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Visitor footfall, once again, is filling the spaces of small galleries, museums and arts sites. Yet, after nearly a year of closure, they are reopening forever changed. Jessie Johnson investigates the ways The Arts Society shows support at grassroots to such precious places ILLUSTRATION: CLARE NICHOLAS
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ver the past year, friends of Gainsborough’s House in Suffolk were sent postcards and a packet of wildflower seeds – tiny tokens of connection at a time of national crisis. As fate would have it, the museum and gallery had closed its doors for major refurbishments in October 2019. Yet, when lockdown struck in March 2020, forced redundancies together with the museum’s ineligibility for emergency funding saw the small team scrambling for fresh fundraising ideas. While the team eagerly look forward to welcoming visitors next spring, they fully acknowledge the current situation. ‘We never expected income over this time, but lockdown slowed the project down and we will feel this impact further down the line,’ admits Mark Bills, Arts Society Lecturer and executive director at the house. During the pandemic our museums and galleries have been closed for the longest time since World War II – and it’s the smallest sites that now face the biggest threats. Independent museums and galleries make up around 71% of the sector, attracting some 24 million
visitors every year. Yet coronavirus has resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs, cuts to budgets and the near closure of iconic sites. Earlier this year the Fashion and Textile Museum in London was saved from the brink when a nail-biting crowdfunded bid for £42,000 came good, while the Florence Nightingale Museum, just a few miles west, will offer weekend openings only from June, while the museum undergoes a major review of operations. During lockdown, our cultural venues have pivoted beyond measure to stay connected – from virtual offerings such as Beamish’s Victorian classrooms to family bubble tours at the Roald Dahl Museum in Buckinghamshire. The idea of a society without these cultural touchstones – the places we go to feel inspired, see friends and volunteer – is a devastating prospect to behold. In response, Arts Society Members are working in new and creative ways to support their local gems. The newly published Fifty Treasures book, compiled by the West Midlands Area, spotlights some of the most inspiring local places to visit, including – government restrictions willing –
‘MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES HAVE BEEN CLOSED FOR THE LONGEST TIME SINCE WORLD WAR II – AND THE SMALLEST SITES NOW FACE THE BIGGEST THREATS’ 3 8 / T H E A R T SS O C IE TY.O RG
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