A newly opened exhibition at Banbury Museum will feature art inspired by JRR Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings. The main artwork is by Ted Nasmith, the illustrator of the official 2010 Tolkien calendar. The internationally acclaimed artist’s admirers include director Peter Jackson. Inspiring Middle-earth will also feature work by other leading artists and will include a very rare print of one of Tolkien’s own early drawings. The author drew Lamb’s Farm, Gedling in 1911 and the exhibition at Banbury Museum will be the first time the art has been seen on public display.

Malcolm from ADC Publications adds: At “Edge of the Wild” in August, we shall have Tolkien’s Original drawing of “Lamb’s Farm, Gedling (1911)” on show (in a glass cabinet) throughout the event. This is the only piece of original Tolkien artwork that is held in private hands – the rest all being in University-held manuscript collections.

It came to light in the course of research undertaken for the biography of Hilary Tolkien (Ronald’s brother) by Angela Gardner & Neil Holford, which will be published and launched at this event as “Wheelbarrows at Dawn”.

“Edge of the Wild” is a FREE Entry Middle-earth-inspired Art Exhibition held 13-16 August 2010 at The Redesdale Hall, Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos, UK. More..