Appeal goes out for new Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums’ Covid collection pieces

15 September 2020

Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums has today launched an appeal to city residents to help curators build a new collection that shows how our everyday lives have changed during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Before we all have the ultimate post-lockdown clear out, Gallery & Museums curators are asking Aberdeen City residents to consider sharing objects or images that sum up their recent experiences to help build the Covid-19 collection. Curators are looking for objects, documents and photos that show how the global pandemic has impacted on how we live, work, study and socialize. 

It may not seem immediately obvious that an everyday item is significant. Here are some questions to help: 

Has your working life changed? Do you have an item that encapsulates that?  Do you have a lockdown home improvement project that you can share with us?  Has your relationship with nature and the outdoors changed? Do you have photos of your garden or gardening tools you used to grow your own food?  Do you have any end results from a new skill you have been working on during lockdown, for example knitting projects?  Did you take any photographs on your daily exercise, maybe of the empty city centre?   Have you been able to support businesses or individuals in your local community? Can you tell us about your experience?  How has lockdown affected your relationships with friends, loved ones and even pets?  Have you adapted to be able to practice your faith? 

 Marie Boulton, Aberdeen City Council culture spokesperson said, “The national lockdown and the recent Aberdeen local lockdown has affected every aspect of our lives, from our interactions with our families and friends, to how we are able to continue doing our jobs. 

“This new collection will help future generations of Aberdonians reflect on the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. We want to represent the shared experience of our many communities in Aberdeen, collecting and safeguarding these items for the future.” 

How to get in touch: 

If you are a resident of Aberdeen City please send a description of your potential donation to curators@aberdeencity.gov.uk. Tell the curators what the item or photograph is and what it means to you, including an image if possible. Please do not bring them to Aberdeen Art Gallery.   As restrictions are still in place the Gallery is unable to take in physical donations at present and is asking donors to hold on to them for the time being. People will be contacted and advised when they can bring items in.  

Sadly the curators won’t be able to accept everything that is offered and people shod not be disheartened if curators cannot accept an item or photograph for the collection.  

Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives are collecting diaries of people’s experience of the pandemic, in both hard copy and digital formats. More information about this project can be found here: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2020-05/Covid-19-Diary-Deposit-Guidance.pdf 

The Archives team can be contacted at archives@aberdeencity.gov.uk.