We are delighted to announce that The Burton has been awarded the 2026 Hallett Independent Acquisitions Award from the London Original Print Fair.
The award has enabled us to acquire two remarkable prints by celebrated artist Paula Rego for The Burton’s permanent collection: Mary, Mary Quite Contrary I and Little Miss Muffet I (1989), selected by Harriet Cooper, at The Burton, through RAW Editions.
Part of Rego’s Nursery Rhymes series, the works reimagine familiar childhood tales through the artist’s distinctive visual language. Their acquisition brings work by one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century to North Devon, making internationally significant art accessible to local audiences and enriching The Burton’s growing collection. We are thrilled to welcome these important works, where they will sit in dialogue with Bideford’s history of the witches and support future exhibitions, learning programmes and community engagement.
Both etchings with aquatint were printed by Culford Press, London, and co-published by the artist and Marlborough Graphics in editions of 50.
RAW Editions shared:
“It was fantastic meeting Harriet Cooper and we are thrilled to be able to support their curatorial and educational programme through this acquisition. These have been works close to our heart as a young family and we can’t wait to follow their journey at the Burton as they become part of the local community and inspire new artists.”
The Hallett Independent Acquisitions Award is a purchase grant to enable a museum or gallery to acquire an original print or prints for their collection. The Award aims not only to enhance art collections across the country, but also to build relationships between museum curators and the art market. Applications are invited from museums, public galleries and print collections across the UK. Hallett Independent, who are generously funding the Award, are brokers specialising in fine art and heritage insurance, committed to supporting museums throughout the country.
