Woodhorn looking for work by Pitmen Painters
People who own paintings by the country's most famous amateur art group are being sought by officials at a Northumberland visitor attraction.
Staff at the Woodhorn Museum and Archives Centre in Northumberland want to hear from anyone who has work by the internationally-renowned Pitmen Painters.
Lee Hall's play, which has revived interest in the Ashington Group of painters
The fascinating story of the Ashington Group, local mineworkers who became celebrated artists because of their talent for painting, is in the news again some 75 years after they first picked up their brushes.
A national tour of the award-winning Pitmen Painters play by Lee Hall comes to Newcastle's Theatre Royal this week.
Now staff at Woodhorn, which is home to a permanent collection of paintings by the group, are trying to gather further information on other paintings by the artists.
Director Keith Merrin believes there could be many works around the North East and is appealing to owners to get in touch by telephone or email.
He said: "We know that many paintings were given to friends and family, and others were sold to raise funds for materials.
What we and the Ashington Group Trustees would like to do, is get some idea of how many paintings are out there and who they are by.
"We are expecting quite a few people to get in touch. We will collate the information and then get back in touch in a couple of months.
"We really would ask people not just to turn up with their paintings at Woodhorn. We want to be sure that when we do invite them to come along we can handle them properly and have an expert to hand."
Anyone who has a painting about the Ashington Group is asked to email information to press&advertising@woodhorn.org.uk or write to Woodhorn, QEII Country Park, Ashington NE63 9YF.
The permanent collection is open to the public at Woodhorn from Wednesday to Sunday all year round and admission is free.
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