RUGBY ART GALLERY & MUSEUM FREE Admission
Sheila Bownas portrait and LORI print Š Chelsea Cefai
Art Gallery . Floor One Gallery . Museum Events . Fun and Learning . Schools Visitor Centre . Shop
2016
Kawaii!!!? Crafting the Japanese culture of cute 30th January – 2nd April What is Kawaii? Wherever you go in Japan, sooner or later you will start to notice the word ‘kawaii’ in the conversations of young girls, and if you stay long enough you will also hear it in other situations, and maybe you will start to wonder what it means. The easy answer is ‘cute’, something or someone who is sweet and appealing. The most famous manifestation of kawaii is the global brand of Hello Kitty. And you will also notice that it is present in the popular Japanese cultures of Manga (comics), Anime (animation) and the sub-culture of Cosplay (dressing up in character). The culture of kawaii has many levels of meaning and this exhibition is an exploration of those meanings. Helping in this exploration are a number of Japanese artists who are using many of the traditional crafts of Japan including textiles, urushi (lacquer), ceramics, glass, Ohigashi (sculpting soft bean paste) and washi (handmade paper). These materials and techniques are combined with plastic, metal, sugar and graphic design as a means of commenting upon and in some cases reclaiming the culture of kawaii. The exhibition contains works that are humorous, beautiful and dark. In approach some of the works reflect kawaii’s commercial appeal to the pink princess in all of us, no matter what age or sex. Other works allude to the transgressive and exploitative nature of sexual politics. And some reclaim a much earlier meaning of kawaii as described in the 11th century by Sei Shonagon in her Pillow Book chapter titled Endearingly Lovely Things: In fact absolutely anything that’s tiny is endearing.
© Mitsuo Toyazaki
The exhibition will be supported by an activity space, talks and workshops. See our website for more information.
Rugby Collection 2016 When You Fall into a Trance 16th April – 11th June The Rugby Collection holds works by many well-known 20th century and contemporary artists including Stanley Spencer, Bridget Riley, Barbara Hepworth, L.S Lowry and AK Dolven. Every year a selection of works from the Rugby Collection is presented focussing on a specific theme. This year we are very pleased to be presenting a new film work by Rugby born, internationally acclaimed artist Emily Wardill called ‘When You Fall into a Trance’. The film will be presented alongside a selection of works from the Rugby Collection picked by Emily to compliment her work. ‘When You Fall into a Trance’ continues Emily’s interest in the complexities of communication and representation, the limitations of language and the nature of imagination. Partly filmed at the then Ken Marriott Leisure Centre in Rugby, Emily uses images of synchronised swimmers inter-woven with a complex narrative of relationships to explore the condition of Proprioception. (Eg: close your eyes and put your hand above your head. Your proprioception tells you that you know where your arm is. If you lose this sense you cannot tell where your body is without looking at it). ‘When You Fall into a Trance’ is a feature length film of 73 minutes and as such will be shown in the art gallery four times a day. Showing times will be: 10.15am, 11.45am, 1.15pm, and 2.45pm. We recommend this film is suitable for ages 16 years and over. No booking is needed and the rest of the exhibition is open as usual during our opening hours.
Art Gallery
Emily Wardill, When You Fall into a Trance, 2013, video still courtesy of the artist and carlier l gebauer, STANDARD (OLSO) and Altman Siegal Gallery
Alongside the exhibition will be lots of FREE drop in activities relating to works in the collection alongside other events such as talks. See our website for more details.
A Life in Pattern: The Life & Works of Sheila Bownas 25th June – 3rd September In 2008, while looking for artwork to hang in her newly decorated home, Rugby based gallery professional Chelsea Cefai bought an archive of 210 textile design prints from an auction. This spur of the moment decision has resulted in a six year quest to discover more about the artist who created them; Sheila Bownas. The mysteries surrounding the vast body of work discovered after the death of this prolific artist were as much unknown to her family as they were to the art world. The 210 prints, dating from the 1950’s through to the 1980’s form the nucleus of the collection. Over the past six years Chelsea has worked steadily to make connections with artists, designers and traditional makers across the UK in order to create unique products that bring Sheila’s designs back to life. This exhibition will explore Sheila’s life, the development of her artistic and textile design practice and the relevance of her designs to the contemporary textile design field. On display will be early paintings and archive material, on loan from Sheila’s cousins and god daughter, including photographs, private letters, business invoices and catalogues for her research. There will also be an exciting collection of Botanical studies created by Sheila, on loan from the Natural History Museum. In addition to this there will be a display of Shelia’s surface pattern designs dating from the 1950’s and spanning three decades. The highlight and centre piece of the exhibition will be a to-scale living room set full of items such as wallpaper, cushions, upholstered furniture and light fittings featuring Sheila’s designs. These new contemporary pieces have been made in partnership with UK artisans and will bring Sheila’s designs to life demonstrating the relevancy of her design work to today.
West Riding Collection and Cecil print © Chelsea Cefai
To accompany the exhibition there will be an extensive education programme including an activity space for families and a programme of talks, tours and workshops. See our website for more details.
Never Knowing Why Robert Priseman 17th September – 12th November Robert Priseman is an artist who has spent the past decade exploring the darker side of human nature in an effort to expose its gentler and more understanding heart. Believing that fundamentally we are all kind and share a desire to help each other, the thought that we can also be cruel, destructive and vindictive is a great mystery to him. Fueled by the desire to understand what motivates us to behave in the ways we do Robert has tackled subjects in his paintings as wide ranging as the Holocaust, suicide and civil war. Building on these previous series Robert now presents a selection of new works looking at the phenomena of high school shootings in the USA. The exhibition will consist of three sections. The first comprises seven portraits of Dylan Klebold, each based on photographs taken of him at various stages of his childhood. Dylan was one of the two senior year students who carried out a rampage shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado on the 20th April 1999 and is one of the focuses of the exhibition. The second set of pictures is a group of nine drawings of the outsides of schools in the USA where students have carried out shootings, employing coloured crayons as a medium so that the pictures might resonate with the drawings children produce. The third part of the exhibition consists of five oil paintings which depict the insides of empty class rooms and school corridors where shootings have taken place. They are deliberately empty of people so that we might imagine ourselves standing in them, contemplating what has happened.
Art Gallery
Red Lake High School, Pencil and Crayon on Paper Š Robert Priseman
While there are no easy answers to such tragedies this exhibition aims to explore how they may develop. To this end the exhibition will provide as its centre point a space for reflection and support with this difficult subject matter including extensive resources looking at anti-bullying initiatives.
Rugby Open 2016 25th November 2016 – 14th January 2017
The annual Rugby Open exhibition presents the best artwork from the area. We accept painting, drawing, print, photography and a wide range of 3D work including textiles, ceramics, jewellery and sculpture. Several prizes are supported by local businesses including the impressive first prize of a solo exhibition in Floor One Gallery. If you are an artist over 16 years of age and live or work within a 15 mile radius of Rugby Art Gallery and Museum you are eligible to enter. Further information can be found on our website where application forms will be available to download in August of 2016. If you sign up to our mailing list and tell us you are interested in applying, an application form can be automatically sent to you.
Art Gallery
Rugby Open 2016
To sign up please see our website or contact the art gallery on ragm@rugby.gov.uk or (01788) 533201.
Exhibitions in the Floor One Gallery
Arts Development Arts Development is focussed on creating opportunities for people to engage in art and culture. It supports artists and creative people within the borough of Rugby by working in partnership with Rugby Art Gallery and Museum to offer free advice, networking opportunities and training.
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Rugby Artists’ Group 18 March – 1 April
Arts Development also encourages young people to engage in the arts, it develops new partnerships with creative industries and provides access to local grants. For further information please contact ragm@rugby.gov.uk or call 01788 533223.
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Percival Guildhouse 1 – 15 April
Arts Grants
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Alchemy 7 – 21 October
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Dunchurch Photographic Society 21 October – 4 November
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Warwickshire College 4 – 18 November
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Rugby Open 2015 Winner 18 November – 2 December
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Rugby and District Fine Art Society 2 – 16 December
Rugby Borough Council offers annual arts grants that are aimed at artists in Rugby who engage the local community in creative activity and partnerships. The grants enable artists and creative groups to develop new ideas, initiatives and start-up projects that encourage growth, progression and expansion in the creative sector. The successful grant applicants become ambassadors of talent for Rugby, helping to play a strong role in the cultural scene of the area. For further information please visit
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Tantalus 16 -31 December
Dunchurch Photographic Society Exhibition 2015
Please call to confirm exhibition opening times before visiting or visit our website for details.
www.rugby.gov.uk/artsgrant or email ragm@rugby.gov.uk
Arts Development Rugby’s Got Balls © kookooshaboo
Rugby Art Groups exhibiting in 2016
Floor One Gallery
Floor One Gallery is a purpose built, light and airy space, dedicated for artists of self-organised exhibitions of visual art, craft and media. For a small fee, hirers can use the 17.75 linear metres of wall space. Every six months we invite artists on our email list to apply for dates. We welcome applications from Warwickshire and beyond. Contact us for more details on (01788) 533201 or ragm@rugby.gov.uk
Jack Lucas Archaeology Gallery Share the excitement of archaeologists who have been uncovering the secrets of Tripontium for the past forty years. Tripontium, which means ‘the place of three bridges’, was a small Roman town situated approximately four miles north-east of Rugby. The first excavations were led by Jack Lucas in the 1960s. The remarkable Tripontium Collection consists of a wide variety of Roman artefacts excavated from the site. The collection gives you the chance to learn about daily life in Roman Britain through a range of interactive displays. Visitors can: • Handle pottery, tiles and animal bones used nearly 2,000 years ago by the inhabitants of Tripontium • Try on replica Roman clothes like those worn by the town’s people • Watch a BBC video about the archaeological site
Jack Lucas Archaeology Gallery Photo by K Jackson © 2012
Activities in the Jack Lucas Archaeology Gallery
• Enjoy children’s activity sheets and quizzes
Social History Gallery Discover Rugby’s wealth of industrial heritage and the changing pattern of family and community life in Rugby and the Borough. Since 1999 the people of Rugby and the wider area have contributed objects and memories to the social history collection. It now provides a vivid picture of everyday life over the past two centuries with objects and photographs that evoke fascinating memories of Rugby. Visitors can: • Learn about Rugby’s rich engineering heritage through our interactive hub • Explore a range of objects connected with the heyday of the massive British Thomson Houston industrial complex and other local industries • Explore everyday objects used by local people over the decades from toys and games to clothing, household items, and appliances • Browse a selection of photographs from Redding photographic studio • Find out about some of the recent donations to the social history collection
Museum
Photo by K. Jackson © 2012
Karl Jackson 2012
Visit the social history gallery and discover how life in Rugby has changed over time – and perhaps share your own memories of the town and the way it has grown.
Events Night at the Museum FREE All ages
Big Draw FREE All ages
Friday 13 May 2016, 5.30 – 9.30pm
Saturday 15th October 2016, 11.00 - 3.30pm
Our spectacular and ever popular evening event is back! Take part in fascinating, interactive activities inspired by Rugby’s rich engineering heritage. Suitable for the whole family.
Be creative and draw in exciting new ways as part of our fantastic event linked to the current exhibition.
Adult Learners’ Week Adult Learners’ Week is a national celebration of lifelong learning. Choose from a range of workshops and activities inspired by our art and history collections. Charges may apply.
Rugby Festival of Culture July As Rugby’s cultural hub, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum will celebrate the festival with an array of exhibitions and activities.
Festival of British Archaeology FREE, all ages 16th – 31st July
Big Draw ‘Crazy Drawing’ fun
If you have a passion for the past, our workshops and special events will help you to uncover our unique archaeological heritage for yourself.
Fun and Learning Young people can enjoy a range of fun activities, workshops and drop-in sessions at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum. The SMART programme of holiday activities for children and young people in Rugby runs during the Easter, summer and half term holidays. Activities include art, craft, dance and music. Visit www.rugby.gov.uk/smart or call (01788) 533201 for the latest SMART brochure. Our exciting hunts are held every school holiday. Come and search for themed objects in the museum and art gallery. All hunts are free and suitable for children and families.
Adult workshop
June
Schools Rugby Art Gallery and Museum offers a wide variety of resources for schools and colleges. Full details of what we offer are available in our schools programme brochure, available to download from our website. Schools can:
• Explore the art gallery and museum with a free introductory talk with self-led visits and use of our improved and expanded education room. • Book an art workshop linked to the exhibition led by our creative team. • Arrange visits tailored to your needs. Choose from a range of subjects including Rugby’s social history, modern art and rugby football. • Our Magic Carpet Ride is perfect for key stage 1. This animated and informative adventure through the town of Rugby highlights the key events that have made Rugby the town it is today. These sessions involve audience participation, dressing up, drama and of course historical facts that will really capture the student’s imagination. • The Roman Britain workshop is a hands-on history session led by our experienced staff. These interactive workshops will enable students to soak up the atmosphere in our museum whilst learning how archaeologists use the objects left behind to discover how the Romans lived.
• Take the museum to your class room with our education loan boxes. Choose from Romans, Victorians, World War II and Rugby through the ages. • Gain ideas and information through our education packs linked to our current art exhibition.
For more information about our educational resources or visits, contact us on 01788 533208.
Little Discoveries Returning in Spring 2016 Under-fives can have fun making Little Discoveries, on the last Friday of each month, with our free, hands-on activities. Enjoy storytelling, make your own mask, get messy with prints, and much more. Contact us for details of events, including dates. Activity packs for under 5s are also available in the museum at any time during normal opening hours – just drop in. For up-to-date information on all our events and activities, visit www.ragm.org.uk, email ragm@rugby.gov.uk, or call (01788) 533201.
Events, Activities and Schools
Local schoolchildren enjoy activities in the art gallery
Photo: Stereographic © 2011
Fun for under fives at Little Discoveries
• Experience a ‘Roman Day Out’. Learn about Roman military life at Lunt Roman Fort and Roman domestic life at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.
Information Full access for people with disabilities Baby changing facilities. Pay and display parking is available in front of the building. Please call to confirm an event or exhibition is taking place before visiting. Opening Times Tue - Fri Sat Bank Holiday Sun & Mon
10am - 5pm 10am - 4pm 12noon - 4pm Closed
Contact Rugby Art Gallery and Museum Little Elborow Street, Rugby CV21 3BZ T: (01788) 533201 E: ragm@rugby.gov.uk W: www.ragm.org.uk
Rugby Visitor Centre and Shop Rugby Visitor Centre, located in the ground floor foyer, provides information on visitor attractions and events, a co-ordinated accommodation booking service, and a ticket office. The Visitor Centre shop offers a range of high quality contemporary craft from makers in the area. Visitors can also purchase gifts and souvenirs relating to Rugby’s culture and heritage at a range of prices to suit all pockets. Rugby Visitor Centre is the perfect place to buy an unusual and unique gift. For information, including opening times and brochure request, contact (01788) 533217, visitor. centre@rugby.gov.uk, or visit www.enjoyrugby.co.uk
@rugbygallery RAGM
Crown Copyright and Database Rights 2013. Ordnance Survey 100019417
Join our Mailing List If you would like to receive regular updates by email or post about our exhibitions and events call us on 01788 533201 or email ragm@rugby.gov.uk
For a large print version of this leaflet please telephone (01788) 533201