Rarely seen Port of Dover artworks going on display

The Royal Cinque Port's Yacht Club (RCPYC) and the Port of Dover have announced a new collaboration with the launch of an exhibition of rarely seen artworks from the Port of Dover's collection entitled "Land and Sea".

The official opening will take place on Friday, 10 April 2015 in the newly refurbished Lord Nelson Suite of the club where guests will enjoy an evening of art, poetry and music.

The exhibition forms part of the RCPYC's Landscape Heritage Art Exhibition "Land and Sea" project in conjunction with the Port of Dover with heritage lottery funding from the "Up on the Downs" Partnership Scheme. The function room is designed to be opened up as an exhibition and workshop area for members of the public to gain access to significant artworks from the Port and attend free workshops, in association with Dover Arts Development (DAD), with the unique backdrop of Dover harbour. In addition to the opening weekend, the exhibition will run throughout the summer with a finale weekend in September.

Bernard Sealy, Commodore of the Yacht Club, said: "The Exhibition will provide the opportunity for the local community to come to the yacht club and see some historic paintings from the Port of Dover's collection. We are also delighted to be collaborating with Dover Arts Development on this project which will be running throughout the summer with a finale weekend in September. Our thanks go to the Up on the Downs Landscape Partnership Scheme for their support."

"Land and Sea" will feature a collection of paintings and etchings of Dover harbour throughout the ages, some for that weekend only. Artworks will include Dover Harbour in 1856 by Henry Pether, South Prospect of Dover in the County of Kent, Misty Morning Dieppe by T U Kingsbury, On the Goodwin Sands by T U Kingsbury, Boating to Windward by T U Kingsbury, Dover Douvres by Spencer Smith and View of Dover from South Pier Head.

Tim Waggott, Chief Executive, Port of Dover, says: "We are delighted to partner with the RCPYC in enabling significant pieces of art to be made available for our community to view. Through the exhibition, we are creating a way in which we can celebrate and enjoy a shared maritime heritage together. I hope that the artworks will give great pleasure and inspiration to those visiting the exhibition and attending the workshops."

Members of the public will be able to view the paintings on Saturday 11 April and Sunday 12 April, with watercolour workshops on the Sunday which are free to all and led by Dover Arts Development (DAD), which has worked with the Port on several local art projects.

Joanna Jones, who will run the workshops with Clare Smith, said: "We are delighted to be involved in this project and hope that people will be inspired by the paintings from the exhibition and the fantastic view from the yacht club window. We want people to re-discover or discover their love of painting and drawing through an appreciation of Dover's historic port and also what it brings today. So please do join us at these free workshops, whatever your age or ability, and re-discover or discover your love painting and drawing!"