Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre facts for kids
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| Established | 1966 |
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| Location | Cwmbrân, Wales, United Kingdom |
| Type | Arts centre |
| Owner | Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre Ltd |
Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre (which is Canolfan Celfyddydau Llantarnam Grange in Welsh) is a special place for art in Cwmbrân, Wales. It's located inside a beautiful old house from the 1800s. This centre is the main spot for applied arts in south-east Wales. Applied arts are things like pottery, jewelry, and textiles that are both artistic and useful.
The centre holds exciting art exhibitions and offers many workshops and activities for people in the local community. It's run by a group of volunteers and gets funding from the Arts Council of Wales and local councils, including Torfaen County Borough Council.
The Story of Llantarnam Grange
The building where Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre now stands has a long history. It was once part of Llantarnam Abbey and was known as Gelli Las. Later, around 1871, it became a farmhouse called Llantarnam Grange.
After the last person living there passed away in 1952, the building was bought by the Cwmbrân Development Corporation. For a while, it was used as a postal sorting office. Then, in April 1966, it opened its doors as the Llantarnam Grange Societies Club. It was a busy place where different clubs met, theatre shows were put on, and art was displayed. In 1983, it officially became the Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, focusing entirely on art.
The centre celebrated its 50th birthday in 2016, marking half a century of bringing art to the community.
Art Exhibitions and Galleries
Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre has two main exhibition spaces: the main gallery and gallery 2. These galleries host six new exhibitions every year. You can see all sorts of amazing art here, including sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, textiles, paintings, photography, and printmaking. Sometimes, they also show artwork created by people from the local community.
The centre usually puts on as many as 24 different exhibitions each year. Between 2011 and 2014, the number of visitors grew by a third, showing how popular it is!
The Family Group Sculpture
Right outside the arts centre, you'll find a sculpture called Family Group. It was created by an artist named David Horn in 1965. This sculpture is made of fibreglass and shows a family facing the challenges and changes of growing up in a new community.
The Cwmbrân Arts Trust gave this sculpture to the people of Cwmbrân. It was officially revealed on September 23, 1965, by a Member of Parliament named Leo Abse. The sculpture was moved to its current spot outside the arts centre in 2001.
Originally, the Family Group sculpture stood on a special base with a spiral path nearby. Over the years, it has faced some wear and tear, but it remains an important part of the centre's outdoor art collection.
