Faunus

2024 mixed media, by Nicole Bishop

Click the play button below to hear Nicole and Tullie’s Biodiversity Curator, Wednesday Batchelor talking about the work.

Nicole has worked together with Wednesday , as well as Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre, Carlisle Natural History Society and Cumbria GeoConservation group to create something truly representative of the area’s nature

The first known wildlife record for the county, held by Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre, noted a herd of 225 Fallow deer just south of Carlisle in the year 1512, in the now non-existent forest that once stood there. The purpose of the new Carlisle Gallery is to welcome visitors to the museum, offering a taste of the breadth and depth of the collections. Curator Wednesday, was adamant that Tullie’s links to Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre and Carlisle Natural History Society would be honoured from the very start of the museum journey, as well as seizing the opportunity to share the importance of wildlife recording and local natural history.

The design was created through workshops and consultation with these groups, as well as Cumbria GeoConservation, to represent the voices of those connected with biodiversity and geodiversity in the local community. Many of the species depicted are inspired by the Tullie Natural Science collections.

The finished artwork, depicts over 90 species of Cumbrian flora and fauna in both sculpture and paint, from the county’s most recorded, to the long-lost extinctions of the area; this is a fantastic opportunity to take time to pause and explore, searching out the hidden plants, animals, and scenes that Nicole has expertly concealed in the piece.