A new exhibition of Museum-inspired artwork created by schoolchildren has opened at Haslemere Museum, marking 100 years of the institution on the High Street.

Families gathered for a private view in March, with more than 180 people attending to see the display of drawings, paintings and creative responses to artefacts and specimens housed in the Museum’s collections.

The young artists, drawn from schools across the area, produced work celebrating everything from natural history specimens to architectural sketches of the Museum buildings themselves. Their pieces form the centrepiece of an exhibition that also highlights the Museum’s long-standing relationship with education.

Alongside the children’s artwork, visitors can view photographs, examples of school projects and handwritten thank-you letters, showcasing the Museum’s outreach work with pupils over the years.

Museum Education Officer Kay Topping said: “We are delighted to share the celebrations with the local community and want to thank all the students who contributed.”

Haslemere Educational Museum was among the first museums in the country to encourage school visits, inviting children as early as 1898 to learn about natural history.

The children’s exhibition runs until April 18 and forms part of a wider programme of centenary events marking the Museum’s High Street home.