Artsmark Journeys Between The MERL and Reading Museum
In this exhibition, Reading Museum, The Museum of English Rural Life and The University of Reading’s ArtLab invited pupils from two local schools to create their own artistic responses to objects in our collections relating to the theme of food. Both schools are currently working to achieve the Arts Council England’s Artsmark.
Below, we invite you to explore the fantastic artworks that the pupils made, and discover just how they were inspired by our collections.
Adventures in printmaking
Inspired by posters across the two museums, including The MERL’s ‘Grow Your Own’ poster and Reading Museum’s collection of promotional material for former local biscuit manufacturers Huntley and Palmers, students tried their hand at screen printing and creating advertising.
Watch them introduce their project in this video.
Salmon trap tote bags
For a while now, stylish tote bags have been all the rage, and the students created their own with a MERL-inspired twist, featuring a design inspired by the salmon trap in our museum.
Creative writing & history
Throughout both museum’s vast collections, a huge range of subjects and themes are covered across a wealth of historic periods – from the present era, recent centuries, and right back to the time of ancient Rome.
These inspired students from both schools to put on their most creative thinking caps and consider how they might bring our objects to life through storytelling!
Cooking by the (history) book
Art comes in many forms, and so does inspiration!
In our next video, watch pupils discuss their ideas for approaching the museums’ collections with different formats and school subjects in mind– including a cookery show, and a computer game!
‘Print your own!’
Inspired by the ‘Grow Your Own’ messaging in our wartime collections, some young pupils went a step further and made posters promoting healthy eating with healthy eating, through the fantastic use of potato prints!
Their designs were inspired by the collections of Huntley and Palmers biscuit tins at Reading Museum.
Fishing for sounds
One group of pupils brought imaginative outside-of-the-box thinking to the wicker salmon trap in our collection, exploring how they could create replica models and even sound effects that captured the object’s essence.
Find their creative vision in this video.
The news at 10(66)
Reading Museum is home to an astonishing to-scale replica of the iconic Bayeux Tapestry, produced in the nineteenth century by an embroidery group who remained extraordinarily faithful to the original, even using the same techniques.
The banquet is full of hearty meals, banquets and drink, and one media-savvy group created a news report inspired by it!
A musical feast
Not much in life is as good as biscuits. But a song about biscuits surely comes close!
Watch pupils performing a jingle they wrote, advertising Huntley and Palmers biscuits.
ArtLab
Here are the fabulous University of Reading ArtLab students who guided the school pupils as they explored the museums’ collections, and provided expert assistance in artistically using digital technology.