The New Art Gallery Walsall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The New Art Gallery Walsall |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Walsall |
| Country | England52°35′8.40″N 1°59′9.27″W / 52.5856667°N 1.9859083°W |
| Construction started | 1995 |
| Completed | 2000 |
| Cost | £21 million |
| Client | Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Caruso St John |
| Structural engineer | Arup |
The New Art Gallery Walsall is a cool place in Walsall, England, where you can see modern and contemporary art. It's located in the West Midlands. The gallery was built with about £21 million from public funds. A big part of this money, £15.75 million, came from the UK National Lottery.
The gallery gets its funding from Walsall Council and Arts Council England. It also earns some of its own money. The best part is that admission to the gallery is free! Peter Jenkinson was the first director. Later, in May 2005, Stephen Snoddy, who used to be in charge of the BALTIC art centre, became the director.
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Cool Architecture and Design
The New Art Gallery Walsall was designed by architects Caruso St John. They won an international competition to create the building. The gallery first opened its doors in January 2000. It took the place of Walsall's old art gallery and an arts centre that had closed years before.
Opening Day and Awards
Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the gallery on May 5, 2000. This happened during her visit to the West Midlands. The gallery's unique building quickly won several awards for its design. In its first year, over 237,000 people came to visit! The gallery was even nominated for the famous Stirling Architecture Prize in 2000.
Building Features
The gallery building has five floors. It is covered in light-colored terracotta tiles. Inside, you'll see a lot of concrete and thick douglas fir wood. The public area around the building was designed by artists Richard Wentworth and Catherine Yass.
Changes Over Time
Since it opened, the gallery has had a few small changes. For example, the shop area on the ground floor became a cafe. More windows were added near the entrance. In 2006, the fourth floor, which used to be a restaurant, was turned into a new gallery space. This new space has very tall ceilings, about 8 meters high. This allows the gallery to show even more amazing art. It has featured works by artists like David Batchelor and Richard Billingham.
In 2012, artist Sarah Staton created a new sculpture terrace for the gallery. This opened to the public later that year. It turned an unused patio area on the fourth floor into a cool outdoor art space.
Amazing Art Collections
The gallery is home to some truly special art collections.
The Garman Ryan Collection
One of the most important collections is the Garman Ryan Collection. It includes sculptures and paintings by famous modern artists. You can see many works by Jacob Epstein. There are also important pieces by European artists like Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Turner, Corot, Renoir, and Constable. These works include prints, sketches, drawings, paintings, and sculptures.
This collection was given to the people of Walsall in 1973. It was a gift from Jacob Epstein's wife, Kathleen Garman, and her friend Sally Ryan.
The Epstein Archive
In 2006, the gallery received the Epstein Archive. This is a collection of photos, writings, sketches, and letters. They show the life and work of Jacob Epstein. In 2009, artist Bob and Roberta Smith helped the gallery's curator, Neil Lebeter, to share this amazing archive with visitors.
Walsall's Own Art Collection
The gallery also has its own collection of artworks. This collection started way back in 1892. It includes Victorian paintings by artists like Frank Holl and Briton Rivière. Some of these paintings show local scenes. The collection also features works by modern artists such as Catherine Yass and Fiona Banner.
Thanks to a special program, the gallery added works by artists like Gavin Turk, Hew Locke, Mike Nelson, and Yinka Shonibare. These artworks officially became part of Walsall Council's collection in 2014.
International Art
In 2007, the New Art Gallery received £1 million from the Art Fund International. This money helped them buy international contemporary art. The focus was on art about big cities, or "the metropolis." This allowed the gallery to get works by artists like Jochem Hendricks, Grazia Toderi, and Zhang Enli.
Exciting Exhibitions
The galleries on the third and fourth floors are used for temporary exhibitions. These shows feature both modern and older art.
Solo Artist Shows
The gallery has hosted solo exhibitions by many talented artists. These include Suzanne Treister, Mark Titchner, Toby Ziegler, Conrad Shawcross, Hew Locke, Joana Vasconcelos, and Gavin Turk.
Between 2012 and 2013, the gallery showed works by the famous artist Damien Hirst. This was part of the ARTIST ROOMS on Tour program, in partnership with Tate.
Group Exhibitions
The New Art Gallery also has a history of showing art from many artists together. The very first exhibition was called Blue. It featured works by artists like Anish Kapoor, Glen Brown, Barbara Hepworth, and Bridget Riley.
In 2009, the exhibition Re-Imagining Asia explored what "contemporary Asian art" means today. It looked at how art connects with globalization and migration. This show included artists like Song Dong, who exhibited in the UK for the first time.
In 2010, the New Art Gallery celebrated its tenth birthday with a fun exhibition called Party!.
In 2011, the gallery hosted The Life of The Mind: Love, Sorrow and Obsession. This show was put together by artist Bob and Roberta Smith. It included important works by Sarah Lucas, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, and Yayoi Kusama.
Artists in Residence
The gallery often supports artists from all over the UK through its residency programs. These programs allow artists to work and create art at the gallery. Some artists who have been in residence include:
- a.a.s
- Simon and Tom Bloor
- Sean Burn
- Faye Claridge
- Lucienne Cole
- Harminder Judge
- Juneau Projects
- Karin Kihlberg and Reuben Henry
- Feng-Ru Lee
- Bob and Roberta Smith
- Ivan Smith
- Yoke and Zoom
Learning and Education
The Discovery Gallery, now called Disco, was the first interactive art space of its kind in the country. It was made especially for young visitors and families. Since 2003, over 60,000 school children have visited The New Art Gallery. Also, 34,000 people have taken part in lifelong learning programs.
In 2009, the gallery earned the Learning Outside the Classroom quality badge. This shows it's a great place for learning outside of school. The New Art Gallery Walsall was also one of the first cultural places in the UK to hire a Creative Apprentice in 2009.
The gallery also works with Ikon Gallery and Birmingham City University. Together, they run the Artist Teacher Scheme. This program helps art teachers improve their skills.
Other Cool Facilities
The New Art Gallery has free public Wi-Fi throughout the building. So you can stay connected while you explore!
In 2006, the gallery opened a free public Art Library. Here, visitors can learn about culture, exhibitions, and the gallery's award-winning architecture. Since it opened, almost 50,000 people have used this special collection of books, magazines, and archive materials.
The ground floor cafe at The New Art Gallery Walsall became a Costa Coffee store in August 2007.
Images for kids
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Cupboard Love (Briton Rivière) 1881
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Kiss an' make-it-up (Erskine Nicol) 1867
