'Illustration and Inspiration' at the Granary Gallery, Berwick

Over the past few months, we have been working with the curator of the Granary Gallery in Berwick, on their new exhibition 'Illustration and Inspiration'. 

Opening to the public on Saturday 11 October, and running until Sunday 18th January 2015, the display celebrates the extraordinary wealth of acclaimed children’s book illustrators from Northumberland and the Scottish Borders and the artists who have inspired them.

The exhibition includes works by Vanessa Cabban, Olivia Gill, Brita Granstrom & Mick Manning, Cara Lockhart Smith, Helen Stephens and Gerry Turley. Each of the illustrators have also selected work from the Seven Stories collection by illustrators who have inspired them or had an impact on their creative practice.

Artwork on loan includes work from the archives of some of our most prestigious illustrators, and it has been an interesting exercise looking at our collections through the eyes of practising illustrators, to see what and how certain artists have inspired them over their career.

Lindsey, the Seven Stories conservator, putting the final touches to one of the display mounts.

So as not to ruin the visit to the exhibition, I'll not say who chose what, but these are the artists whose artwork was chosen from our collections:

• Edward Ardizzone - artwork for 'The Little Train' by Grahame Greene
• George Him - artwork for 'The Giant Alexander' series by Frank Hermann
• Angela Barrett - artwork and sketchbook for 'The Snow Queen' by Hans Christian Anderson
• Tove Jansson - a letter with picture of 'Little My', written to her publisher Kaye Webb
• John Lawrence - artwork for 'Tiny's Big Adventure' by Martin Waddell
• Michael Rosen - preparatory notes for 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'
  
  
  

  

  Artwork by John Lawrence for 'Tiny's Big Adventure' by Martin Waddell. These two pieces on display offer the opportunity to try and match up the images - the mice in the left picture should fill the voids in the right!

  

  Stunning artwork for 'The Snow Queen' by Angela Barrett, on display are a finished original piece of artwork, a first edition copy of the book, and Angela's fantastic sketchbook.

To find out more about visiting the exhibition, click here and to find out more about the Berwick Literature Festival click here.

If you want to find out more about this collection, or about any other of our archives then 
email: collections@sevenstories.org.uk
phone: 01914952707 
visit: http://www.sevenstories.org.uk/collection 

Robert Westall: a Writer and His World Exhibition at Weaver Hall Museum, Cheshire

In 2013, Tom Hughes of Weaver Hall Museum in Cheshire got in touch with Seven Stories about a possible loan of work by Robert Westall. The exhibition explore's Westall's connections with the area local to the museum, and on show are a number of items from the Seven Stories collection never before displayed.

Robert Westall, as well as being a fantastically well loved children's author, was also incredibly active in his local community, working as a head teacher for a number of years, writing a column for the local paper, as well as being instrumental in the saving of historic parts of Northwich. Weaver Hall Museum is one of the buildings Westall helped save, and it is only apt that he is recognised in this special exhibition.

This is an article about saving Weaver Hall, written and illustrated by Robert Westall, c. 1967 and saved in an educational book on town planning he was working on. It was part of a campaign to save the Hall from being demolished.

Tom, curator of the exhibition, is incredibly knowledgeable about Robert Westall, and added some fascinating local details to parts of the collection. Although Westall is known for many of his books set in the North East, he lived much of his life in Cheshire.

Self portrait by Robert Westall. Although not known for illustrating children's books, the Seven Stories Collection shows the impressive graphic posters he made for school plays, personal sketches and illustrations for articles in the local newspaper.

The exhibition has been on display since 12th April, and is on display until Sunday 14th September at Weaver Hall Museum in Cheshire. Click here for more details about visiting the museum.

Watch this space for more details of Seven Stories loans, we are currently working with the Granary Gallery in Berwick on a display linked to the new Berwick Book Festival. Works have been chosen from the Seven Stories Collection to display alongside illustrators from the area, including Mick Manning & Brita Granstrom, Helen Stephens, Gerry Turley, and Cara Lockhart Smith.