The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford is to open an outpost in a Worcestershire village this autumn.
The partnership with Worcestershire County Council involves the transformation of a 17th-century building called Tudor House in the Cotswolds village of Broadway into an independent museum.
John Keil, Tudor House’s owner, has offered the property on a long-term lease. The project has also been boosted by a £200,000 grant from Worcestershire County Council.
Furniture, objects, paintings and textiles from the Ashmolean’s reserve collections, as well as works from the private collection of the Keil family, will go on display in six rooms of the house. There will also be a gallery space dedicated to rotating exhibitions of works by local artists.
“The museum will recreate the original interior, furnishings and styles of the house, ranging from the 17th to the 19th centuries,” said a spokeswoman for the Ashmolean.
A major refurbishment of the building will be led by staff from the Ashmolean’s curatorial, design and conservation departments.
Broadway councillor Liz Eyre told the BBC: “They [the Ashmolean Museum] are not only lending us exhibits, but the director [Christopher Brown] is taking a prominent role on the board in the new company that is being formed.”
A charitable trust will be set up to manage the museum, with representatives from the Ashmolean Museum, Worcestershire County Council and other stakeholder groups. Brown will be one of the trustees.
MJ review of the museum's Egypt and Nubia galleries
The partnership with Worcestershire County Council involves the transformation of a 17th-century building called Tudor House in the Cotswolds village of Broadway into an independent museum.
John Keil, Tudor House’s owner, has offered the property on a long-term lease. The project has also been boosted by a £200,000 grant from Worcestershire County Council.
Furniture, objects, paintings and textiles from the Ashmolean’s reserve collections, as well as works from the private collection of the Keil family, will go on display in six rooms of the house. There will also be a gallery space dedicated to rotating exhibitions of works by local artists.
“The museum will recreate the original interior, furnishings and styles of the house, ranging from the 17th to the 19th centuries,” said a spokeswoman for the Ashmolean.
A major refurbishment of the building will be led by staff from the Ashmolean’s curatorial, design and conservation departments.
Broadway councillor Liz Eyre told the BBC: “They [the Ashmolean Museum] are not only lending us exhibits, but the director [Christopher Brown] is taking a prominent role on the board in the new company that is being formed.”
A charitable trust will be set up to manage the museum, with representatives from the Ashmolean Museum, Worcestershire County Council and other stakeholder groups. Brown will be one of the trustees.
MJ review of the museum's Egypt and Nubia galleries