Curated by local artist Peter Stiles, this exhibition explores the Marsland Valley, its heritage and the people who have been inspired by its charms – both in the past and in the present. Marsland Valley has a history of attracting pacifists, artists and individuals who seemed to value the Valley’s isolation from broader society. These people have lived and worked alongside local families who have lived there for generations.

The exhibition features works by artists including the English painter and decorative artist, Dora Carrington, remembered in part for her association with the Bloomsbury group and the unconventional, Bohemian way of life which came to define its members.

Other artists featured in the exhibition include the painter Gillian Ayres, who owned a studio in the Valley from which she created the large vibrant canvases that earned her a Turner Prize nomination; her former husband and fellow abstract painter, Henry Mundy; the writer Ronald Duncan who enjoyed success in 1950s with West Ends plays and a TV show based on his newspaper column about the lives of North Devon villagers; the documentary photographer, James Ravilious, whose iconic images of North Devon life feature in the Museum’s own permanent collection; painter and garden photographer Andrew Lawson; animation artist, Petra Freeman; and contemporary sculptor, Briony Lawson, whose work is heavily influenced by the wild North Devon landscape where she was born.

The exhibition also features archive footage of Marsland, shot in the 1930s.

On Saturday 24 May, 2-3.30pm, Peter Stiles will be giving an exhibition talk, Marsland Valley: An illustrated talk. It’s free to attend but booking is recommended as places are limited. To register your interest, please e-mail olivia.desborough@northdevon.gov.uk.