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.
This gallery cost £21 million to build. A big part of the money, £15.75 million, came from the UK National Lottery. Other funds came from the European Regional Development Fund and City Challenge.
The gallery gets its money from Walsall Council and Arts Council England. They also earn some money themselves. The best part is that it's free to enter!
Contents
The Gallery's Design
The New Art Gallery Walsall was designed by architects Caruso St John. They won an international competition to create the building. The gallery opened in January 2000. It took the place of Walsall's old art gallery and an arts centre that had closed.
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 has won several awards for its design. In its first year, over 237,000 people visited! In 2000, it was even nominated for the famous Sterling Architecture Prize.
Building Features
The gallery building has five floors. Its outside is covered in light-coloured 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.
The gallery was built to help improve the local area. People have different opinions about its design. Some say it's "almost perfect" or "extraordinarily good." Others have called it "an impressive building that lacks consideration of how the wider public will use it."
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, became a new gallery space. This new space has very high ceilings (8 meters!). This allows the gallery to show even more art, including works by artists like David Batchelor and Richard Billingham.
In 2012, artist Sarah Staton created a new sculpture terrace for the gallery. This space opened to the public later that year. It turned an unused patio area on the fourth floor into a place for art.
Amazing Art Collections
The gallery is home to the permanent Garman Ryan Collection. This collection 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, and Constable. These include prints, sketches, drawings, paintings, and sculptures.
This special 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 how Jacob Epstein communicated with his family, friends, and art buyers. In 2009, artist Bob and Roberta Smith helped the gallery share this unseen archive with visitors.
Walsall's Own Art
The gallery also has its own collection of artworks. This collection started in 1892. It includes paintings from the Victorian era by artists like Frank Holl. It also features works by modern artists such as Catherine Yass and Fiona Banner.
Thanks to a special program, the gallery added works by many other artists. These include Gavin Turk, Hew Locke, and Yinka Shonibare.
In 2007, the gallery received £1 million to buy international contemporary art. This art focuses on the theme of big cities. It has allowed them to get works by artists like Jochem Hendricks and Zhang Enli.
Exciting Exhibitions
The gallery has special areas on the third and fourth floors for temporary exhibitions. These shows feature both modern and older art. The gallery has held solo exhibitions for artists like Suzanne Treister, Mark Titchner, and Gavin Turk.
Between 2012 and 2013, the gallery showed works by the famous artist Damien Hirst. This was part of a touring exhibition called ARTIST ROOMS.
The New Art Gallery also hosts group shows. The first exhibition when it opened was called Blue. It featured art by Anish Kapoor, Barbara Hepworth, and Bridget Riley.
In 2009, the exhibition Re-Imagining Asia explored what "contemporary Asian art" means today. It included artists like Song Dong, who showed his work in the UK for the first time.
In 2010, the gallery celebrated its tenth birthday with an 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, and Tracey Emin.
Artists in Residence
The gallery often supports artists from across the UK. They do this through regular residency programs. During a residency, artists spend time at the gallery creating new work. Some artists who have been in residence include:
- a.a.s
- Simon and Tom Bloor
- Bob and Roberta Smith
Learning and Education
The Discovery Gallery, now called Disco, was the first interactive art space of its kind in the country. It was designed especially for young visitors and families. Since 2003, over 60,000 schoolchildren have visited the gallery. Many adults have also taken part in learning programs.
The gallery earned a special quality badge in 2009 for its outdoor learning programs. It was also one of the first cultural places in the UK to offer a Creative Apprentice program in 2009.
The gallery works with Birmingham City University to run the Artist Teacher Scheme. This program helps art teachers improve their skills.
Other Facilities
The New Art Gallery has free public Wi-Fi throughout the building.
In 2006, the gallery opened a free public Art Library. Here, visitors can learn about art, culture, and architecture. Since it opened, nearly 50,000 people have used its special collection of books and journals.
The ground floor cafe at The New Art Gallery Walsall became a Costa Coffee store in August 2007.
Gallery
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Cupboard Love (Briton Rivière) 1881
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Kiss an' make-it-up (Erskine Nicol) 1867
