It's the Wright time to celebrate

Among the highlights of the Annual Business Event (ABE) is the Dare to Dream slot, which this year was delivered by John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby.

In the ABE film, John used his slot to celebrate the work of one of Derby’s most famous sons – the painter Joseph Wright – and call for a new home to be created in the heart of the city centre for his work.

Here, Wright’s paintings would be displayed – but it would also be a place for the “exchange of ideas and learning”.

In his Dare to Dream address, John explains how he was inspired to get to know more about Wright from an exhibition of his art in, of all places, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York, back in the 1980s.

He said: “I paid my dollars, went in and was awestruck by two things; the stunning artwork displayed on the hallowed walls but also by the eager Manhattanites, enthusiastically crowding around the paintings.

“I felt pride that this art originated from my hometown but also perplexed by his apparent fame. Coming from Derby, l knew little about Joseph Wright.”

He goes on to talk about how each of Wright’s most famous works carry a particular message – messages which are still relevant today, even more so as a result of the pandemic.

And while acknowledging Derby Museum and Art Gallery as a “wonderful custodian” of Wright’s work, John shared his vision of somewhere in the city, dedicated to the artist and his ideas.

He said: “My Dare to Dream is to see a new home created in the heart of Derby where the work of Joseph Wright and the ideas of enlightenment can be appreciated and explored.

“An art gallery yes, but so much more than that, an Orrery for the exchange of ideas and learning.

“A home for new thinking that helps raise aspiration and ambition as a catalyst for social mobility.

“Many cities across the globe celebrate their home-grown talent, providing homes for collections to attract visitors and support regeneration.

“Imagine if the young people from the city and beyond could be exposed to the art and ideas on the banks of the Derwent, opening their minds to thought, debate, possibilities and opportunities?”