News - John Muir's Birthplace

The Nature Library

02 Apr 2022

Friday 1st April – Sunday 15th May 2022

Monday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: 1pm – 5pm

We are really excited to be hosting The Nature Library this spring – what a time for it!

The Nature Library is a reference library and reading space connecting people to land, sky and sea, making awe and wonder for the world a part of the everyday.

A good book has the ability to unearth fresh expressions of empathy, increasing our capacity to care for those we don’t personally know and places we can’t physically go. Whether painting dazzling scenes, introducing flourishing flora and intelligent fauna, exploring the challenges we all face or celebrating triumphs against all odds, the books in The Nature Library turn our eyes to the natural world and allow us to see—really see—the beautiful complexities of our planet one word at a time, sparking curiosity and growing knowledge for what surrounds us at a time when it needs our attention the most.

www.thenaturelibrary.com

www.twitter.com/thenaturelib

www.instagram.com/thenaturelib

thenaturelib@gmail.com

Do come along to our temporary exhibition space and browse this thoughtful collection of books and publications. Please note that it is a reference library, so you will be unable to take items away with you (although we do have some available in our shop). If you’re planning on doing lots of reading please make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get cooried in!

Summer Hours

31 Mar 2022

We will be back to operating our summer hours from 1st April 2022.

Monday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4.15pm)

Sunday: 1pm – 5pm (last entry 4.15pm)

We are looking forward to being open for even more days and welcoming even more visitors!

Early Closing

16 Feb 2022

Please note that due to an amber weather warning for wind this afternoon (Wed 16 February) we will be closing at 4pm this afternoon. Take care out there everyone!

Water-way; Following the Papana Water to Belhaven Bay

04 Feb 2022

An exhibition of paintings and poetry included in a limited edition book by Anna Davis with a film by Eric Fernandez-Baca Manning.

We are delighted to announce that our first new temporary exhibition of 2022 will open on 26 February.

Anna Davis is an artist who has lived in East Lothian for the past twenty years. The exhibition is an exploration of the East Lothian landscape through paintings, drawings and writing. Anna has created a limited edition book that is a journey of impressions, writing and images from the Lammermuirs to Belhaven bay. The book ‘Water-way’ follows the journey of the Papana water through the changing East Lothian landscape and is a meditation on time and place, through art and the written word. Anna’s recent paintings and drawings also draw on elements of the land as she uses natural inks such as oak gall ink, plant and mineral inks.

www.annadavisstudio.co.uk

instagram: @inprintworkshop

The exhibition will also showcasing a short film by Eric Fernandez-Baca Manning in collaboration with Anna Davis who presents a birds eye view following the Papana water from the Lammermuirs to Belhaven Bay.

www.ericfernandez-baca.com

The exhibition will run from the 26^th February to the 27^th March

Wednesday to Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 1pm -5pm.

Happy New Year!

06 Jan 2022

We are delighted that John Muir’s Birthplace is the only East Lothian Council Museum open throughout January. We are open Wed – Sat 10am – 5pm (last entry 4.15pm) and Sun 1pm – 5pm (last entry 4.15pm). We are closed Monday and Tuesday. January days can be long and dark, so why not pop in for some peace and quiet and time with nature without facing the January weather!

We are working hard to ensure our building is COVID safe – and more information on how we are doing this can be found here.

We have lots of plans coming together for events linked to Year of Stories, and we have already had some very interesting responses to our Climate Call to Action, so 2022 is shaping up to be an exciting year – watch here fore lots more information when we have it!

..and We’re Open Again!

16 Dec 2021

The issues with our heating system have finally been resolved and we are pleased to announce that we are back on normal winter opening hours. 10am – 5pm Wed – Sat and 1pm – 5pm on Sunday. We are open from now until Christmas Eve. We will then close for the festive season, and reopen on Wednesday 5th January.

We would like to wish all our visitors, both physical and virtual, a peaceful and restful holiday, and looking forward to a more predictable 2022!

Unplanned Closure

04 Dec 2021

Due to faulty heating, John Muir’s Birthplace is currently closed. Please keep an eye on our social media outlets for updates.

Our staff are opening Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery instead where you can see:

Exhibition – Brrr….Stories from Dunbar’s Outdoor Pool

Exhibition- A Safe Haven

We are also providing our usual local information, souvenirs and enquiry service.

Exhibit with us!

30 Nov 2021

We would like to invite exhibitors from across the UK to be part of a ‘Climate Call to Action’. Combining the best in visual art with a passion for climate change, John Muir’s Birthplace plans to hold a series of exhibitions throughout 2022 to encourage climate action.

We welcome entries from amateurs or professionals working across a diversity of art forms including artists, photographers, makers, crafters and community groups.

Expressions of interest by 4 Jan 2022 to

John Muir’s Birthplace,126 High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ

museumseast@eastlothian.gov.uk

01368 8659899

Counting down to Maths Week

23 Sep 2021

East Lothian Museum Service is delighted to have received funding this year from Maths Week Scotland. In John Muir’s Birthplace we have purchased some scales for families to explore the world of weights an measures – just as John’s Dad would have used in his meal dealership on this site. We also have some old fashioned scales of the type that would have been used in the 19th Century, see how different they are from your kitchen scales today.

Drop in activities are available from 25 September – 3 October, and if you ring us your correct worksheets, we have maths week themed prizes for you. Hone your maths skills and have fun at the same time, what’s not to love!

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