Take a flight of fancy from the drawing board to fully-fledged creation at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum

Blueprints transports visitors on a journey of creativity, from the genesis of an idea in a sketchbook to a fully-realised work of art.

The exhibition includes treasured pieces from The Rugby Collection of contemporary British art, together with seldom-seen sketches by the artists - lifting the lid on the creative blueprint behind each work.

And to celebrate Rugby Art Gallery and Museum's 25th anniversary, the exhibition features rare photographs of the venue under construction and the original architectural drawings - the literal blueprints for a venue which has become the borough's cultural hub over a quarter of a century.

Blueprints opens on Saturday 21 June, the day of Rugby Art Gallery and Museum's Big Birthday Bash, and includes works by LS Lowry, Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himid, Paula Rego, Claudette Johnson, David Remfry and Chris Orr.

Orr, a former professor of printmaking at London's Royal College of Art, once commented: "Drawing is not just a way of looking - it's a way of thinking."

Meanwhile, LS Lowry remarked: "I draw everything. I draw even when I'm not drawing. I carry scenes in my mind."

Blueprints includes sketches and drawings which reveal the evolution of creative ideas - the moment when an artist's imagination starts to find form on a page.

Exhibition display panels also reveal the artists' thoughts on the importance of drawing to the creative process.

Katie Boyce, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum's senior exhibitions and programming officer, said artists rarely revealed preliminary sketches to the public, which made the drawings on display in Blueprints so valuable.

"Artist sketchbooks tend to be private, temporary and personal, places where artists work through ideas, ask questions and, sometimes, make mistakes," Katie added.

"When you open a sketchbook, you catch the artist mid-thought, mid-question and mid-decision. It's the visual equivalent of overhearing someone talking to themselves."

Chris Orr visits Rugby Art Gallery and Museum on Wednesday 9 July to join Dr Richard Davey, senior research fellow in historical and critical studies at the Nottingham School of Art and Design, in conversation about the role of drawing in bringing an artist's imagination to life.

Places at the talk, which starts at 6pm, can be booked for £5 by calling Rugby Visitor Centre on (01788) 533217 or online at www.ragm.co.uk/blueprints

Cllr Maggie O'Rourke, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for partnerships and wellbeing, said: "As Rugby Art Gallery and Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary, and with the 80th anniversary of The Rugby Collection next year, this exhibition explores the literal and metaphorical building blocks which underpin both the artists' work and the venue itself.

"It's a rare opportunity to take a peek into the imaginations and inspirations of many of the artists featured in The Rugby Collection, and also discover the history of the building which has played such a pivotal part in our cultural life over the past quarter of a century."

Cllr Neil Sandison, Rugby Borough Council's Liberal Democrat group spokesperson for partnerships and wellbeing, added: "This exhibition traces the pathway from concept to construction, from design to delivery, from an idea in a sketchbook to the reality of creativity."

Blueprints runs at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum until Saturday 6 September. 

For more information about exhibitions and events at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, visit www.ragm.co.uk