Letter: Guildford Museum Needs A Proper Curator

Published on: 11 Aug, 2015
Updated on: 11 Aug, 2015

From Auriol Earle

With reference to the fall in the number of those who visit Guildford Museum, in my capacity as a volunteer steward at Watts Gallery, I have noticed the large increase in the number of those attending the gallery.

This is almost certainly due to the policy of the specially qualified curator organising a lively programme of exhibitions not only of works by Watts but by other artists, with supporting talks and well written informative notices, etc.

It is some time, I think, since Guildford Museum benefitted from such expertise and enthusiasm; it is an expertise much needed also if applications for Heritage Lottery and other grants are required.

Responses to Letter: Guildford Museum Needs A Proper Curator

Keith Reeves Reply

August 11, 2015 at 1:32 pm

I am sure that exposure on a TV series, together with £4.3m of lottery funding for restoration and refurbishment helped too.
- Jessica Haynes Reply
  
  August 12, 2015 at 9:34 am
  
  I’m sure it’s more likely to be the excellent exhibitions they have at the moment.
  
  The TV show was 10 years ago now, they can’t milk that any more.
Martin Elliott Reply

August 11, 2015 at 4:07 pm

But wasn’t that something The Watts Gallery worked very hard to make happen.

The more I read the more I get the impression that whatever management exists at Guildford Museum it just ticks over.

Applying for Heritage Lottery Fund grants is not just a form filling exercise but was that the attitude that led to failure not once, but twice.