Kettle's Yard facts for kids
The cottages which comprise the main house of Kettle's Yard
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| Location | Cambridge |
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| Collections | art collections |
| Visitors | 231,941 (2019) |
| Founder | Jim Ede |
| Owner | University of Cambridge |
| University of Cambridge Museums | |
Kettle's Yard is a special place in Cambridge, England. It is both an art gallery and a house. The director of the art gallery is Andrew Nairne. Both the house and gallery reopened in February 2018 after they made the building bigger and better.
Contents
The Story of Kettle's Yard
Kettle's Yard House and Gallery is located on the west side of Castle Street. It sits between Northampton Street and St Peter's Church.
This place was once the home of Jim Ede and his wife Helen. They moved to Cambridge in 1956. With help from Winton Aldridge, they turned four small cottages into one unique house. This house became a place to show Ede's collection of art from the early 1900s.
Jim Ede used to have an "open house" every afternoon. He would give visitors, especially students, a personal tour of his art collection.
Kettle's Yard Becomes a University Treasure
In 1966, Jim Ede gave the house and his art collection to the University of Cambridge. He and his wife continued to live there until they moved to Edinburgh in 1973. The house is kept just as the Edes left it. This makes it a very relaxed place to enjoy the art and listen to live music.
In 1970, the house was made larger. An exhibition gallery was added by Leslie Martin. This new part had a modern style, which was different from the old house.
Recent Updates and Improvements
Kettle's Yard closed for a big building project in June 2015. The goal was to create a new four-floor education area. They also improved the exhibition galleries and added a new entrance and a café.
Jamie Fobert Architects designed these gentle additions. They made it much easier for visitors to enjoy the space. There is a new courtyard, a welcome area, and a new shop. This project cost £11,000,000. A lot of the money came from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England. The inside of the original house was not changed at all.
While Kettle's Yard was closed, some of its art was shown at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. Other pieces were displayed at the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings. Kettle's Yard is part of the University of Cambridge Museums.
The Art Collection
The art collection at Kettle's Yard includes paintings, sculptures, and other objects. Jim Ede collected these pieces. Many of them are from artists he knew or was friends with.
The collection mostly features art from British artists from the first half of the 20th century. These artists were part of the avant-garde, which means they were creating new and experimental art.
The artist Ian Hamilton Finlay once described Ede's way of mixing art with everyday objects. He called it "the Louvre of the pebble" on an inscribed stone. This shows how special and unique the collection is.
Artists in the Collection
Some of the famous artists whose work you can see at Kettle's Yard include:
- Constantin Brâncuși
- William Congdon
- Helen Frankenthaler
- Henri Gaudier-Brzeska
- Ian Hamilton Finlay
- Barbara Hepworth
- David Jones
- Joan Miró
- Henry Moore
- Ben Nicholson
- David Peace
- Winifred Nicholson
- Alfred Wallis
- Christopher Wood
See also
In Spanish: Kettle's Yard para niños
- Primavera Gallery on King's Parade has held several art shows at Kettle's Yard.
- Wysing Arts Centre is a place for art research and development. It is located west of Cambridge in Bourn.
