Staff take part in art exhibition at the Peter Scott Gallery

Lancaster University staff have helped choose the artworks for an exhibition at the Peter Scott Gallery.

“Conversations with the Collection” is a 3-year curatorial project designed to open up new perspectives on the collections of the Peter Scott Gallery by inviting people from outside the gallery to explore its contents.

Last year saw local artists select key works and partner them with artworks from elsewhere. This year, all those selecting the works in the exhibition are Lancaster University staff who support the gallery in a range of ways to ensure its ongoing success.

Viewing the collection catalogues has sparked connections with the time staff spend both on and off campus, in their working lives and their own personal interests.

The bricked-up doorways found in the painting Play Time by William Dafter has been selected by security receptionist Paul Winder to create a conversation that relates directly to his time at work, while landscape manager Ian Sturzaker’s selection of the piece Digging by Denis Mathews can be found partnered with an object that allows him to reflect on his whole career.

Other selections are more personal and speak about pets, allotments and a love of walking, and include works by the likes of Sheouak, Albert Irvin and Patrick Caulfield. Helen Clish, Curator of Special Collections at Lancaster University Library, has created a musical conversation with the Library's Jack Hylton Archive, and a more detailed look at the archive can be found in the Irene Manton Room alongside the Conversations with the Collection exhibition.

The exhibition will be opened by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob McKinlay on Thursday January 20th at 6.30pm. Everyone is invited to help celebrate the Peter Scott Gallery collections and the contribution of all staff who play a part in the gallery’s achievements.

Entry is free and the exhibition runs at the Peter Scott Gallery until 19th February 2011.