Students’ art exhibition shines new light on Grosvenor Museum collections

An exhibition of work by Fine Art students, bringing their artistic interpretations to artefacts on show, those in store behind the scenes, and museum structures and systems, runs until May 24.

The pieces have been created as part of the Negotiated Studio Practice third year module which tasks students with proposing, developing and completing artworks that respond to a site or brief beyond the University.

For this academic year, the students and staff were delighted to partner with the Grosvenor Museum and be given access to such a rich and diverse resource in the making of the works. 

Jessie Petheram, Senior Curator at the museum, gave an introduction at the start of the module in November 2025 and Lecturers, Dr Jeremy Turner and Kevin Furlong, worked with the students at a tutorial level towards the assessment which took place in January 2026.

Selected student work, featuring everything from places, patterns, historical figures and animals, went on display at the museum earlier this month (March). Titled Response, the exhibition can be viewed during museum opening hours.

Dr Jeremy Turner, Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Chester, said: “Making artwork that responds to a site, a collection, an image or an artefact is always interesting territory. Not only does it afford students an opportunity to spend some time with a collection and undertake research but it can also mean they look at that collection and their own practice, potentially in a new light.

“Usefully, this project replicates the kind of opportunities that Fine Art graduates might be involved with in the future; it’s good practice for future professional development. Thanks are due to Jessie Petheram and the Grosvenor Museum for making this vital collaboration possible.”

Councillor Lisa Denson, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet Member for A Fairer Future, added: “I’m delighted the Grosvenor Museum has been able to collaborate once again with the University of Chester. It’s always exciting to show the museum’s collection in different ways and share it with wider audiences. Don’t miss this new exhibition.”

To find out more about Fine Art, and about the suite of Art and Design programmes at the University, visit: https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/art-and-design/, https://www.instagram.com/fineart.chester and https://www.instagram.com/uoc_artanddesign/ 

The Grosvenor Museum houses collections exploring the history of Chester, its art and silver heritage, and its natural history. For further details about the museum and its opening times, please go to: https://grosvenormuseum.westcheshiremuseums.co.uk/

Work by:

• Sophie McEvoy
• Lily Hartley
• Jess Birtwistle