Turner House Gallery facts for kids
The Turner House Gallery was a special art gallery located in Penarth, a town close to Cardiff in Wales. It was a place where people could enjoy beautiful artworks.
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The Story of Turner House Gallery
This amazing gallery was built a long time ago, in 1887 or 1888. A talented architect named Edwin Seward designed it in a style called Queen Anne style. It was built for a wealthy local businessman, James Pyke Thompson, who made his money from flour.
Mr. Pyke Thompson used the gallery to show off his own collection of art. He had many different pieces, like drawings, etchings, and even ceramics. Some of the artists whose work he owned were famous, including Rembrandt! The best part was that everyone could visit the gallery for free. His collection also included paintings by J. M. W. Turner, a very famous artist. That's why the gallery was named after him!
A New Chapter for the Gallery
In 1921, the National Museum of Wales took over Turner House Gallery. They used it to display more of their art collection for the public to see. The building itself was recognized as important in 1993, earning a special "Grade II listed status". This means it's a historic building that needs to be protected.
Later, in 2003, a charity called Ffotogallery started managing Turner House. They focused on showing exhibitions that featured photography. For example, in 2014 and 2015, the gallery was part of a bigger art event called Artes Mundi. It showed artworks by artists like Ragnar Kjartansson from Iceland and Sanja Iveković from Croatia.
What's Next for Turner House?
In 2018, Ffotogallery announced they would be moving to a new location in Cardiff in July 2019. The local town council then began looking into ideas for the building. They wanted to turn it into a new cultural spot for the community.
The Penarth Town Council asked people for their ideas about the future of Turner House. In 2021, the gallery reopened! Now, the Penarth Town Council is working with Amgueddfa Cymru–National Museum Wales to use the building for many different cultural activities. The gallery often hosts traveling exhibitions from the Hayward Gallery, bringing exciting art to Penarth.
Past Exhibitions
Here are some of the interesting art shows that have been held at the gallery:
- Sue Hunt (1996)
- Paul Seawright (Ffotogallery) (2003)
- Eduardo Paolozzi: General Dynamic F.U.N. (January 20 – February 13, 2022)
- Self Help Show: Penarth illustrator Chris Glynn and poet Luca Paci. (February 10 – March 5, 2023)
- Claude Cahun: Beneath this Mask (March 9 – April 23, 2023)
