An online bid by Petersfield Museum & Art Gallery to raise the profile of the town’s most celebrated artist and her wealth of work has been given a £35,000 boost.

The hefty grant from Art Fund will allow PMAG to realise a long-held dream of launching a digital platform dedicated to the great Flora Twort.

Twort was constantly inspired by Petersfield with PMAG caring for more than 1,000 of her paintings, drawings, sketchbooks, letters, photographs and writings.

The community-led platform, which will be accessible to everyone, will allow PMAG to celebrate her artistic legacy and raise the profile of the Flora Twort Collection both locally and further afield.

An “innovative approach to open access and community-led research” is also planned with the platform providing a “space for reflection on Twort’s life and work” and a source of inspiration for future generations.

Bosses say the exciting project will reimagine how PMAG cares for and shares the collection with the boost coming after a difficult few years for the museum and sector.

“As we look ahead to the next 25 years, we are eager to reimagine how people can access the collections in our care and use them as a source of inspiration,” said Louise Weller, PMAG head of collections and exhibitions.

Market Day at Petersfield Market Square 1939, by Flora Twort.
Market Day at Petersfield Market Square 1939. One of the many Petersfield-inspired paintings in Flora Twort’s huge catalogue of work. (Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery)

“This crucial funding from Art Fund will enable us to take the next steps in essential conservation, cataloguing, and digitisation efforts to establish a digital platform.”

The £35,000 from Art Fund was part of a £1.3m tranche of funding awarded to 29 counterparts through the charity’s Reimagine programme that supports innovative collection projects in museums and galleries around the UK.

The programme was launched in response to the pandemic to dress some of the most urgent challenges facing UK museums.

“At the core of Art Fund’s purpose is supporting museums to develop, care for and share the collections that enrich people’s lives,” said Art Fund director, Jenny Waldman.

“I'm delighted we've been able to support Petersfield Museum and Art Gallery through our final round of Reimagine funding, enabling museums to explore their collections, connect with communities and ensure that works of art, objects and their stories are shared and preserved for future generations.”

If you would like to get involved with the project either sign up to PMAG’s newsletter at www.petersfieldmuseum or email [email protected]