John Creasey Collection of Contemporary Art, Salisbury

John Creasey was a prolific author who, under twentyeight pseudonyms, published more than six hundred books. The museum holds a collection of over 2,500 books together with awards, scrapbooks, political ephemera and a large number of manuscripts. There is also a growing collection of contemporary and modern art.

The collection displays work by artists with a connection to Wiltshire, including Ivor Abrahams, Fay Godwin, Christopher Le Brun, Cecil Beaton and Victor Pasmore. New work is added to the collection on a regular basis from final year students at recognised schools, colleges and departments of art throughout the south of England. The centre shows a variety of temporary exhibitions alongside the display of work from its permanent collection.

Guest editor’s note:
Ten miles south of Stonehenge, Salisbury is famous for one of England's greatest cathedrals, several museums, Salisbury Playhouse and Salisbury Arts Centre are all within easy walking distance.

Not to be missed is the John Creasey Collection of Art, housed above the library in the Market Place. The museum was originally founded in 1975 as the John Creasey Literary Museum and broadened to collect modern and contemporary art in 1979.

A selection of works is always on display, often including a beautiful 1948 double portrait by David Jones, photographs by Fay Godwin, sculpture by Peter Randall-Page and works on paper by a wide range of British artists such as Prunella Clough, Howard Hodgkin, Peter Kinley and Ian McKeever.

Reviewed by: Judy Adam