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A spirited new crowd-sourced exhibition of artworks will be on display in the Peggy Jay Gallery and Christopher Wade Room from 18th January to 1st April 2012. At the heart of the exhibition is a love of Hampstead Heath. Its core theme and inspiration is Hampstead Heath. The work on display has been especially created by a crossgenerational group of passionate Heath-loving local artists, writers and musicians.
In an intriguing mix, the show will combine imaginative videos and sound installations with more traditional displays of poetry, fine art and photography. Students from Room 13 & WAC Performing Arts and Media Centre as well as local retired enthusiasts were invited to join the project. The contributions were inspired by a series of fascinating workshops on the Heath itself led by landscape historians and biodiversity experts. The exhibition forms part of the exciting, recently launched film project and community website, 'Heath Life'. This is the idea of artist and film maker Nick Hillel, himself a local ardent appreciator of the Heath. Working with his team at acclaimed production company Yeast Culture (recent productions: Akram Khan's 'Desh', 'Bluebeard Castle' with the Philharmonia Orchestra and visuals for Nitin Sawhney's world tours) he is directing a documentary film following a year in the life of the Heath. The project has had the blessing and support of the Corporation of London and the Heath & Hampstead Society.
The Museum was founded in 1979 by Christopher and Diana Wade, and the collection now contains over 3,000 objects relating to art and life in Hampstead. A permanent display of two rooms is located on the first floor, tracing Hampstead history from prehistoric times to the modern day.
There is a schedule of changing exhibitions in the Christopher Wade Room on the first floor and Peggy Jay Gallery on the ground floor, as well as a programme of events and talks. Museum entrance and many events are free.
Please note there is no step-free access to the Museum. A touchscreen computer on the ground floor offers a virtual museum tour and access to a searchable collections database. Within the museum there are also Braille displays and handling objects for visually impaired visitors.
