Liberation Exhibition Brings History to Life

A new exhibition celebrating both Jersey’s Liberation and the creation of the Occupation Tapestry has opened at the Maritime Museum.

Titled Colour our Collection – Occupation Tapestry, the pop-up showcase marks two major anniversaries: 80 years since Jersey was liberated from Nazi occupation and 30 years since the tapestry was first completed. The display presents 12 vibrant acrylic paintings, each reinterpreting one of the original tapestry panels created as part of a community art project telling the island’s World War Two history.

Over the past eight months, islanders have produced the artworks through 55 painting workshops held in parish halls around Jersey. Community groups played a central role, with the Youth Service contributing the St Helier piece, inmates at La Moye Prison working on the St Brelade panel, and residents of Maison Belleville creating St Saviour’s.

One of the workshop participants, Anne-Marie Willing—who helped stitch the St Peter tapestry panel in 1995—brought along photo albums documenting the original project. “I like to keep a record of things,” she said. “Those photos have been at home for 30 years. Sharing them at the painting sessions brought back a lot of memories and it was lovely to reconnect with others who worked on the tapestry.”

Jersey Heritage outreach curator Melissa Rodrigues praised the collaborative effort behind the exhibition. “This project has been a joy from start to finish,” she said. “Thanks to everyone involved, we now have 12 striking paintings celebrating two significant moments in Jersey’s history.”

Colour our Collection – Occupation Tapestry runs daily from 10:00 to 16:00 GMT until 11 December. Entry is free for Jersey Heritage members and children aged under six.