| The Montgomery Sculpture Trust |
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Work of the Trust
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The sculpture collection is displayed in natural areas in a garden and orchard in Buckinghamshire.
Some works are donated by Bryan Montgomery, some are purchased or commissioned by the Trust and others are on loan from artists. In addition, each summer an artist is offered a residency to make site-specific work following a selection from post graduate students from the UK and Eastern European Academies. In this way it is hoped to encourage commissions from individuals and corporations in their support for contemporary sculpture. Schools Engagement Project
A Steering Group was established with the help of Dan China, Art Adviser for Bucks LEA, and met on July 4 2007 to explore ways in which local schools could use the Trust’s collection and how visits to the site could be encouraged. Six teachers from five schools in Buckinghamshire met with Dan China, myself and Moira Johnson, who prepared an initial paper based on interviews with several teachers in West London. The steering group : Bernadette McGivern - Beaconsfield School, Carol Breeze - Dr Challoners High School, Caroline Reed - Amersham School, Paul de Koneig and Jill Jones - Ley Hill Combined School, Carol McMahon - Chalfont St Giles Junior, (+ another primary representative to be invited by Bernadette), Dan China - Bucks SIS, Ken Newlan – Montgomery Sculpture Trust. The meeting was preceded by a walk and talk with myself around the collection. They were all enthusiastic about the work, the stories behind their commissioning and construction. An enthusiastic discussion took place during which the teachers agreed to organise five pilot visits in the autumn to see how the site could be used and what facilities would be most appropriate. The meeting agreed to act as steering group, which Dan China could continue to help convene in the future. The members saw great value in the collection itself and the work of artists in residence and we discussed using interviews with artists and myself as stimulus material for pupils to use as starting points for their own enquiries and work they might make about the sculptures they have seen and about their ideas that come from the visits. Possibilities of making work on site with natural materials such as canes and withies were discussed. The teachers were greatly interested in the potential of developing multicultural themes with artists in residence visiting schools or parties visiting when work was in progress. Work that was created subsequent to visits to Snells could be photographed and uploaded to the Sculpture Trust web site, as well as pupils own ideas about titles, and how the work could be developed. Email conversations with artists could be conducted directly by pupils, with the agreement of the artist. I mentioned this idea to Zdenek Smid, who made and installed Spine and who when visiting Snells this week to install a second sculpture Windbreak, was very enthusiastic about this idea. It was also proposed that following visits and work in the first year a course could be organised at Snells, in June 2008. for teachers to share ideas and experiences gained. The barn could accommodate teachers’ workshops for such exercises. I mentioned that the Trust would be prepared to subsidise transport costs and some materials although no requests for financial support were tabled. The next steps will be for the Trust to consider the Steering Group’s recommendations which include the addition of a second toilet, purchasing a set of cheap folding chairs and tables. It may also be necessary to consider the re-design of the website if maximum value of work with schools is to be gained, when pupils will have the chance of uploading their own ideas and images in response to the work they have seen in the collection. In 2007, the Trust will be acquiring another sculpture, Windbreaker, Zdenek Smid from Czech Republic and will be commissioning educational materials linked to Art and Design National Curriculum Key Stages 1 to 3. Artists in Residence included:
2006 - Per Oskar Leu, Oslo, Norway
Trustees:
Bryan Montgomery MA (Oxon) Hon FRIBA
The Trustees are also able to assist sculptors with study grants and research proposals which are consistent with the Trust's purposes. The Trustees are interested in receiving innovative proposals for outside sculpture, from sculptors working in the UK and Europe. Ideally these proposals should include plans for construction on site e.g. at the Trust's collection, and to be made in permanent materials. The Trustees will publish details for the forthcoming residencies on this site.
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| © 2001 The Montgomery Sculpture Trust Snells Farm, Amersham Common, Bucks. HP7 9QN |