

  To book a place or find out more, please call 01590 610021 or email pdurnell@hotmail.com or aimeegrug@hotmail.co.uk.

• Meet Nature Reserve Manager Pete at Normandy Farm for a
  birdwatching tour of the Marsh. Please wear dark clothing and
  sturdy footwear, bring waterproofs and don’t forget your binoculars!
  Suitable for all ages.
  10am-1pm | Limited places available | £5 per person

  Book your place with Rosalyn Goulding 01590 676969

• Photographs taken as part of our wildlife photography competition will be displayed in the McCarthy Roon for everybody to admire. FREE ACCESS.
  (During weekdays the room is used for meetings: please pre-book your visit on 01590 676969 or just drop in at weekends.)

• Join Pete and Aimee Durnell for an enjoyable day learning how to design and print linocuts. Equipment and materials will be provided but you might want to bring along some favourite objects or pictures for inspiration.

  10am-4pm | Limited places available | PREBOOKED £60 per workshop (with 1 hour break for lunch – not included)

  To book a place or find out more, please call 01590 610021 or email pdurnell@hotmail.com or aimeegrug@hotmail.co.uk.

• Meet Nature Reserve Manager Pete Durnell at Normandy Farm for a
  birdwatching tour of the Marsh. Please wear dark clothing and
  sturdy footwear, bring waterproofs and don’t forget your binoculars!
  Suitable for all ages.
  10am-1pm | Limited places available | £5 per person

  Book your place with Rosalyn Goulding 01590 676969

• Come and play our ‘Wildlife Find and Match’ game – build nature
  puzzles inspired by our wildlife exhibition and use your phone to take a selfie with our special guests, popping straight out from the exhibition… careful, some may bite!

  10am-4pm |WITH ADMISSION

• CHILDREN’S PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS
  New Forest Wildlife Children’s Photography Competition –
  Award Ceremony at the MC2 Club at St Barbe Museum. Three
  participants in the competition will be presenting their work and receiving prizes. Others who entered will receive a certificate. MC2 takes place on the third Sunday each
  month.
  11am-12pm | PREBOOKED £2.50

• This workshop will extend the drawing repertoire for participants and cover a set of useful techniques to take away and apply when drawing in the future. Suitable for anyone wishing to develop their drawing skills.

  10.15am-4.30pm | Limited places available | PREBOOKED £40
  (with 1 hour break for lunch – not included)

  Book your place with Rosalyn Goulding 01590 676969

• A day-long extended session in which participants produce an
  observational drawing over several hours with individual guidance from an experienced qualified artist/teacher.

  10.15am-4.30pm | Limited places available | PREBOOKED £40
  (with 1 hour break for lunch – not included)

  To book your place please call Rosalyn Goulding 01590 676969

• An introduction to wood engraving, back due to popular demand!
  On day one you will look at tools and the marks they can make
  and how to use them to create tones. On the next day you will
  engrave your own image onto wood. Suitable for those with some
  drawing experience. No need to have knowledge of printmaking.
  All materials provided.

  10am-4.30pm | Limited places available | PREBOOKED £100

  Please call Rosalyn Goulding to book your place on 01590 676969

• Join Pete and Aimee Durnell for an enjoyable day learning how to design and print linocuts. Equipment and materials will be provided but you might want to bring along some favourite objects or pictures for inspiration.

  10am-4pm | Limited places available | PREBOOKED £60 per workshop (with 1 hour break for lunch – not included)

  To book a place or find out more, please call 01590 610021 or email pdurnell@hotmail.com or aimeegrug@hotmail.co.uk.

• Join Kim for an exploration of some of the common approaches
  used by artists to compose two dimensional artwork, and an
  opportunity to explore some of these using paper collage later
  in the day.

  Suitable for all visual artists wishing to develop their compositional skills.

  10.15am-4.30pm| Limited places available | PREBOOKED £40
  (with 1 hour break for lunch – not included)

  Please call Rosalyn Goulding to book your place 01590 676969

• In 2018 the St Barbe 19th Open made a very successful transition to the new gallery spaces and a new online entry method with the largest ever submission and just under a hundred works exhibited. The resulting exhibition was the best yet and we hope that this year’s exhibition will prove even more popular. Since it was established in 2000 the Open has become one the highlights of the local arts calendar, drawing artists from Hampshire, Dorset and beyond.

  The exhibition is open to paintings, prints, drawings and three-dimensional works and is selected by a panel of professional artists and curators. A host of prizes and a chance to exhibit in the new galleries are drawing more and more entries. The stiff competition for selection means that the standard gets higher every year, providing a treat for our visitors and a chance to buy high quality affordable art. This is a selling exhibition.

  This year’s prizes include:

  Specsavers, Lymington People’s Choice Award (£250)

  The Blake Morgan Award for best painting (£250)

  The Mary and John Symons Memorial Award for best print (£250)

  The Coastal Gallery Award for best contemporary abstract work (£100)

  The Ted Marsh Award for best work by an artist aged 18-21 (£100)

  The Beaulieu Fine Arts Award for best work by a non-professional artist (£50 of framing)

  Image: Deep Winter by Maureen Davies entry from 2018

  WATCH THIS SPACE FOR ONLINE ENTRY AND T&Cs!

• 2018 saw the inaugural Young Artist’s Open exhibition to encourage budding artists to take part in the Open exhibition. It got off to a flying start with 89 entries, all of which were shown in a vibrant display alongside the main Open exhibition.

  So we are delighted to announce the second Young Artist’s Open for 2019. Artists aged up to 17 can submit a two-dimensional artwork on a standard- sized board provided by the museum using whatever materials they wish.

  This year’s prizes include:

  Ted Marsh Memorial Award for Under 7s (artist’s materials worth £25)
  Ted Marsh Memorial Award for 7 – 11s (artist’s materials worth £50)
  Ted Marsh Memorial Award for 12-17 (£75 cash prize)

  WATCH THIS SPACE FOR ONLINE ENTRY & T&Cs

• Art and craft activities to welcome Spring in the museum and to
  help prepare our window display.
  2.30pm–4pm | PREBOOKED £3

  Please call Paola Palma to book your place 01590 676969