Pitmen Painters art sought by Woodhorn chiefs

Sep 29 2009 by David Black, The Journal

PEOPLE who own paintings by the country’s most famous amateur art group are being sought by officials at a North East visitor attraction.

Staff at the Woodhorn Museum and Archives Centre in Northumberland want to hear from anyone who has work by the internationally-renowned Pitmen Painters. The fascinating story of the Ashington Group, local mineworkers who became celebrated artists because of their talent for painting, is in the news again some 75 years after they first picked up their brushes.

A national tour of the award-winning Pitmen Painters play by Lee Hall comes to Newcastle’s Theatre Royal this week.

Now staff at Woodhorn, which is home to a permanent collection of paintings by the group, are trying to gather further information on other paintings by the artists.

Director Keith Merrin believes there could be many works around the North East and is appealing to owners to get in touch by telephone or email.