Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery facts for kids
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| Established | 1891 |
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| Location | Wednesbury, West Midlands |
The Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery is a cool museum and art gallery in Wednesbury, England. It was built a long time ago, during the Victorian era. This museum is special because it has a great collection of Ruskin Pottery. It was also the first public place to show art from a group called Stuckism.
Contents
The Museum Building
The museum building was finished in 1891. It was built to hold many paintings, drawings, and watercolours. These artworks were given to the town by Mrs. Mary Ann Richards. She donated them in memory of her late husband, Edwin. The building cost £5821 to create.
The architects who designed it were Wood and Kendrick from West Bromwich. Henry Wilcock of Wolverhampton built it. Look closely at the outside of the building! You will see four panels with heads on them. These heads represent important people:
- Christopher Wren for Architecture (building design)
- Joshua Reynolds for Art
- John Flaxman for Sculpture (making statues)
- Isaac Newton for Science
Above the entrance, there are two busts (head and shoulder statues). These are of Alderman Williams and Alderman Lloyd. Both were mayors of Wednesbury and helped run the Art Gallery Committee. After World War II, the museum was used as offices for a while. But in 1972, it became a museum again after being updated.
What You Can See: Permanent Displays
The museum has several displays that are always there for you to explore.
The Ruskin Pottery Collection
Ruskin Pottery was made right here in Sandwell. Collectors from all over the world want to find pieces of it! The pottery on display shows many different kinds of glazes. These include special shiny or colourful finishes like Bleu Soufflé, Lustre, Flambé, and Crystalline.
The Richards Gallery: Art from the Past
This gallery was first built to show a huge collection of art. This art belonged to Edwin and Mary Richards, who lived in Wednesbury. They loved collecting art, especially paintings of landscapes. In her will, Mary gave all their paintings to the town of Wednesbury. You can see these works in the Richards Gallery.
During World War II, the artworks were kept safe in caves in Kinver, Staffordshire. After the war, not all the paintings were put back on display. Today, the collection has fifty-four paintings. Some were sold by the Wednesbury Borough Council in 1948.
Old Toys and Games
This gallery is full of toys and games from the Victorian era up to the 1900s. Younger children (in Key Stage 1) can even touch and play with some of the old toys!
Joseph Gibbs: A Local Artist
The museum has many artworks by a local artist named Joseph Gibbs. One painting is a portrait of Mary Ann Richards, dated 1891. It was likely painted after she passed away.
The Kilvert Medals
The museum also keeps two Crimean War medals. These belonged to a former Wednesbury mayor, Alderman John Ashley Kilvert. The medals went missing in 1974. Years later, a medal collector from Walsall bought them. He didn't know they were stolen. After he passed away, his wife put them up for auction. That's when their true origin was discovered! She kindly agreed to give them back to the museum. The museum also has a painted portrait of Alderman Kilvert. In the painting, he is wearing his official mayor's robes.
Temporary Exhibitions: Something New to See
The museum often has new, exciting exhibitions. These change about every six months.
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In 2003, the museum hosted an exhibition called Stuck in Wednesbury. This was the very first time the Stuckism international art movement had a show in a public art gallery.
From July to December 2013, the museum showed artworks by the international video artist, Bill Viola. This exhibition was part of the Artist Rooms programme. It was put together with the Tate Gallery and the National Galleries of Scotland. Some of the works on display included Catherine's Rooms, Four Hands, and Surrender.
In the first half of 2014, the museum had an exhibition of portraits. These paintings were borrowed from Ingestre Hall. This is a large, old house from the 1600s, once home to important families like the Earls Talbot and the Earls of Shrewsbury.
