Muséde la tapisserie :
Located along the Creuse, near downtown Aubusson, the Musée de la tapisserie opened its doors in 1981 following the request of the Conseil général de la Creuse. Its mission is to use various art pieces to retrace the history of downtown Aubusson/Felletin, developping a carpet and tapestry production activity for more than five hundred years since.
Among these collections we find a wide selection of masterpieces dating back to the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries - presenting scenes taken from history, mythology, the Bible and books - carpets, cartoon bases and model sets.
The museum counts numerous ancient pieces; however, it sometimes asks artists to create such pieces themselves to encourage contemporary creation. This was the case for a series of eleven tapestries, about human inventions and discoveries, created to mark the start of the third millennium.
An extension project is currently being thought out to offer the museum spatial development and future national and European success. The museum thus proposes activities that help to visualize future changes, including through tapestry milestones from the 16th to the 20th century - literary, religious and armorial episodes - public provision and its contribution to art trades, as well as topical exhibits.
Two temporary exhibits are usually presented each year (on the work done by contemporary French and foreign artists) in alternation with a presentation of the non-lapsing fund. The visitor is walked through each step involved in the creation of tapestry, from the completion of the cartoon to the weaving executed by the fibre artist and the art of wool smoothing.
Musée de la Sénatorerie :
Located in Guéret's former Hôtel de la Sénatorerie, in a park planted with trees emanating rare scents, the Musée de la Sénatorerie conserved its 19th century natural history cabinet and exhibits tapestries, art objects and paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. This museum is also well known for its Limousine implements, Gallo-Roman sculptures and an impressive collection of Chinese ceramics. A painting room is dedicated to artists who found their sources of inspiration in Creuse. A beautiful array of firearms and bladed weapons are also exhibited.