Harley Gallery and Foundation facts for kids
The Harley Gallery and Foundation is a special place in North Nottinghamshire, England. It's located on the large estate of Welbeck Abbey. This foundation is a charity that helps people learn and be creative. It includes The Portland Collection, The Harley Gallery, and The Harley Foundation Studios.
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What is The Harley Foundation?
The Harley Foundation was started in 1977 by Ivy, Duchess of Portland. Her goal was to "encourage creativity in all of us." The Foundation helps people explore their artistic side. It does this through its art galleries and special studios. It is a registered charity, meaning it's a non-profit organization.
Discover The Harley Gallery
The Harley Gallery is a key part of the Foundation. It helps achieve the Foundation's goals. It does this through art shows, a craft shop, and educational activities. The gallery shows both old and new art.
How The Gallery Started
The Harley Gallery building was created in 1994. It used to be the old gasworks for the Welbeck estate. These gasworks were built in 1860 by the 5th Duke of Portland. He was a very interesting Duke!
The gasworks provided light and heat for his "New Works" at Welbeck. This included his famous underground tunnels. When the gasworks were turned into the gallery, they were in ruins. But parts of the original building were kept. You can still see an old roof beam inside!
The building won an award in 1995. It received a Civic Trust Award for its great architecture.
What You Can See at The Gallery
The Harley Gallery has three main spaces for art. They show many different kinds of art and crafts. The exhibitions change about five times a year. This means there's always something new to see!
Past art shows have featured famous artists. These include David Hockney and Peter Blake. Craft shows have displayed works by artists like Kate Malone.
The Craft Shop at the gallery sells items made by over 300 different artists. It's a great place to find unique handmade gifts.
Gardens and Cafes
The gallery building is set in beautiful courtyard gardens. These gardens are next to the 5th Duke's huge kitchen garden. This kitchen garden was once 22 acres! That's bigger than many parks.
Today, the old kitchen garden walls are still there. A garden center is now inside these walls. You can even see some original Victorian glasshouses. The gallery's car park is in an area once called "California." This was the warmest, sunniest part of the old kitchen garden.
The courtyard gardens also have the Welbeck Farm Shop. There is also the Limehouse Cafe. The cafe building used to be the Lime House. This was where lime was used to make gas. You can still see circular shapes in the courtyard. These are where the large gas tanks used to be.
Learning and Events
The Gallery and Foundation offer many educational programs. They have workshops for young children. They also host talks about art history. They work with local students too. These programs help people of all ages learn about art.
The Harley Foundation Studios
The Harley Foundation Studios are workspaces for artists. They are located near The Harley Gallery. Many different artists and craftspeople work here. These include painters, photographers, and sculptors.
Studio History and Design
The studios are built within the old kitchen gardens. They are inside what was called the "Tan Gallop." This was a place for training racehorses. The studios are also on the sites of old cucumber and pineapple pits.
Helping Artists Grow
The Harley Foundation helps artists. It gives them affordable places to work. These studios are in a peaceful setting. The Foundation also has an "incubator space." This helps new artists start their careers. They also offer grants to support artists.
The Portland Collection
The Portland Collection opened in 2016. It is right next to The Harley Gallery. This gallery shows amazing historical art. It comes from the Cavendish-Bentinck family. This is one of Britain's largest private art collections.
Collection Building Design
The Portland Collection building was designed by Hugh Broughton Architects. It won an award in 2016. It was named RIBA East Midlands Building of the Year.
The new gallery is built within the walls of the "Tan Gallop." This was the Victorian structure used for training racehorses.
What's in The Collection
The Portland Collection has two galleries. It also has a glass entrance area. The galleries show different parts of the collection. You can see important artworks here. These include The Madonna of Silence by Michelangelo. There are also paintings by van Dyck and George Stubbs.
The collection also has beautiful jewels and special items. These include the famous Portland Tiara. There is also a pearl earring worn by King Charles I.
The displays in the collection change every three years. Some smaller items, like drawings, change more often.
Images for kids
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The Harley Gallery and its courtyard
