AT WAKEFIELD COAL MINING MUSEUM

Wakefield artist, Seanna Doonan tells the story of Wakefield’s mining community with her Shine a Light exhibition, a vibrant collection of work depicting miners at work, at home and at play.

Growing up in a family of musicians, Seanna is inspired by the folk songs of childhood and the social struggles of the city’s working class. She explains: “It’s impossible to look at the history of Wakefield without acknowledging the deep mining roots embedded within, almost everyone has a story to tell. I’ve always found these stories so interesting, so important, that I’ve naturally wanted to create an honest portrayal of that time, that community.”

Rebecca Hudson, Curator of Art & Photography at the National Coal Mining Museum said “Seanna’s process often begins with a story, photo, or memory, which form an initial sketch. Using pen and ink, the illustrations develop and lead onto a process of experimentation using print, paint, and digital colour. Her work is very different to much of the work we have in our art collection and it is always good to bring in a different perspective of the mining community”

The Shine a Light Exhibition will run until 2 January 2022 and admission is free.

The National Coal Mining Museum’s attractions also include further exhibitions depicting mining life, our pit ponies, an adventure playground, nature trail, demonstrations, indoor soft play, our gift shop and lovely café. It is open 10am to 4pm from Wednesday to Sunday. The museum is FREE but, as an independent charity, donations are always much appreciated.