The CASW (Contemporary Art Society for Wales) gift award exhibition officially opens at Narberth Museum on Friday, July 15, 7-9 pm.

The works, produced by four acclaimed local artists, are contemporary responses to the museum’s archive and will eventually form part of the permanent collection.

‘Mapping Marks: A Journey of the Hand’ by Sian Lester is a series of pieces in various media from leather to alder veneer. It is described as ‘a tactile exploration mapping out the historical journey of the clog maker and wearer, retracing their marks and steps...’

Riitta Sinkkonen-Davies has produced a series of hand-woven panels.

‘Weaves and Weavers’ is dedicated to the textile industry and woollen mills that made Narberth prosperous’ and Riitta’s work ‘weaves’ the experiences of the millworkers into her own pieces.

‘Ghosting the Loom/Ghosting the Inventor’ ‘voices silent artefacts from the museum’s archive’ in sound. Jobina Tinnemans has created ‘prototypes which will perish into a puzzle of pieces over time,’ leaving ‘a whiff of sound like an old book smell.’

Linda Norris has cast, in glass, the ladle to feed the inhabitants of Narberth Workhouse. Her work ‘Gruel,’ ‘references less celebrated Pembrokeshire lives and has a timeless relevance to poverty and destitution.’

The exhibition runs from July until the end of August, after which the pieces will enrich the wider collection and the legacy of skilled local artists and craftspeople. Entry is included with standard museum admission.