WARRINGTON Museum and Art Gallery is celebrating a double triumph after receiving a massive cash boost into a future exhibition and a famous star to open it.

The museum has received a £10,000 grant from Manchester Airport toward a show on the flamboyant life and work of one of the town's most famous sons, Ossie Clark. The exhibition is set to open in October.

Sixties singer Marianne Faithful has accepted an invitation to open the ground-breaking exhibition, if other commitments allow.

Cherry Gray, keeper of art at the museum, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the money. This exhibition is important because it is a tribute to a very important Warrington designer. He was one of the only internationally renowned designers to come from the north west.

"We are pleased that Marianne Faithful has agreed to open it if she can. I know that she would like to."

The museum and art gallery hope the cash injection will inspire other businesses to help sponsor the exhibition.

"We would like to raise another £10,000. It is the first time we have put on such an exhibition at the gallery and it will prove to be expensive. We hope that businesses may want to get involved in promoting a local hero," said Cherry.

It will be the first exhibition about Ossie Clark ever to be staged. The legendary fashion designer, whose clothes were worn by Twiggy, Bianca Jagger and Marie Helvin, grew up in Sandy Lane, Orford. His talent was first spotted by an arts master at Beamont Technical School who encouraged him to attend Saturday classes at Warrington College of Art.

The exhibition will reflect the drama and innovation of the 1960s and 1970s and include original costumes, unseen footage of Ossie and the Tate's most popular portrait, "Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy", by David Hockney.

If you are interested in sponsoring the exhibition contact Cherry Grey on 442392.

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