The Young Gallery in Salisbury to be supported by merged trusts

Two charitable trusts have merged to support a free art museum in Wiltshire.

The former Edwin Young Collection and The John Creasey Museum have come together to enable the Young Gallery to renew its accreditation through Arts Council England.

Located on the first floor of Salisbury Library, the Young Gallery has a collection of more than 4,000 artworks, prints, sculpture, books and photography.

Art curator Dr Emily Dunbar said the merger is “a crucial step towards developing a dynamic, free art museum in the centre of Salisbury”.

She added: “It marks an exciting new phase for the Young Gallery, which we plan to build on over the rest of the year.”

The two charities have formed the Young & Creasey Gallery Trust.

The Young Gallery collection began with about 300 watercolour paintings by Edwin Young (the namesake for the museum).

It now also has 2,000 books in more than 20 languages, as well as manuscripts and designs for book jackets relating to the crime and thriller writer John Creasey which became part of the collection in the 1970s.

Artists featured in the collection include Robin Tanner, Edgar Barclay and William Goldsmith, as well as prints by J M W Turner, John Constable, David Hockney and Henry Moore.

The Young Gallery’s full exhibition programme will launch in October, enabling more artworks from its collection to be displayed, as well as collaborations with local artists and projects.

Leader of Wiltshire Council, Richard Clewer, said: “The Young Gallery is a real asset not only for Salisbury but the surrounding area as well.

“The work taking place recently has been vital to enable the gallery to move forward and become a vibrant space that can become part of a cultural quarter for Salisbury.”