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kettle’s yard and friends’ news summer 2013
Kettle’s Yard goes Local! Tour of Castle Mound during Castle Hill Open Day 2012. Photo: Marisa Sutherland-Brown.
33rd greatest gallery in the world!
As Kettle’s Yard continues to take a leading role in city wide and regional cultural development, we are increasingly looking a little
We are thrilled to be included in The Times
closer to home to enrich our programmes and activity. Kettle’s Yard sits
greatest 50 galleries in the world.
just across the road from the wards of Arbury and Kings Hedges and
Kettle’s Yard was listed as the 33rd greatest
in the coming years we hope to strenghthen our relationships with
gallery just ahead of the National Gallery of
these parts of the city so that our neighbouring communities feel like
Art, Washington DC. We were 6th in the U.K.
Kettle’s Yard is their local museum and gallery.
The top spot was taken by the Uffizi Gallery,
On Saturday 22 September 2012, we held the inaugural Castle Hill
Florence.
Open Day (supported by local company Tees Solicitors), in partnership with The Cambridge and County Folk Museum, St Giles’ Church, Churches Conservation Trust (which has responsibility for St Peter’s Church) and Cambridgeshire County Council (which has responsibility for
In April, we welcomed a new member of staff
Castle Mound). The aim of the day was to celebrate the unique heritage,
to the team as Karen Thomas took up the post of
history and culture of Castle Hill and to open our doors to new visitors.
Community Officer. The focus of her role will be
Visitors had the opportunity to discover modern and contemporary
to develop long-term creative partnerships with
art, architecture, archaeology and the local history and heritage of the
the communities of North Cambridge, on behalf
area. There were tours, talks, musical recitals, family activities, handling
of Kettle’s Yard and the University of Cambridge
collections, trails, and a pop-up café. Over 1500 people attended the
Museums. The aim is to create a dialogue with our
sites and 417 people visited the Kettle’s Yard house, of which half were
neighbours and increase community involvement
first-time visitors. 20 volunteers supported the running of the day and
with our programmes, year on year.
feedback was very positive. The success of this event is a strong first step in raising awareness of the cultural and heritage offer in this part of Cambridge.
This year’s open day is Saturday 21st September 2013. Please save the date!
Stories from the Archive
CIRCUIT:
Most of those with whom Jim
A National Youth Network for the Visual Arts
Ede came into contact could expect to be a recipient of his
We have been accepted, in collaboration
letters, in tiny handwriting which
with Wysing Arts Centre, as one of 5
covered every centimetre of the
national partners, in a landmark youth
page. The famous names are too
engagement programme funded by the
many to list here. In addition
Paul Hamlyn Foundation and initiated by
to the well-known Alfred
Tate. Over four years, Circuit aims to reach
Wallis, Constantin Brancusi, Ben
80,000 young people aged 15-25 and spark
Nicholson, David Jones and the
a long-term transformation in the way that
many other Kettle’s Yard artists,
young people engage with art. Beginning this summer, Kettle’s Yard
one could also include, T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia),
and Wysing aim to engage young people
Ezra Pound, John Gielgud, and a
in art activity and peer-led programming
whole host besides …
at both our venues. In addition, we will
Over the past eighteen
work with Cambridge’s online and digital
months the archives at Kettle’s
community to develop a festival that will
Yard have been the subject of
use new technology to uncover hidden
a major project. Together with
aspects of the city. We aim to help young
Jane Morgans, a volunteer
people connect with the resources and
with a degree in fine arts, and
facilities in their area and understand the
Anna Ferrari, who has recently
employment routes into the creative and
completed a PhD at the University
digital industries. With sustained involvement in local
of Cambridge, I have been cataloguing much of what we
youth services, we hope our participation
have termed the ‘Ede’ archive.
in Circuit will offer opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to co-curate
For the most part we’ve sat in a corner and worked away quietly,
Documents from the archive. Photo: Marisa Sutherland-Brown
ambitious arts projects, build their own
but we did have one public
creative community and have a real and
outing! The archives service had a presence at the Castle Hill Open Day, and was a
positive impact on the cultural life of our city.
popular corner of the house. I was able to put on show some original documents and
Rosie O’Donovan, Education Officer
some copies of material not previously seen concerning some of the Kettle’s Yard artists and Jim’s relationships with them. Of course Jim is well-known as the author of ‘Savage Messiah’ (1931) and ‘A Way of Life’ (1984), but as I started going through boxes of his conscientiously annotated drafts, it became clear that he had written consistently during his life. From 1920 onwards, he published dozens of book reviews spanning Renaissance and non-Western art, drafted several series of lectures, which he delivered in America in the 1930s and 1940s and wrote talks for radio broadcast. He also devoted essays to individual artists who were close to him and are central to Kettle’s Yard: Ben and Winifred Nicholson, Alfred Wallis, Christopher Wood and Henri Gaudier-Brzeska. This wealth of fascinating sources forms the basis of the digital guide to Kettle’s Yard. Drawing from the most exciting and interesting archives, we hope to give visitors the opportunity to discover some of Jim’s writings, correspondence, photographs and audio material, and to learn more about Kettle’s Yard. So, we will leave you with this final quote from Robin Moore Ede, a distant cousin of Jim, “Father always spoke of you as a colourful figure who rescued paintings at the Tate during the flooded basement and entertained in your Hampstead House wearing a FEZ. True or false?” Dr Claire Daunton, Honorary Archivist Kettle’s Yard Poet in residence Jackie Kay. Photo: Mary McCartney
House Guests Specimens, objects and artworks take up residence at Kettle’s Yard From April to July 2013 visitors to Kettle’s Yard have the opportunity to see ‘guests’ from eight other University of Cambridge museums and collections carefully placed amongst the artworks and objects in the house. These works have been selected by the museum directors in collaboration with Kettle’s Yard Associate Artist Jeremy Millar. From an Inuit carving to an ammonite, a Cairns Birdwing butterfly to a bronze head by artist Marguerite Milward, the ‘guests’ have been installed amongst the permanent displays in the cottages at Kettle’s Yard creating new conversations between art works, objects, plants and stones – creating new and diverse juxtapositions. A key part of the ‘House Guests’ project is the collaboration with the Critical Writing in Art and Design programme at the Royal College of Art. The post-graduate students will be contributing to a publication that will accompany the exhibition. The publication will include interviews with the curators of each museum. We hope the ‘guests’ will inspire visitors to see Kettle’s Yard in a new light and will encourage them to discover more about the other University of Cambridge museums. Bridget Cusack, Curator
Marguerite Milward, Bronze portrait of Luivao in the dancer room, courtesy of Jeremy Millar
Thresholds: Poet in residence
the crowd with her wit, charm and astute observations about life. During her stay
Kettle’s Yard was delighted to take part
children, winning The Guardian Fiction
she worked with artist Filipa Pereira-Stubbs
in this year’s Thresholds project. Poet
Prize for her debut novel ‘Trumpet’.
on a six-week poetry course for a group
Laureate Carol Ann Duffy chose ten of the
Jackie was a joy to have at Kettle’s
of young people. The group worked with
best poets in the UK to take up residencies
Yard. One could often find her curled up
Jackie to form their own poems inspired
at the University of Cambridge, one for
in the dancer room contemplating the
by the collection at Kettle’s Yard. They
each museum, the University Library and
collection and the fate of the dancer.
then worked their words into installations,
Botanic Gardens, interacting with their
She said the shadows the sculpture cast
which were exhibited across the house at a
environment and collections and writing
reminded her of a Hitchcock movie.
special family and friends event.
about their experiences. For two wonderful weeks this winter Jackie Kay was our poet in residence. Jackie is a poet, novelist, and writer of short stories, and has enjoyed great acclaim for her work for both adults and
Jackie said she was loving spending time at Kettle’s Yard, ‘it incurs a new way of thinking‘. She held a poetry reading on a very cold evening in March where she delighted
She has written a new poem inspired by Kettle’s Yard, which is available on the Thresholds website: www.thresholds.org.uk
Supporting emerging artists Welcoming in 2013 we relinquished control of the gallery to two Artists-led spaces from the East; Aid & Abet in Cambridge and ‘OUTPOST’ in Norwich. Director, Andrew Nairne explains his reasons for the ‘take over’: ‘From my time working in Glasgow I know how artist-led spaces can make a real difference: supporting practice and influencing the culture of the city. Kettle’s Yard has evolving capital plans, which have meant the creation of a smaller exhibiting area within the gallery. This has given us an opportunity to Katie Paterson’s ‘fossil necklace’ on display in St Peter’s Church. Photo: Paul Allitt.
experiment and try some new approaches in relation to our gallery programme. I was confident that Aid & Abet and OUTPOST would bring artists and energy to Kettle’s Yard ‘ The exhibitions were enhanced by opportunities for the public to meet the artists and attend talks and events. We also hosted an important panel discussion concerning issues of support for artists in Cambridge and the East Region. As part of our remit as a major visual arts organisation we will continue to find ways to encourage and support artists living and working in the area as well as nationally and internationally. This year we have solo shows by artists Katie Paterson, resulting from her residency at the Sanger Institute just outside of Cambridge, and Sophy Rickett recently in residence at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. See Katie Paterson’s exhibition until the 23rd June 2013.
Sold in support of Kettle’s Yard We are thrilled that one of our generous Kettle’s Yard supporters donated a Roy Lichtenstein screen print that was sold at Christie’s on 20 March 2013. The timing for the sale could not have been better as it coincided with the hugely popular Lichtenstein retrospective at Tate Modern (21 February - 27 May 2013). Lichtenstein is renowned for his works based on comic strips and advertising imagery, coloured with his signature hand-painted Benday dots. We were delighted that the print realized well above the estimated price, closing at £10,000. Donations like this are a lovely way to raise money for Kettle’s Yard. They contribute to the on-going conservation of the house and collection, our exhibition programme and our work with schools and the community. If you would like to support Kettle’s Yard please do get in touch with Kathryn or Marisa in our Development Team, development@kettlesyard.cam.ac.uk or phone 01223748100.
Roy Lichtenstein, Brushstrokes 1967, © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein / DACS 2013, sold by Christie’s, London
Looking Ahead In 2011 we were awarded £2.32m by the Heritage Lottery Fund to create a much needed Education Wing for Kettle’s Yard. Trusts and Foundations and many individuals also very generously provided support. During 2012 we had to reschedule the building work due to technical difficulties. In this period we looked again at our options and decided that we could make further significant improvements to Kettle’s Yard – and that it would make sense to undertake a single, larger scheme. The Education Wing will be a great enhancement, transforming our work with schools, groups and individuals. Our new plan is for the Education Wing to be complemented by beautifully designed, sustainable exhibition galleries and greatly improved services for visitors including a cafe on the ground floor. View of the new entrance area: Jamie Forbert Architects
How will this larger plan be paid for? Arts Council England have a capital investment
In the event that our application to Arts Council England is not
programme to which we can apply. Their fund
successful we will proceed with building the Education Wing as a stand-
is focused on the refurbishment of arts spaces
alone project in 2014.
undertaken in such a way as to increase financial resilience. I believe our plans would do exactly that. Grouped around the Kettle’s Yard House, renewed galleries could attract the best artists to Cambridge and an entrance space and cafe will encourage greater community involvement. The design will enable us to welcome new visitors and increase earned income through the shop, cafe and hires. The cost of the larger scheme is estimated at £8m. Through the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, trusts, foundations, the Friends of Kettle’s Yard and many individual donors we have raised over £5m (£3.7m for the capital build) for the Education Wing and linked endowment. This is a
What will Kettle’s Yard look like in 2017? A state-of-the-art four floor Education Wing, with creative workshop space and digital seminar room, that will enable significant expansion of our education and community activities. Two high-quality exhibition galleries, built on the same environmentally sustainable design principles as the Education Wing, that will provide facilities that better serve both artists and visitors. A new entrance area, shop and café on the ground floor that will greatly improve our ‘welcome’ and the overall visitor experience. A dedicated archive and research space that will make the treasures of Kettle’s Yard’s collection more accessible to both researchers and the general public.
tremendous achievement. I would like to express
What will the project mean for Kettle’s Yard:
my gratitude especially to those who served on the
Kettle’s Yard grew out of one man’s deeply-held belief that art is too
Development Appeal Group for their commitment
important to be the privilege of a few. The larger scheme will enable
and hard work over a number of years. These
us to organise exhibitions with major artists from around the world,
existing funds will greatly increase the likelihood
display 20th century art in the right conditions, and have the facilities to
of success when we apply to Arts Council England
encourage even more people to enjoy Kettle’s Yard.
later this year for £3.5m as a major contribution towards the cost of the whole scheme. Support from Arts Council England will leave us with £800k to £1m to raise during 2014 before we can begin construction in 2015.
Andrew Nairne, Director
Yard. If Jim Ede had preached the place of art in the home,
The Friends of Kettle’s Yard were extremely fortunate to
here was Rosemary supplying it. With no pretension of being
have had Michael Harrison as the Director for 19 years. Those
either gallery professional or connoisseur, she had a knack of
of us who help run the Friends have been lucky enough to
infecting customers with her own sense of enthusiastic enquiry
draw strength and inspiration from this remarkably talented
and discovery. Personally delivered invitations and double private
and generous man. Michael’s outstanding commitment to
views made attendance obligatory and purchases followed
maintaining and expanding Jim Ede’s creation has been our
naturally. Cambridge artists found themselves exhibiting, not in a
guiding force when supporting Jim’s legacy. Michael was
‘local’ gallery but in one with international perspectives with new
someone for whom you wanted to do your best. In return, he
work brought from far and wide.
showed his appreciation of the many ways we give support
I was always daunted by Rosemary’s productivity and deeply
to Kettle’s Yard, be it financially or by organising our varied
envious of her capacity for having time to do things, whether
programme of events. It was a privilege and pleasure to get
walking Millie on Midsummer Common or getting away to
to know him well during nearly nine years as Chair of the
Spain. If she wasn’t in the gallery or abroad, she was up in her
Friends.
beloved Swaledale where her artistic and educational energies
Alan Munro
Rosemary Davidson (1929-2012)
set more fires burning. Occasionally we referred artists to each other and I was particularly thrilled when I asked Rosemary if she
An appreciation by Michael Harrison written shortly before
would extend her northward journey to visit Nerys Johnson in
his death
Durham. Nerys was an extraordinary colourist whose paintings of
There are not many galleries where you open the door and step over the dog and are then offered a cheery greeting and a cup of coffee but these were some of the unique selling points of Broughton House. I first met Rosemary soon after I arrived at Kettle’s Yard in 1992. She arrived at the office door with a poster for her next show and we hit it off straight away – a couple of northerners, she more evidently and delightfully than I, washed up in Cambridge plying the same trade. I knew no other but here was Rosemary, then in her early sixties, launched on her second career as a gallery owner and clearly knowing what she was about. Born on the wrong side of the Pennines in 1929, her family had swiftly remedied the fault to turn her into a Yorkshire woman via a dose of Northumberland. She read Modern Languages at Oxford and, to her later amused embarrassment, picked up a hockey blue. England in the early ’50s was not an exciting prospect and Rosemary took jobs in Germany and Finland on either side of travel in the United States where she linked up with her elder diplomat brother, later food writer, Alan Davidson. But London brightened up and Rosemary launched into educational publishing in which she would make her mark, at Longmans in its heyday until 1978, and then CUP as head of the educational division and the first woman on the executive board. According to colleagues, there was something of the dragon about her but she was risk taking and inspirational in showing how a woman could function in a big management role. With retirement in prospect, Rosemary was planning ahead and by 1987 had already opened the doors of Broughton House
flowers became smaller, more intense and more life affirming as a cruelly debilitating disease progressed. An instant friendship was struck up, each recognising in the other the genuine article, and Rosemary presented two wonderful exhibitions, the second after Nerys’s death. In its later years, Gwen Raverat was at the heart of Broughton House, Rosemary having been entrusted with her archive. Exhibitions and handsome books appeared and, even as Rosemary physically shrank, she put to bed a Raverat calendar for 2013, a year she wouldn’t see. Rosemary was a great enthusiast for Kettle’s Yard. Sadly, both she and Broughton House Gallery are now gone. Happily, that other northerner, Lynne Strover, is still plying the trade out in Fen Ditton.
Rosemary Davidson on Aldeburgh beach by Maggi Hambling’s ‘Scallop’. Photo: Clive Cookson
Michael Harrison and the Friends
on King Street. It was to become an invaluable foil to Kettle’s
A member of Friends getting into the spirit of artist Maria Nepomuceno’s installation ‘ Breathing Time’ at the Turner Margate
his famously incomprehensible lectures to Carl Andre’s wooden sculptures to Brazilian artist Maria Nepomuceno’s exuberant knitted and woven colourful ‘play garden.’ Our thanks go to Ruth Rattenbury who conceived and ran a memorable trip. For many of us, our traditional view of the English seaside has been transformed. Martin Thompson
Poitiers and Touraine Trip September 2012 From Cambridge to Paris by Eurostar and on to Poitiers by coach where our driver demonstrated reassuring skill in guiding his huge vehicle through the narrow streets of the
Art-on-Sea
medieval city.
The Friends hit the South Coast in March
the new Museum of Prehistory, cleverly inserted into a wing
The South Coast can boast a great Modernist icon at Bexhill
floor – a wonderful light space with splendid views from which
and two exciting new art galleries at Hastings and Margate.
you turn into a windowless corridor of the original building.
Add to these treats, a chance to hear the finals of an
Archaeological finds are presented in a long run of well-lit cases
international piano competition and a visit to an important if
down the centre of this richly decorated darkness. A stunning
underrated contemporary artist and you have the ingredients
museum. Then to lunch, served in a garden on shaded trestle
for a fascinating weekend.
tables. In the afternoon, we stopped at St Savin-sur-Gartempe
First, a visit to the De La Warr Pavilion at Bexhill designed
Next day, we drove to Le Grand Pressigny where we visited of the old castle. A massive stone staircase leads up to the first
to see the painted abbey church, described in nicely Frenchified
in 1930 by Mendelsohn and Chermayeff, the latter the subject
English as housing ‘ the most considerable assemblage of
of a memorable exhibition at Kettle’s Yard some years ago.
Romanesque paintings anywhere preserved’, with ceilings
The still controversial structure has succeeded in becoming a
thought to have been painted c.1100 AD.
true People’s Palace with exhibitions, concerts and a café. We
Friday was spent in Poitiers where we visited the
were captivated by artist Shaun Gladwell’s widescreen video
Médiatheque Francois Mitterand, a calm set of spaces in a large
of a BMX biker performing balletic moves in slow motion on
new building, followed by the T.A.P Theatre, a striking series of
the seafront on a grey day that echoed our own view from the
black cubes. In the ‘free’ afternoon most of us visited some of
windows of this sleek, very unBritish building.
the wonderful mediaeval churches.
The new Jerwood Gallery at Hastings, with its iridescent
On Saturday morning, we first visited Saint Maure de
skin echoing the hues of a mussel shell, sits comfortably within
Touraine where we paused to look at a set of three sharply
a group of traditional black-pitch covered fishermen’s huts
angled, sustainable new public buildings. Then we set off for
on the beach. Its changing exhibitions and displays from the
Chaumont-sur-Loire to visit the International Gardens Festival,
outstanding Jerwood collection of 20th Century British painting
where artists had created striking installations on this huge
are bringing many tourists to the town. Our one-night stay in
estate. Pausing at Amboise en route to Tours allowed our keen
Hastings coincided with a chance to sit in on the exciting finals
photographers to take pictures of the Loire and the chateau.
of the Hastings International Piano Competition with the RPO providing the muscle. En route for Margate, we called in to the studio of artist
Sunday provided one of our greatest treats. We visited an historic house in deep countryside whose owners seem to have spent their adult lives in collecting beautiful objects – he
John Blackburn who was ‘discovered’ by Jim Ede and who is still
is primarily interested in ancient wooden furniture and she
producing exciting and challenging new work well into his 80s.
collects paintings, drawings, ceramics, rugs and other textiles.
John’s reputation has had a recent fillip with an exhibition at
I was amazed by the ceramic collection –beginning with
the University of Kent and its art historian curator, Ben Thomas,
prehistoric Chinese bowls and continuing in later centuries
gave us a fascinating overview of John’s career.
with Chinese vessels, Iznik and other early pottery, through
Finally to the new Turner perched above the sweep of
wonderful 19th century tiles and pots up to modern potters
beach at Margate – its pale glass-tiled skin reflecting the milky
such as Lucy Rie. Finally, we briefly visited Loches, a mediaeval
sea beyond – a non-showy building designed by the ubiquitous
town, before returning to Tours to begin the journey back
David Chipperfield with excellent spaces filled with highly varied
to Paris, the Eurostar and home. Our thanks go to organiser
exhibits. These ranged from Turner’s perspective drawings for
Christine Botes. Gill Brown
Kettle’s Yard Castle Street, Cambridge CB3 0AQ 01223 748100 • www.kettlesyard.co.uk
Christopher Wood To accompany this Summer’s Christopher Wood show we are producing lots of new merchandise, there will be a Christopher Wood book to add to our beautiful ongoing series of publications on Kettle’s Yard artists, a life size print of ‘Flowers’ and a wide range of cards. This show is supported by Hannay Robertson Ltd.
Michael Harrison We are very sad to report that Michael Harrison, former Director of Kettle’s Yard (1992-2011), died peacefully at home on the 25th April 2013. A full appreciation of Michael will be included in the next edition.
New committee members This year we said goodbye to three members of the Kettle’s Yard committee,
Castle Hill open day Save the date for this year’s Castle Hill Open Day on Saturday 21st September 2013. A range of talks, tours and family activities, celebrating the unique heritage of the Castle Hill area, will be available free of charge. Please come along.
Susan Smith, John Talbot and Stephen Rudder. We would like to thank them for their commitment and hard-work on behalf of Kettle’s Yard. Though we are sad to see them go we are very fortunate to be welcoming two new members to our committee, Anne Lonsdale and Alex Van Someren. Anne Lonsdale, the new Chair of the Committee, has been a long-time supporter and Friend of Kettle’s Yard. She will be a familiar name to many as former President of New Hall, now Murray Edwards College, from 19962008. Alex Van Someren is also a Friend of Kettle’s Yard and contemporary art enthusiast. Alex is Managing Partner at Amadeus Capital, based at the top of
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Castle Hill. We are delighted they have agreed to bring their considerable skills
IN AN ALTERNATIVE FORMAT
and experience to support Kettle’s Yard in the coming years.
PLEASE CALL 01223 748100
This newsletter is made possible by a donation from the Friends of Kettle’s Yard. Kettle’s Yard is grateful to the following who have recently supported our programme: The Friends of Kettle’s Yard, Arts Council England, The Higher Education Funding Council, The Heritage Lottery Fund, Cambridge City Council, The Isaac Newton Trust, The PRS for Music Foundation, The Radcliffe Trust, The RVW Trust, The Faculty of Music, Dr Shirley Ellis, and other individual donors.