Please donate to The Soper Collection
Further donations will be used to expand and enhance the facilities at the Pannett Art Gallery.
As a result of the invaluable and significant help, for which we are most indebted, from Arts Council England and Art Fund we are delighted to announce that the wonderful new home for The Soper Collection is the Pannett Art Gallery, Whitby, where there is direct connection to the Soper family.
Soper artwork is already being used, Spring 2023, as part of the current national project: ‘the Wild Escape.’ Do look on Pannett Art Gallery Website for details of this exciting involvement. www.pannettartgallery.org
Be assured that all donated money has been passed to, and most gratefully received by, Pannett Art Gallery. All future donations to The Soper Collection will be passed there. Your help has been and continues to be of great value in bringing the glorious work of this family of artists to national importance.
A BIG ‘THANK YOU’ TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US THUS FAR!
New signees please click on ‘Our Vision’ and you will read all of our aims.
We are very happy to say that these will be achieved in the new home.
All further donations will be greatly welcomed to support exhibition and educational facilities.
To sign up for our newsletter, please click on ‘Our Vision’ and drop down to “Newsletter Sign Up”. Click there for the Form. Or click on ‘Contact Us’ – see heading above.
The Soper Collection is a charitable organisation established to provide a permanent exhibition space for over 700 original pieces of art by George Soper and his two daughters, Eva and Eileen. Eileen, the major illustrator for Enid Blyton, had devoted her art to so much else as well.
The Soper Collection will be shown in Whitby, North Yorkshire, where there is direct connection to the Soper family. The work is illustrative of the richness and variety of our national life, countryside, wildlife and literature.
Our aim that The Soper Collection will be used educationally is also achieved, first use being in the national project ‘The Wild Escape.’ Future educational programmes will be developed for artists as well as art, history, country and wildlife lovers including adults and children of all ages.
YOUR HELP IS STILL NEEDED AND WILL BE GREATLY WELCOMED
Pannett Art Gallery, the new permanent home for the works of the Soper family, has exciting development plans.
Our exciting journey to provide a permanent public home for the works of the Soper family – Is Achieved.
With the help already given and with continuing help, now and for generations to come this collection will inspire the public of all ages, including professional artists, to be uplifted by and to learn from the styles and techniques employed by this reclusive and remarkable family.
Inspiration will not be confined to art but will extend to cover the many facets of cultural interest displayed by the Soper art.
The Soper Collection, comprehensively comprising original pieces in oil, watercolour, etchings, woodcuts, pencil, ink and other media, was compiled by John Baker and his wife Joy.
Following the hospitalisation of Eva and Eileen in 1989, the content of the Sopers’ family home was discovered to reveal a treasure trove of original artwork. After Eileen and Eva’s death later in 1990, their joint wills stipulated that each piece should be sold in order to raise funds for the Artists’ General Benevolent Institution. It was an initial exhibition in Lavenham in 1990 of George Soper’s working horse artwork that captured Joy’s attention. John was insistent that the entire collection should not be broken up and together they arranged to purchase 16 pieces.
The couple continued to purchase pieces as more of George Soper’s artwork was released. Soon Eileen’s work appeared in an exhibition and the Bakers were captivated all over again by the celebration of life and movement that was expressed through her work. They took out a mortgage to enable a collection of Eileen’s glorious wildlife work to be kept together with that of her father.
Sadly, John passed away in 1994 but with the hope that the collection would continue to grow and that one day it would be available for the public to enjoy. Joy continued to purchase the artwork, growing the collection to over 700 original pieces along with a huge array of memorabilia, some purchased and a mass being entrusted by Chris Beetles Ltd.
The world’s largest collection of Soper artwork is now housed in its new permanent home, Pannett Art Gallery, Whitby, North Yorkshire, where there is direct connection between George Soper and family and the Whitby area. This wonderful home will, through the works in The Soper Collection, reveal the glories to be found in our gardens and countryside, in our classic adult and children’s literature, in Eileen Soper’s writing for nature lovers and naturalists, and will also reveal the beauty of our English language to adults and children of all ages.
YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE NEW HOME WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED
Please donate to The Soper Collection
Further donations will be used to expand and enhance the facilities at the Pannett Art Gallery.
Further donations will be used to expand and enhance the facilities at the Pannett Art Gallery.
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