THE WORK of a talented local artist with an eye for design is set to boost Dorset County Museum’s development appeal.

The Dorchester museum is currently bidding to raise funds for an exciting expansion programme with plans for a Collections Discovery Centre that will allow greater public access to its artefacts.

To support its fundraising drive the museum held a competition that invited members of the public to come up with their designs for a logo to put on merchandise and other products supporting the appeal.

Dorchester’s Joanne Duncan only submitted her entry for the competition the day before it closed but her set of eye-catching designs impressed judge Lady Fellowes of West Stafford.

As well as receiving a prize from local art shop Frank Herring and Sons, museum director Jon Murden said Joanne would also be given a year’s free membership to the museum and a plaque that will go on the main staircase in recognition of her contribution to the appeal.

Joanne said she was surprised to win the competition and felt that the key to her success was reading the brief for the competition, which asked for designs to reflect the geology, archaeology and palaeontology on show at the museum.

She said: “When I saw it I thought it might be quite a nice thing to do.

“I was just reading what they asked for and I did so many because I couldn’t get it all into one.”

After submitting her entry late in the day, Joanne said she was pleasantly surprised to hear her designs had been selected.

She said: “It’s a bit of a shock.”

Lady Fellowes was clearly impressed by the designs, particularly a mosaic inspired one that she said reflected all that the brief had asked for.

She told Joanne: “They are all fantastic, you have done incredibly well.”

Lady Fellowes and her husband Lord Fellowes, of West Stafford, have agreed to become patrons of the museum’s development appeal.

Fundraising team leader for the museum David Taylor said that Joanne’s designs will now be used on various products to sell in the museum shop to support the appeal.

For more information about the museum development appeal and how to support it contact Mr Taylor at the museum on 01305 756827 or email fundraising@ dorsetcountymuseum.org More information is also available at dorsetcountymuseum.org