CELEBRATIONS were in order at Swindon College as staff and students celebrated 100 years of owning an historic statue.

The Venus de Milo statue was given to the college’s school of art a century ago by the Victoria And Albert Museum.

It is now on display on the second floor of the college’s North Star building but it has previously been in the college’s campuses at Regent Circus, Victoria Road and Euclid Street.

Greg Rendell, the deputy curriculum manager at the college, said: “About 100 years ago, art schools up and down the country were given a Venus de Milo. They were given by the Victoria And Albert Museum to art schools to reinforce the idea of studying the classics, which is why it is a classical Greek-type sculpture.

“We have had ours for 100 years and it has been at the various sites the college has been at.”

The celebrations last Wednes-day tied in with the revamp of the school of art’s website, and the unveiling of the department after it was given a fresh coat of paint.

The BA illustration students created a fake shadow to the right of the statue as part of the celebrations and used memorable quotes next to it.

“We had teachers in from different schools,” said Mr Rendell.”We launched the website and told them about the Venus.”

The Swindon College school of art was established in 1896, and it has been providing specialist art and design education ever since.

This week, students on level one and two art courses are putting on a further education show in the town centre.

Their work will be on display at the Post Modern Gallery near the Wyvern Theatre from today until Friday.

The exhibition will be open from 10am until 4pm.

For more information or to apply for a course at the college visit the website micros.

swindon-college.ac.uk/soa/welcome.