A huge refurbishment of a Northampton museum has finally been completed after delays and will reopen to the public on Saturday (July 10).
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery in Guildhall Road in the cultural quarter of the town has undergone a £6.7 million refurbishment, which has been around five years in the making - due to pandemic delays and more - and was funded by the sale of an Egyptian statue.
As part of the renovation, the museum has doubled in size, has a new, dedicated shoe gallery, two art galleries, a huge temporary exhibition space, a central hall with a three-wall projection playing different films, a large and airy atrium, a new shop and selling gallery -supporting local businesses, artists and makers, a cafe and an outside terrace.
First up in the temporary exhibition space is ‘We are Northampton’, showcasing members of the public’s favourite parts of the town, including buildings, events and people.
Curators of the exhibition hope it will inspire a ‘sense of community’ and make visitors want to take note of their surroundings and their own community.
Generally, the refurbishment has allowed for more displays and has also made the whole space lighter and more contemporary to give visitors a better experience.
There are also many additional interactive features to support the items and exhibitions and the story being told.
At the Northamptonshire Heritage Awards, the museum has also recently won ‘best organisation’ and 'best project on a limited budget' for its film showcasing the installation.
The museum reopens to the public on Saturday (July 10) at 10am.
Opening hours will be: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am - 5pm and Sunday, 12pm - 5pm.
No booking is required and entrance is free, but visitors are reminded to follow social distancing rules and to wear face masks, unless exempt.
Below is a sneak peek of the museum, plus more information about specific parts of the attraction.
5. Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
One of two new art galleries. Nick Gordon, cultural services manager, said: "We decided the art galleries would focus on Northampton and Northamptonshire artists. "We will be taking bigger, touring exhibitions, but we want to have a strong local focus. "We have a series of four local artists coming up this year." Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.
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Rebecca Shawcross, senior shoe curator, said that there are now more than 15,000 pairs of shoes and more than 70,000 items in total, either on display or ready to be displayed, thanks to generous donations from members of the public and designers. Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.
7. Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
Nick also added that a more 'holistic' approach has been taken on for the shoe gallery, meaning the display now covers fitting of shoes, how they are made and why we wear certain shoes, rather than just focusing on the fashion element of the history. Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.
8. Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
Rebecca said: "We have a strong focus of Northampton in the shoe gallery. "There are amazing stories to tell of people from Northampton and this is a great opportunity to showcase them. "We still have the old classics like the elephant boot, Queen Victoria's wedding shoes and David Beckham's football boots, but we also have a lot of new pairs too." Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.