A WIND turbine artwork on display in Okehampton is certain to prove ?the big draw? to the Museum of Dartmoor Life, from this weekend. The Museum is also hosting a new exhibition of pictures of Dartmoor to celebrate the national event The Big Draw. A family workshop day for aspiring artists of all ages is also planned. The Wind Machine is a new work by Beth Hamer, a recent graduate from Glasgow School of Art, who lives near Chagford. The wind machine is a wind powered photocopier, created using reclaimed materials. Beth said: ?The wind machine is built using reclaimed and locally sourced materials. The installation takes the form of a low-tech, DIY wind turbine. The energy collected from the motion of the turbine is converted from alternating current to direct current, as the energy is passed through a rectifier and then onto a caravan battery. From here, the current is passed on to an inverter which powers a photocopier.? The work was set up near Kes Tor for Nine Days of Art in West Devon, but its new home will be in the courtyard at the museum from this Saturday where it will run in conjunction with the exhibition. The exhibition ?Drawing on Dartmoor? will be open to the public in the John Young Gallery from Saturday until Thursday, October 26. The exhibition includes a variety of drawings in many different media by more than a dozen artists from throughout West Devon, all inspired by the theme of Dartmoor. The workshop will be held on Saturday, October 14 from 10am ? with drawing in the museum and the Charter Hall and artists, including students from Okehampton College, encouraging drawing in the town. There is no need to book, simply come along and join in, materials will be supplied. The Big Draw is the UK?s biggest annual free art event. Initiated by the Campaign for Drawing it encourages everyone to discover the purposes, pleasures and power of drawing. Last year, more than 1,400 Big Draw events took place around the country in all manner of venues. Big Draw events aim to bring people of all ages together and inspire inventiveness, challenge expectations, show what fun can be derived from picking up a pen or pencil. The Big Draw at the Museum of Dartmoor Life has been supported by West Devon Borough Council.
