National Museums Liverpool Blog - walker art gallery

This month paintings from across the UK will be arriving in Liverpool for the second stage of judging for John Moores Painting Prize.

One person who knows exactly how the entrants will be feeling right now is Nick Fox who was a prizewinner in 2010 with the beautiful painting 'Metatopia'.

Nick has recently very generously donated the painting to the Walker Art Gallery where it joins an outstanding collection of contemporary art.

Nick Fox with his prizewinning painting, 'Metatopia'

We’re thrilled the work is back on show for our visitors so we've arranged for Nick to come and discuss the painting, his practice and the Prize in more detail in a free talk on Friday 4 May at 1pm.

Here Nick tells us why he decided to donate 'Metatopia' to the gallery.

The Walker Art Gallery is one of the most important cultural institutions in this country housing a world class art collection. The historical collection and contemporary works held at the Walker were an inspiration to me when I was studying Fine Art in Liverpool. The works stimulated my fascination with the endurance of myth and storytelling, in particular the way Classical painting, Victorian visual culture and decorative craft objects, have currency with contemporary narratives of longing, seduction and romance. It felt right that I give something important like 'Metatopia', a signature work that represents this mediation, back to a city, an art gallery and a collection that has inspired me so much.

Attending the John Moores 2010 award ceremony at the Walker was an amazing experience and I was struck by the significance of the John Moores exhibition and contemporary collection in mediating and anchoring this outstanding historic collection. It’s essential that this heritage of conversation between old and new continues to provoke debate, offer critical relevance and nourish contemporary culture, particularly in light of restrictive cuts to funding across the arts sector.

I’m delighted that 'Metatopia' will be joining the Walker’s critically illuminating and world-class contemporary collection and honoured that it will be hung alongside champions of painting past and present.

Nick has a solo presentation at Volta8, Basel with Vane Gallery, opening in Basel on the 10th June.

John Moores 2012 judges George Shaw and Iwona Blazwick share their thoughts on the first stage of judging in our latest video.

Children at the Maritime Museum looking at the giant ship model of Titanic

There can’t be many people who don’t know about Liverpool’s special guests this weekend. Three fantastical giants will be striding through the city telling a magical tale of love, loss and reunion. 

Sea Odyssey was inspired by the poignant letter written by May McMurray to her father who perished on the Titanic, on display in the Maritime Museum's exhibition, Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story.

The routes of both giants pass most of our venues so we have arranged the following free events to give you even more to do this weekend:

Maritime Museum

'Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story' marks the centenery of the sinking of the Titanic. Using the perspectives of real people, the exhibition gives a unique insight into events surrounding the launch, voyage, the sinking and its aftermath from a Liverpool angle.

Free family events explore the story further this weekend and beyond.

The Maritime Museum is open from 9am on Sunday 22 April.

Museum of Liverpool

In a poignant tribute to the brave Titanic Orchestra whose services were engaged by the agent Black Brothers of Liverpool, the museum is hosting a Titanic Playathon on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April.

There will also be other Titanic themed events across the weekend.

The Museum of Liverpool is open from 9am on Sunday 22 April.

Walker Art Gallery

Get creative at the Walker with the following family events:

Create a character
Saturday 21 April
2-4.30pm
Get ready for the arrival of Sea Odyssey’s Giant Uncle and make your own movable puppet.

Giants galore
Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April
10am-4pm
Join us in Big Art to create your own artwork inspired by Sea Odyssey Giant Spectacular.

Sea Odyssey doodle station
Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April 
12.30-4.30pm
Join our volunteers for an afternoon of themed drawing activities and experiment with a variety of drawing equipment and materials.

Sudley House

'Titanic: Community costume display'
27 April- 27 May 2012
Selection of poignant works by Liverpool Community College to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Create a character
28 April
1-4pm
Explore the Sea Odyssey costumes and make your own moving character.

Below, James tells us all about his work experience with our Decorative Arts department. Over to James…

“I’m James and I’m a Year 10 student at King David High School in Liverpool. I spent a week on work experience at NML, in the Decorative Art department, and it has been brilliant. I came here not knowing what to expect and ended up having a great time. I found that my enjoyment for history, which I’m studying for my GCSE, helped greatly. I most enjoyed handling the objects and being able to connect with them. I documented information I had collected on the toys and costume and where I had re stored them. I also enjoyed going to the Walker Art Gallery and Sudley House as I had never been to these places before. I realised that I was interested in silver and ceramics even though I’d never had a chance to look at them closely before. I particularly enjoyed sorting the toys and moving them about. I found all the collections really interesting and stimulating.

I would like to thank everyone in the Dec. Arts department for giving their time to show me what they do and give me a great experience. I also felt that everyone else was really nice and friendly. I am sad to leave and hope to come back again for some volunteering in the future. Thanks to my experience I hope to work in museums when I an older.

Hope to come back soon.
James”

James enjoying his work experience.

Young visitors can join in the fun with animal costumes in Big Art

Oinking, bleating and clucking are not the sounds you expect from a trip to the Walker Art Gallery but this weekend some special guests are set to change all of that.

On Saturday 31 March and Tuesday 3 April a mini farm arrives at the gallery giving our visitors the opportunity to feast their eyes on rabbits alongside the Rubens, Rembrandt and Rossettis.

I have to confess I am most looking forward to the mini pigs but there will also be cute goats and this close to Easter it would be rude to not invite the chickens too.

The mini farm is just one part of a host of activities inspired by animals in art. From the majestic horses of Liverpool-born artist George Stubbs, to the imposing geometric lines and shapes of  Dan Hays’ giant hamster cage in the John Moores Painting Prize winning work, Harmony in Green, the Walker Art Gallery contains plenty of examples of animal-inspired art.

Join us for free events which explore this relationship on the following dates:

Mini farm
Saturday 31 March and Tuesday 3 April 2012
11am – 3pm
Visit our mini farm and meet adorable mini pigs, goats, rabbits and chickens. Visitors can get up close to the animals and then explore the gallery to see if they can spot the same creatures in the artworks using a brand new trail- On the Farm.

Animal Masks
Saturday 31 March, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 April 2012
11am – 4pm
Art materials are available for families to make their own animal mask to take away.

Storytelling
Saturday 31 March, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 April 2012
At intervals from 11am
Listen to fun stories about animals in our paintings, sculpture and objects.

Doodle Station
Saturday 31 March, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 April 2012
12.30 – 3.30pm
Join our volunteers for an afternoon of drawing for all the family. Have a go at drawing your favourite animal from the paintings or the mini farm.

Big Art for Little Artists
Saturday 31 March to Thursday 5 April 2012
10am – 5pm
Drop in for animal fun in Big Art – dress up as your favourite animal, play with animal puppets or get creative with and make your own animal art.

Check our events page to see what else is on at National Museums Liverpool over the Easter hols.

To get involved all you have to do is switch off your lights for one hour! More than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2011. 

The lights at the following landmarks were also switched off in 2011: Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, The Forbidden City, Buckingham Palace, Golden Gate Bridge and Christ the Redeemer statue. 

It is hoped that this event sends a powerful message for action on climate change and shows how great things can be achieved when people come together for a common cause.  

For more information on this inspiring event visit the Earth Hour website.

This Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March 2012 from 11am – 4pm, William Brown Street will come alive with Historical Happenings. The Victorian street will be transformed into a time machine where visitors will be greeted by figures from the past, inspired by Horrible Histories on at the Liverpool Empire.

At World Museum families can get involved with free hands on activities including Saxon helmet making, flint knapping, heraldic shield making, as well as a trail around the medieval streets of Liverpool.  Visitors can watch a medieval falconer or listen to the ancient sounds of the Gold Lyre of Ur, a replica of a 4,500 year old instrument. There will also be a  chance to meet and chat with Ancient Romans, Greeks, Vikings and an English longbowman.

Meanwhile, at the top of William Brown Street, the Walker Art Gallery will be hosting a weekend of activities dedicated to the Tudors. Home to one of the most famous paintings of Henry VIII, the gallery will be Tudor-tastic with mask making and dressing up. There will also be a Tudor painting demonstration to find out how paintings were made 500 years ago, as well as an opportunity to make your own portrait of King Henry VIII.  

We have teamed up with the Empire to offer two families the chance to win a family ticket for the show at 11am on Sunday 11 March. To win simply let us know how many wives Henry VIII had. Send your answers to press@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk.

Check the website for more information on the fun family activities at Walker Art Gallery and World Museum that weekend.

A little time traveller gets into the spirit of things. (c) Mark McNulty

Discover the methods and materials used by Hans Holbein's in his portrait of Henry VIII.

Some of you may remember the John Moores Painting Prize 2010 exhibitor, Sigrid Holmwood. She came to the gallery, during the run of the exhibition to discuss her work, 'Butchering a Pig'.

This weekend Sigrid is back at the Walker Art Gallery for a special weekend of all things Tudor. On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March 2012 between 11am and 3pm, she will be giving demonstrations and revealing traditional methods and materials she uses to hand-make her own paints.

Sigrid, who is also a Tudor re-enactor, will discuss the role of natural materials before advances in chemistry made synthetic colours popular. Discussing how clays and vegetables taken directly from earth were ground by hand with linseed oil, she also reveals which colours are the most volatile and even deadly for artists to produce themsleves 

The demonstration explores the techniques used by sixteenth century artists such as Hans Holbein in his famous portrait of Henry Vlll, on display at the gallery.

It is just one part of an action-packed weekend inspired by Horrible Histories at the Liverpool Empire. We have teamed up with the Empire to offer two families the chance to win a family ticket for the show at 11am on Sunday 11 March. To win simply let us know how many wives Henry VIII had. Send your answers to press@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk by noon on Wednesday 7 March.

Check the website for more information on the fun family activities at Walker Art Gallery and World Museum that weekend.

Retro fashion and dinosaurs go together on William Brown Street!

Starting on William Brown Street, channel your inner supermodel in the Big Booth at the Walker Art Gallery on 15, 16 & 17 February 2012.  Grab your flares and strike a pose because the photo booth, big enough for the whole family, will be kitted out in a retro style with costumes and props, to celebrate 'Feathercuts and Flares' the Walker’s display of 70s fashion.

Down the hill at World Museum visitors can have a close encounter with beasts of a prehistoric kind in the exhibition 'Age of the Dinosaur' featuring six life-size dinosaurs set in a Jurassic forest of 65 million years ago. Open daily, the admission charges are £6 adults, £3 children and concessions, under 5s free or £14 families. Avoid the queues and book online (no booking fees).

Also look out for the new daily show, 'Chronicle of a Journey to Earth' in the newly refurbished planetarium.

At the Albert Dock and waterfront holiday fun continues with craft activities inspired by the most famous ship of them all, the Titanic, at the Merseyside Maritime Museum (14 & 15 February). While the International Slavery Museum is celebrating the half term with a free showing of Disney’s The Frog Princess (16 February).

From 14-17 February the wonderful new Museum of Liverpool is the place to be for any budding Indiana Joneses. The History Detectives will be exploring the archaeology of Merseyside from the Ice Age right through to the present day, injecting jokes and the occasional tune to help delve into the museum’s archaeological collections.

Out of town, Sudley House is hosting a craft event for children with an eye for style on 16 February. Inspired by the exhibition Costume Drama families can design their own colourful outfits.

At the Lady Lever Art Gallery Chinese New Year celebrations continue with a free performance of the Pagoda Chinese Youth Orchestra on 15 February.

For more free things to see and do check the website for details.

 Ready to hit the town...

I always think that the best way to finish off an outfit is with a great pair of shoes. These fantastic metallic snakeskin-effect leather shoes are my favourite from last year. They were great for a fantastic wedding I went to in November as well as for Christmas parties! They have a small platform as there have been loads of 70s influenced trends around lately. 

If you like 70s fashion, we've got a fantastic exhibition of 1970s clothes on at the Walker Art Gallery right now - 'Feathercuts and Flares'. There is a pair of red and silver crocodile-skin leather platforms on display (below) that definitely remind me of my shoes. 

They were made by Terry de Havilland who is famous as the maker of stage shoes for many of the glam rock stars of the early 1970s, including people like Mick Jagger and David Bowie. His signature material was snakeskin, both natural and metallic. They certainly make a style statement!

And if that's not enough fashion for you, we've also got a 'Fashion Fix' week of events starting on Monday 13 February, also at the Walker.  There'll be fashion workshops and the chance to dress up and have your picture taken in our 1970s photo booth.

It'll be the perfect warm up to London Fashion Week, starting on Friday 17 February...

Platform shoes by Terry de Havilland (about 1972-73)