Press Releases

Painting the Coalfield

Life as a coal miner has proved to be a rich source of inspiration for many artists over the years. During half term, Big Pit: National Coal Museum will give visitors the opportunity to create their own masterpieces and study artists influenced by this theme, including some who worked at the coalface themselves.

Workshops will be held at Big Pit on 19, 21 and 23 February (11 am - 4 pm) giving participants the chance to learn more about the mining industry and draw or paint their own perceptions of life at the coalfield.

Sharon Ford, Education Officer at Big Pit: National Coal Museum said:

"In an activity which is suitable for all the family, we will be encouraging visitors to  use their creative skills and produce a masterpiece to take home. The artists we'll be studying used any tools available to them such as brushes, fingers, rags and even coal dust to make paintings, sculptures and models. We will be experimenting with different styles and methods, focusing on artwork by Nicholas Evans, who is renowned for his very dark paintings, Vincent Evans, who perfectly captured the light underground in addition to work by Josef Herman and George Brinley Evans."

Visitors to Big Pit during half term can also take advantage of the world-famous underground tours which are now running every day from 10:00am to 3.30pm. Please phone 01495 790311 for further details or to book a group visit underground.