The New Art Gallery Walsall July – September 2008 artatwalsall.org.uk Free admission
Phil Brooks, Blue Lagoon power station, Iceland: 64 Degrees North. Courtesy of the artist
Floors 3 and 4
Exhibitions
The New Art Gallery Walsall The New Art Gallery presents an exciting and varied exhibition and events programme with a focus on international contemporary and historic art. The gallery is also home to the prestigious Garman Ryan Collection. Open Tuesday to Sunday and selected late nights, for full details of free exhibitions, event, talks and tours visit artatwalsall.org.uk Free Admission
Floor 4 Exhibitions Roof terrace Seating area
Floor 3 Exhibitions
Floor 2 Garman Ryan Collection Exhibitions
Floor 1 Garman Ryan Collection Artists’ Studio and Activity Room
Mezzanine
Free admission
Art Library and Activity Room
Ground Floor Reception, Box Office, Costa, Gallery Shop and Discovery Gallery
Window Box
Garman Ryan Exhibitions
until 28 September 2008
Floor 2
The Triumph of Maximilian
Commissioned in 1512 by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) and described as ‘one of the world’s richest and most unusual monuments of art’, this extraordinary series of woodcuts, made primarily by Hans Burgkmair, was intended to serve as imperial propaganda, immortalising the Holy Roman Empire. They depict the Emperor’s triumphs, armies, territories and subjects. Late medieval and early Renaissance court life is revealed in the richly detailed costumes, household wares, musical instruments, architecture and weaponry. This exhibition compliments a number of woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer from the same period which can be seen on display in the Garman Ryan Collection.
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Hans Burgkmair, The Triumph of Maximilian. An exhibition from the collection of the Hatton Gallery, Newcastle University
Floor 3
Exhibitions
Ansel Adams: Photographs 27 June – 31 August 2008
Ansel Adams (1902-1984) is one of the most renowned and influential landscape photographers of the 20th century. Spanning a period of fifty years, from the 1920s to the 1970s, this timely exhibition includes Adams’ photographs of the magnificent landscapes for which he is most celebrated, from the soaring monoliths of Yosemite National Park to the lakes and mountains of Alaska. Hand-printed and selected by Adams from an archive of over 40,000 negatives during the last years of his life, this set of over seventy photographs are the images by which he wanted to be remembered. Ansel Adams: Photographs is organised by Modern Art Oxford. All works are from the collection of Anne Adams Helms. Preview 6pm-8pm Thursday 26 June 2008 Friends, family and colleagues welcome
Free admission
Sand Bar, Rio Grande, Big Bend National Park, Texas, 1947
All photographs by Ansel Adams. Collection Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona © 2008 The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust
In Conversation: Ansel Adams: Photography and the Spirit of Landscape Saturday 19 July, 2pm Join Dr Anne Hammond, Research Fellow in Photography, Centre for Fine Print Research, University of the West of England, as she discusses the Ansel Adams exhibition. Places are limited so please reserve your free place in advance by calling 01922 654400.
Rose and Driftwood, San Francisco, California, c.1932
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Sequoia Gigantea Roots, Yosemite National Park, California, c. 1950
Floor 3
Exhibitions
Floor 3
Exhibitions
John Davies: The British Landscape 27 June – 31 August 2008 John Davies captures the British landscape in a permanent state of flux. His black and white photographs, taken between 1979 and 2005, show the vast, complex and majestic scenery of industrial and post-industrial Britain. The series features dramatic photographs of the Scottish mountains and the Lake District, before moving on to examine the rapid growth of our towns and cities including Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham and the North East. Each photograph is accompanied by Davies’ notes on the social and historical background to the places and scenes featured. Whilst viewing the epic vista of Birmingham’s New Street Station at the turn of the millennium, we learn of its revolutionary past and prosperous future.
Free admission
Preview 6pm-8pm Thursday 26 June 2008 Friends, family and colleagues welcome
Stockport Viaduct, Stockport 1986. Courtesy of the artist
In Conversation: John Davies with Helen Jones Saturday 26 July, 2pm Join John Davies and Helen Jones, Exhibitions Curator, The New Art Gallery Walsall for a tour of the exhibition. Places are limited so please reserve your free place in advance by calling 01922 654400.
Floor 3
Exhibitions
Gas Street Station, Birmingham 2000. Courtesy of the artist
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Great Gable, Cumbria 1980. Courtesy of the artist
Floor 4
Exhibitions
Phil Brooks Sixty Degrees North 6 June – 27 July 2008 Phil Brooks has long been intrigued by the idea of the North and the appeal of cold, often inhospitable environments. After initially considering how “the North” might be defined, Phil decided to explore those countries, landscapes and communities that could be found 60 degrees north of the equator. He then embarked upon a physical and spiritual journey through Scandinavia, to the Scottish Islands then on to the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Northern Canada and Southern Alaska. Through these extraordinary photographs, we are able to share some of his experiences and to develop a greater understanding of the lands and the people who occupy this northernmost part of the world. Through these compelling images, Phil raises questions about stereotyping and westernisation. His work reveals the complexity of this environment and his own passion and affinity for “the North”. Preview 6pm-8pm Thursday 5 June 2008 Friends, family and colleagues welcome
In Conversation: Phil Brooks with Roger Hickman Wednesday 2 July, 2pm As part of the Sixty Degrees North exhibition, Phil Brooks and photographer and lecturer, Roger Hickman will discuss creative image-making and the fascinating vagaries of life in inhospitable locations, where resilience and strength of spirit are required.
Free admission
Places are limited so please reserve your free place in advance by calling 01922 654400.
Lavu, Karasjok, Lapland, 69 Degrees North. Courtesy of the artist
A publication accompanies this exhibition, with text by the artist, priced £6.50. This publication has been supported by the University of Wolverhampton.
Elizabeth Rowe Tiny Details, Grotesque Proportions
Floor 4
Exhibitions
8 August – 28 September 2008 The worlds contained in Elizabeth Rowe’s paper-based collages are full of contradictions: chance and selection, freedom and constraint, humour and tragedy. Within her works, an assembly of images painstakingly cut out from a variety of printed material – newspapers, shopping catalogues and junk mail – are reconfigured in a manner which suggests a more viral approach: images of technological devices are repeated and replicated at an uncontrollable rate whilst figures dance across scenes of natural wonders and man-made disasters. Created in response to the architecture of the fourth floor gallery space, Rowe’s installation draw us in, up and around the interior structure whilst incorporating the view from the magnificent windows: the scale, pace and supremacy of the British high street. Preview 6pm-8pm Thursday 7 August 2008 Friends, family and colleagues welcome
In Conversation: Elizabeth Rowe with Paul Hedge, Director, Hales Gallery, London Wednesday 24 September, 2pm Elizabeth Rowe is joined by Paul Hedge to discuss her practice and exhibition at The New Art Gallery Walsall. Places are limited so please reserve your free place in advance by calling 01922 654400.
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I love you though you’re cruel to me, 2008. Courtesy of the artist
Floor 1
Artists’ Studio Simon & Tom Bloor 1 September – 28 November 2008 Birmingham based artists Simon & Tom Bloor make projects using a variety of artistic media that develop from research into diverse subject matter including historic documents, 20th century architecture and design, and contemporary popular culture. During their residency, Simon & Tom Bloor will be constructing all the furniture and practical items needed for their three months stay and will produce functional, nomadic ‘flat pack’ works using materials found within and around the gallery. Simon & Tom Bloor will be opening the doors of the studio and discussing their work with gallery visitors on the following dates: Wednesday 29 October, 2-4pm Wednesday 26 November, 2-4pm
Art Library The Art Library is a fantastic free resource for anyone interested in finding out more about art. The Art Library offers:
Untitled Objects (after James Hennessey & Victor Papanek) 2006. Courtesy of the artists
Artist of the Month Tacita Dean (July), Walter Sickert (August), Martin Creed (September).
Reference art books
Free admission
Art magazines and journals Research assistance available Free internet and archive access Children’s art books Art education resources Free storytelling sessions every Saturday at 12.30pm CD ROMs, DVDs and videos
Rare items and oddities from the Art Library and Archives 8 June – 3 August
Specialist art books and exhibition catalogues
Collections database
Cabinet of Curiosities
Contact the library for more information on 01922 01922 654464 or email artlibrary@walsall.gov.uk
The Art Library will be exhibiting a selection of its rare books and objects, as well as items which don’t quite fit into its collections. You’ll be able to see some of our older publications, a number dating back to the 1800s; books that have been annotated by members of the Garman family; and some interesting artefacts from the gallery’s archives, which will be on public display for the first time.
Garman Ryan Exhibitions Guest Star Portraits
Kathleen Garman, lover and later wife of artist Jacob Epstein, and her life-long friend Sally Ryan, a talented sculptor, created this intimate, adventurous and eclectic art collection. On permanent display, the collection includes works by well known European artists such as Monet, Rembrandt, Constable, Van Gogh and Picasso and works by Epstein’s close friends including Augustus John, Modigliani, Gaudier-Brzeska and Lucian Freud. For more information about the life and work of Epstein visit epstein.org.uk
Margaret Thatcher Rodrigo Moynihan until 27 July 2008
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997) Bryan Organ (1935 - ) 2 August – 2 November 2008
Lucien Freud (1922- ), Sleeping Girl, 1961
From obscure beginnings, Diana became an instant celebrity upon her marriage to Prince Charles. Her life became the subject of almost constant media scrutiny. Contemporary reactions to Diana’s life and legacy are mixed, but a fascination with ‘the People’s Princess’ continues to the present.
Bryan Organ (1935 - ). Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997). Acrylic on canvas, 1981 © National Portrait Gallery, London
Out of the Box: Interventions in the Garman Ryan Collection until 5 October 2008 This series of carefully selected contemporary works from Walsall’s collections fit seamlessly into the Garman Ryan Collection, enlivening the thematic display which Kathleen Epstein decided upon when she gave the amazing gift of the collection to Walsall in 1972 including works by Tracey Emin, Helen Chadwick, Richard Wentworth and Jake and Dinos Chapman. Free Garman Ryan Talks every Wednesday and Saturday at 1pm.
Floors 1 and 2
The Garman Ryan Collection
Coming soon
Coming soon
Vidya Gastaldon Call it what you like… 19 September – 23 November 2008 Vidya Gastaldon creates an imaginative and beguiling world where fantasy meets reality and apocalypse meets ecstasy. Smiley faces and Sponge Bob Square Pants encounter nuclear holocausts in these almost hallucinatory visions. Vidya’s paintings, drawings, sculpture and installations are informed by a wide knowledge of literature, religious practices and philosophies as well as a genuine concern for the world around us and its preservation for future generations.
Giacomo Brunelli 3 October – 30 November 2008
Vidya Gastaldon. Atomique balinese soul, 2007. Pencil, gouache and watercolour. Courtesy of Galerie Francesca Pia, Zürich
Italian artist Giacomo Brunelli creates extraordinary photographs of animals, both living and dead, using a Miranda Sensomat camera from 1968 that once belonged to his father. His black and white images are hand-printed in the darkroom. The images are dramatic, powerful and intriguing and offer a refreshing change in this age of digital technology.
Free admission
Walsall YOUR Town 20 July – 31 August 2008 Long Gallery, Floor 1 The New Art Gallery Walsall in partnership with West Bromwich Building Society and The Mercian Trust launched a community photography project inviting local schools to
take part in Walsall YOUR Town. Participating schools attended workshops led by exhibiting artist Phil Brooks, inspired by the urban landscape and regeneration taking place around the gallery. Photographs from the workshops have been selected from each school to win a prize.
The exhibition features winning photographs and a selection of entries will be displayed online at artatwalsall.org.uk
Free events for adults and young people
Free Events
Exhibitions and Events
Look out for free In Conversation events throughout this brochure
Juneau Projects Live Album Launch Thursday 28 August 2008, 6pm-8pm Earlier this year, Juneau Projects transformed the Artists’ Studio into a fully functioning recording studio and collaborated with Walsall residents to produce a new album for their label. The album is now complete and at this live gig, Juneau Projects and the contributing artists will be on stage throughout the evening to perform the tracks for the very first time. To coincide with the launch of their album, Juneau Projects have been commissioned to create a new installation for the gallery’s Window Box which can be seen from Friday 27 June – 31 August 2008. Copies of the album will be available to buy at the Gallery Shop.
Absence Walsall College HND exhibition 1 July – 6 July 2008 Martin Fogg, Richard South, Robert Randle and Gurbaksh Mahal. Juneau Projects, I’m going to antler you, 2006. Courtesy of the artists and f a projects
Adult Workshops
Wood Cutting workshop. Saturday 20 September, 11am-4pm Explore our inspirational 16th century woodcuts exhibition depicting Maximilian I, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Work with a professional artist to create your own woodcuts. Please book in advance, £12 per person. Call 01922 654400.
Preview Tuesday 1 July, 6pm-8pm Everyone welcome
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Experience a hands-on approach to learning specific art skills in an informal and friendly environment. All abilities are welcome with all materials and refreshments provided.
Walsall College HND Fine Art students present final major works exploring experiences, investigations and acknowledgements surrounding the theme of absence.
Free Events
Family Events Free events for all the family
Walsall Collages
Pebble Paintings
Sunday 6 July, 1pm-3pm
Wednesday 13 August, Thursday 14 August, 1pm-3pm each day
Come to the gallery for an arty making session with Walsall College graduates
Fan-tastic Leaves Wednesday 23 July, Thursday 24 July, 1pm-3pm each day Drop in to the gallery and create a giant leaf shaped fan.
Barking Bookmarks Wednesday 30 July, Thursday 31 July, 1pm-3pm each day
Free admission
Be inspired by trees and leaves and make your very own book mark to use in our Summer Reading Challenge and celebrate the National Year of Reading.
Photographs without Cameras Wednesday 6 August, Thursday 7 August, 1pm-3pm each day Use the natural sunlight to make photo-grams of real flowers and leaves.
Brush up your creative skills by painting on natural forms to create everlasting treasures.
Printed Patterns Wednesday 20 August, Thursday 21 August, 1pm-3pm each day Make a print with sandpaper, foam and leaves to create a dramatic image that’s full of texture.
Frottage Forest Wednesday 27 August, Thursday 28 August, 1pm-3pm each day Create some beautiful artworks inspired by the texture of trees.
From Mountains to Mole Hills Wednesday 27 August, Thursday 28 August, 1pm-3pm each day Build a landscape box with mountains, trees and clouds. It’ll be a pocket size view of your perspective.
Come at any time during the event times for drop-in sessions
Discovery Gallery A permanent interactive gallery Relax, imagine, explore, discover… Keep an eye on our Discovery Gallery over the next few months, as we add new activities. Drop in anytime for a safe space to learn and play together. Suitable for all ages.
Free Events
Chila Burman’s Ice Cream Van Saturday 2, Sunday 3, Saturday 9, Sunday 10, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 August 2008, 11am – 4pm Pay a visit to Gallery Square this summer and see Chila Burman’s Ice Cream Van. Speak to Chila, explore the ice cream van and experience one of the few original ice cream vans left in the country. You may even get an ice cream!
Artsfest Birmingham City Centre Friday 12 – Sunday 14 September The gallery will be running workshops in this year’s Artsfest, Birmingham. Come and find us in the centre of the city this September and take part in a series of free exciting events, activities and workshops designed for people of all ages.
Free regular events Art Cart
Storytelling
Discover what all the mums and dads are talking about! Spend some relaxed time with your baby in a multi sensory session for under 2s and their carers. With a different magical theme each session there will be lots to explore, touch, smell, hear and see in a calm and soothing environment. Free, please book in advance
Every Sunday and Bank Holiday 11am-4pm, the Art Cart comes out to help you to explore our collections. It has different activities and moves somewhere new in the gallery every month.
Anyone can pop into the Art Library for a family story time session on Saturdays at 12.30pm for a little quiet time together exploring the magical world of books.
Passport to Arts and Heritage
These are rucksacks stuffed full of activities to help you explore the gallery and its collections. Ask to borrow one from the reception desk and explore together as a family team. All the activities have been newly developed for 2008. Great for family groups with 6-12 year olds.
Friday 18 July Friday 26 September Three sessions each day: 10.30am-11.30am; 12pm-1pm; 1.30pm-2.30pm
What’s new at the gallery and museums in Walsall? Take the passport to find out. Ideal for under 11 year olds to take part in activities in Walsall and win a prize for completing all three tasks. Pick one up at reception.
Frisky Bags
artatwalsall.org.uk
Baby Palace
Book tickets for Walsall Live! events at the gallery reception or online at walsall.gov.uk/walsalllive
Shop
Join us
Purchase exhibition catalogues, postcards, greeting cards, books and prints from our shop, or online at artatwalsall.org.uk
If you are interested in future vacancies at the gallery, please email your name, address and telephone number to info@artatwalsall.org.uk
Access
How to find us
Access guides are available on request, please contact reception on 01922 654400 for a large print version of this text.
By road: The gallery is signposted from all major routes into Walsall town centre including M6 junctions 7, 9 and 10 – just a few minutes drive away.
By bus: For details of buses operating in the West Midlands county, telephone the Centro hotline on 0121 200 2700.
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The New Art Gallery Walsall Gallery Square Walsall WS2 8LG T: 01922 654400 F: 01922 654401 Infoline: 01922 637575 Email: info@artatwalsall.org.uk Textphone: 0845 1112910 Free admission
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By rail: Walsall station is located in Walsall town centre – just two minutes walk to the gallery. For national rail enquiries, call 08457 484950.
Relax and revive in our family friendly café, Costa, open 8am – 6pm Monday to Saturday (and Bank Holidays) and 11am – 4pm on Sundays.
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Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this edition of What’s On, which was correct at the time of publication. Walsall Council cannot be held responsible for any changes.
Box Office
Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 5pm (and Bank Holiday Mondays), Sunday 11am – 4pm.
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Visitor information
Opening times