The owners of Wentworth Woodhouse have responded to online criticism following the installation of temporary art project
Wentworth Woodhouse has installed six pillar wraps with messages including “we are bold”, “we are curious” and “we are Rotherham” as part of more extensive strategy to connect with new audiences.
Designed by local artist Patrick Murphy, the pillar wraps aim to endorse this strategy and will be in position for a span of 28 days.
After sharing the news on Facebook, many responded to the post claiming that these banners were marring the appearance of the stately homes exterior.
Defending the installation, in a statement Sarah McLeod CEO of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust said “Well, the pillar wraps do seem to have caused a stir. It is wonderful to see that so many people like them on social media with hundreds of ‘likes and loves’, but also interesting to see how many people are very much opposed to them. What this tells us is there are many people who feel passionate about Wentworth Woodhouse and what happens here, which is wonderful.”
“For those who dislike the wraps please take comfort knowing they are only temporary, they will come down within 28 days to comply with planning law. They are made of material that is wrapped around the pillars, so they are causing no harm to the stone pillars underneath.”
“The wraps are connected to the legacy of the WE Great Place project that ran before the pandemic, they represent reaching out to new people beyond the traditional heritage audiences. They are temporary and bring focus and attention to the principles of the project – that Wentworth is for everyone and not just the traditional few. This message underpins our Cultural Strategy which is being launched imminently.”
“As you will all know, we have no collection at Wentworth and over the next five years we shall be experimenting with different art forms to gauge people’s responses before we make permanent decisions about what we show at Wentworth Woodhouse in the future. Our ambition to show a variety of work, some very contemporary, some more traditional, but all of it providing the people of South Yorkshire with the chance to see things they may not have seen before and to help in the decision-making process by feeding back to us.”
