THE former director of an innovative project to widen the appeal of The Bowes Museum has marked his time in the dale by publishing a book of poems written during his three-year tenure.
Matthew Read, who ran the Bowes Centre for Art, Craft and Design, has released The Arboretum at Day’s Dusk, with poems inspired by his move from a teaching post in Sussex to County Durham.
“The poems progress as the landscape become increasingly familiar and the cold and rain bite less,” he said.
The Bowes Centre for Art, Craft and Design was housed in the museum but operated independently.
Mr Read was challenged to widen the museum’s audience, offering an open call for artists to show their work at The Bowes.
This resulted in the Untitled #10 exhibitions which featured artists from across the region exhibiting everything from ceramics to modern dance.
A horologist by trade, Mr Read was familiar with The Bowes Museum before he took the post, having previously worked on the iconic Silver Swan automaton.
Mr Read said he put his poetry book together while the museum was closed and he was furloughed.
It was during the pandemic that the three-year project came to an end.
Now based in York, he is likely to be back at The Bowes Museum in the future to carry out some consultancy work involving the Silver Swan.
In the meantime, he is working on another book, this time on clock repairs, which he first began in 2012.
He is also planning to run short courses and has begun an online “clock club” on YouTube which has attracted interest from as far as India and the USA.
The Arboretum at Day’s Dusk, Poems by Matthew Read, is published by Bishopthorpe Road Books and available online on Etsy and Amazon.
