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Mon, 20 Nov 2023
The volunteers at the Manx Aviation and Military Museum have welcomed new artwork thanks to internationally-renowned sculptor and printmaker Michael Sandle.
Michael was brought up and studied on the Isle of Man before embarking on an illustrious career in art and education which now spans more than sixty years.
He is a regular visitor to the museum when he is on the island and, impressed with its unusual coverage of the stories of the “little people” in war – the people who reluctantly or otherwise were prepared to go to war, he offered to donate four of his etchings.
Ivor Ramsden, director of the museum said:
“For an artist of Michael’s stature to offer anything to a volunteer-run organisation like ours is such an honour. We were honoured to accept and these prints now form a permanent exhibition which will be seen and appreciated by the many thousands who come to the museum.
“Michael’s attitude to war is very similar to mine – it’s the most appalling failing of the human species and, whilst in the museum we tell stories of war and have the utmost respect for those people – the “little people” - who were and still are prepared to protect their country, we are very much against the whole concept of war.”
Ivor explained that there “are no real winners in war” and hopes that young people who visit the museum will take away knowledge of this: “If just one of them is one day in a position of power and is able to think back to their visit to this museum and say ‘No, we shall not send our young people to war, we shall continue to talk,’ then I think we shall have done something good.”
The artworks are a new field for the museum but Ivor considers them to be a significant addition, being meant to provoke deep thoughts and emotion in the viewer.
During his visit Michael Sandle said: “I absolutely love this museum and the way it tells the untold stories from wartime. It is a national treasure and deserves to be more widely recognised as such. It’s no wonder that it is so highly regarded by its visitors.”
Ivor expressed his thanks to Michael for his gift, also to the Isle of Man Arts Council for their funding of the cost of framing the four works and to local artist Paul Ford for the idea and his help and advice with the exhibition.
The free admission museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays during the winter months from 10am to 4:30pm.
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