Newport Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1888 |
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| Location | Newport, Wales |
| Type | Local history and art |
The Newport Museum and Art Gallery (also known as the City Museum) is a cool place in Newport, South Wales. It's a museum, a library, and an art gallery all in one! You can find it right in the city centre, next to the Kingsway Shopping Centre.
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Discovering History and Art at Newport Museum
Newport Museum first opened its doors in 1888 on Dock Street. Later, in 1968, it moved to its current building, which was built just for the museum. This museum is home to many amazing collections. These include items from Archaeology, Social History, Art, and Natural History.
Ancient Finds and Roman Treasures
Some of the oldest things you can see are tools. These tools were made by hunter-gatherers. They lived along the Severn estuary many, many thousands of years ago. The museum also has some of the best Roman collections in all of Wales. These items were found during digs at the Roman town of Caerwent. They also came from the Roman fortress at Caerleon. You can also see items from local castles and priories. This includes a special collection from Penhow Castle.
Stories of Newport's Past
The museum has important items about Newport's social history. One key collection is about the Chartist uprising in Newport in 1839. This includes old weapons, posters, and silver items. There is also an archive about the Newport Transporter Bridge. This archive has all the original plans for the bridge. It also has photos from when it was being built.
Amazing Art Collections
The museum's art collection features paintings by famous artists. These include Sir Stanley Spencer, Dame Laura Knight, and L S Lowry. You can also see works by Welsh artists like Kyffin Williams and Ceri Richards. The decorative art section has the John Wait teapot collection. It also has the Iris Fox collection of porcelain. You can see sculptures by Sir Jacob Epstein and ceramics by Lucy Rie.
Newport's Art Gallery
The building is also home to Newport's main art gallery. This gallery shows many different British paintings. It also features watercolours and contemporary artworks. The largest group of art is called the John & Elizabeth Wait Collection.
Sometimes, past art shows at the gallery have caused a stir. In 2008, a painting was briefly removed after a complaint. When it was put back, many people came to see it. In 2011, the council apologized for an exhibition. This show had some images that were not suitable for all ages. There were no warning signs for visitors.
In 2013, the gallery's temporary exhibitions faced closure. This happened after funding from the Arts Council of Wales was stopped. The Welsh actor Michael Sheen spoke out against this plan. The role of Visual Arts Officer was removed. Temporary shows were replaced with a permanent art display.
The last temporary exhibition was called Shift. It was by Welsh artist David Garner. This show opened in April 2013. It followed a public protest against the gallery's possible closure. Garner created a special artwork for the show. It was inspired by the campaign to keep the gallery open. The temporary exhibition program ended after Shift closed.
Newport Central Library
The museum building also houses the city's main public library. This is called Newport Central Library. It has a large collection of books and articles. It is also the main office for Newport's library system. This system includes libraries like Maindee and Caerleon.
In March 2012, there were plans to recreate the Chartist Mural by Kenneth Budd. This mural was in John Frost Square. The new mural was planned for Newport Central Library. The original mural was taken down in 2013. Discussions about a new memorial are still happening.
See also
