Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens hosts its first ever outdoor exhibition

A very special exhibition will be arriving to Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens on Friday, 28 August. The prestigious International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) touring exhibition, Thirteen, will see artwork displayed both inside and outside the Museum for the very first time.

From delicate garden scenes to detailed close-ups of horticulture - the images are truly a sight to behold. Work included is exquisite, hand-picked pieces from a selection of award-winning entries.

There is no better place to see the magnificent pictures, which will be on display until Thursday, 22 October, than in the stunning walled gardens of the Georgian Country House. The outside spaces have recently undergone major transformation work as part of the Parks for People project, made possible by the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The walled gardens have been closed to visitors over recent months and the renovations will been seen for the first time with the launch of the exhibition. One of the photographs will also be on display in the grounds of Wentworth Castle Gardens a partner of Barnsley Museums and Barnsley Council.

Now in its fourteenth year, International Garden Photographer of the Year was started by a group of professional garden photographers and has quickly grown to become the world's premier competition and exhibition specialising in garden, plant, flower and botanical photography.

It is run in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. The main exhibition is held annually at Kew, with a rolling programme of touring exhibitions in the UK, Éire and all over the world, other hosts for the touring exhibition include Blenheim Palace and Blarney Castle.

Alongside the outdoor exhibition will be an internal display ‘Beautiful Barnsley’, open from 21 September following the reopening of the Museum on Tuesday, 8 September.

The exhibition is made up of winning entries from a competition, launched last year, by IGPOTY capturing the picturesque and inspiring landscapes of the borough. Judges International Garden Photographer of the Year and Kyte Photography, handpicked images of locations in Barnsley to be on display.

Both exhibitions are free to enter with donations welcome to the Barnsley Museums Heritage Trust.

Cllr Tim Cheetham, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place (Regeneration and Culture) said: 

The outside spaces at Cannon Hall have been incredibly important to people of the borough over the past few months, offering moments of relaxation and reflection. Now more than ever it is wonderful that the museum can use their gardens and parklands to offer people an enjoyable and safe experience. There is no better exhibition to do this than with the International Garden Photographer of the Year touring exhibition which celebrates horticulture and the natural environment. This combined with the re-opening of the historical walled gardens will make it a truly spectacular event.

James McGlinchey, Exhibitions Manager, International Garden Photographer of the Year said:

Cannon Hall Museum, Park and Gardens is one of the finest cultural venues in South Yorkshire – it combines classical art and gardens together making it the ideal place to host the prestigious IGPOTY exhibition. This partnership has been elevated with the introduction of the ‘Beautiful Barnsley’ Special Award. With the Borough of Barnsley and IGPOTY’s combined reach we are able to attract domestic as well as international audiences with the aim to increase all visitors’ enjoyment of the gardens.