Woodhorn Museum are marking the end of its year-long programme celebrating ninety years of the Pitmen Painters with a new exhibition focussing on the early years of the Ashington Group.

Entitled ‘Coalface Drawers’ this show really is something. It features many pieces drawn from private and family collections that have never, or rarely, been seen by the public before, such as ‘East Wind’ (pictured). An early painting by Harry Wilson ‘East Wind’ has been in a private collection since the early 1940s. The show is also resplendent with well-loved works such as William Scott’s iconic ‘The Bedlington Terrier’. (Both these pieces featured prominently in Lee Hall’s hit play ‘The Pitmen Painters.) These evocative artworks continue to enthral and they’re being shown alongside artefacts and ephemera that tell the story of the formation of the Pitmen Painters, giving visitors a unique insight into this much-loved artist collective that started in Ashington in 1934. Rowan Brown, chief executive of Museums Northumberland, said: “As custodians of the Ashington Group Collection, this year-long programme has given us the chance to better understand, care for, and share one of the most important and unique stories in British art.”

Coalface Drawers, until 5 January 2025, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington, museumsnorthumberland.org.uk