NANTWICH Museum is to become home to a collection of monsters from the imagination of local artist Reuben Amarna.

The Carnival of Creatures features original pieces from Reuben's work as a special effects artist, including a horse-sized creature suit from his latest music video Where's My Monster.

The exhibition, which opens on Saturday and runs until July 1, also features items from his own collection of film monsters and full size armour.

Multi-media artist Reuben, who lives in Nantwich, is a professional animator whose work has been shown at several international film festivals.

He's currently working on a science fiction/horror movie and designs from the film will be included in the exhibition.

Reuben, aged 33, put his latest exhibition together to try to attract more people to the museum.

He said: "I read about cuts in its funding and I wanted to do something that would get more visitors through the door.

"It's a great place with a fantastic gallery for displays. I'm sure the museum has never hosted anything like this before."

Curator Susan Pritchard said: "We're looking forward to this monster exhibition, which is bound to appeal to youngsters and people with lively imaginations.

"Some of Reuben's work is also very challenging and is definitely not to be missed."

The museum is also offering local artists the chance to have their work publicly displayed in the Millennium Gallery over the summer.

The project, Our Town - A Source of Artistic Inspiration For All, will feature the work of schools and residents who have been inspired by a love of Nantwich.

Mrs Pritchard said it was the first time the museum had opened its gallery in this way and she was expecting an enthusiastic response.

She added: "There's always a lot of interest when we display the work of people who have portrayed Nantwich and we're expecting this exhibition to cause some real excitement.

"The town's wonderful buildings and its riverside setting make it a magnet for artists."