Celebrate Beautiful Bucks with New Exhibition

This autumn Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury is celebrating the Buckinghamshire countryside with a new art exhibition called Beautiful Bucks which opens on Saturday 17 September.

Beautiful Bucks features work by one of the county’s best-known landscape artists, Brian Bennett, who demonstrates an intimate knowledge of the local landscape. Brian Bennett, now in his 95th year, was born in Olney, Bucks and has devoted much of his life to painting scenes in the Chilterns. His oil paintings capture his love of the landscape through the changing seasons and the wildflowers and plants which make such a contribution to its beauty. He was Head of Art at Berkhamsted School for 30 years until, in 1987, he was elected President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. Around 30 of Brian Bennett’s works will be on display and these will be for sale.

To accompany Brian Bennett’s paintings, there will be a selection of landscapes from the museum’s collection from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, including work by John Piper and John Nash.

Visitors to the exhibition will be able to share their own favourite ‘Beautiful Bucks’ places and also make a personal pledge to keep Bucks beautiful. This could be things like pledging to pick up litter, planting a tree, or cutting pollution by reducing car travel. There will also be activities in the exhibition for children to enjoy whilst looking at the pictures.

Beautiful Bucks runs from 17 September to 5 November 2022. Entry is included in the admission price for the museum. For more information please visit www.discoverbucksmuseum.org.

Image: Oncoming Storm by Brian Bennett (2017)