Dea Birkett argues her case

It was artefacts at dawn last night as The Great Museum Debate kicked off at the Maritime Museum.

Our distinguished panel made a case for the museum of their dreams and had some pretty unusual ideas.

Being a huge football fan I was pretty taken with teen author Bali Rai’s fantasy of a museum where you can create your own interactive sporting moment. He wanted to set Steven Gerrard’s famous goal against Olympiakos to Jimmy Cliff’s ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ and bask in the glory of Liverpool’s victorious 2005 Champions League campaign. This was part of Bali’s wish for a museum that was a living, breathing thing.

Janet Dugdale our Director of Urban History argued for a crystal-like museum made entirely from glass with no barriers to interaction and enjoyment. By touching objects, that were perfectly preserved to last for ever, visitors to her museum would be ‘transported through history to meet the person connected to the object’.   

Nick Poole from the Collections Trust wanted his museum to be a shop ‘which transacts in experiences and knowledge’, doing away with the need for public funding for museums while historian Andrew Wheatcroft wanted an interactive museum featuring 3D virtual guides to show visitors around that left people hungry for more.

Dea Birkett from Kids in Museums suggested doing away with the word museum altogether to make them more attractive and wanted to create a space that stimulated all five senses.

Ideas from the audience included a huge museum dedicated to musicals, a philosophers museum of morals, values and magic and a virtual reality travel museum allowing visitors to step into different countries and experience different cultures – definitely a good one for those scared of flying.   

Personally, I think I’d opt for a museum of taste. Visitors would be treated to a whistlestop tour of different countries and ages by eating the delicacies associated with them. I might skip the East End gallery though - jellied eels really aren’t for me.

Apparently it’s summer. It bears no hallmarks of the season I once knew; no pavement cracking sunshine, no smell of freshly cut grass and certainly no big decisions like what flavour of ice pop to get from the corner shop to make.

My typical summers day was brightened up today by a visit to the Lady Lever to check out our hardworking team putting the finishing touches to Masterpiece Watercolours and Drawings. The new exhibition opens this Saturday and runs till 9 November and is full of great pieces by Turner, Constable, Rossetti and Burne-Jones.

Looking at Turner’s painting of Falmouth harbour and Helen Allingham’s beautiful watercolour of a cottage in Pinner made me temporarily forget the dreary scene outside. Turner’s sinister depiction of Dudley brought me crashing back to earth though and sums up our current climate. It is an incredibly atmospheric picture, the almost apocalyptic light is how I imagine Vienna was last night during the amazing storm that brought the global coverage of the football semi-finals to a halt. Glad to see our friends on the continent aren’t escaping the rain-sodden summer.

Ah, the lovely British summer

Sooo much love for Liverpool music

It gives me great pleasure to introduce Lucy Cattell, press officer for The Beat Goes On to announce some very special news:

" It’s taken six weeks of campaigning and thousands of votes, but finally the announcement came today that Liverpool has scored the number one spot as the UK’s Most Musical City!

Taking the title in Arts Council England’s Take it Away search, Liverpool took 49 per cent of the public’s vote, pipping other Northern cities Sheffield and Manchester to the post, who claimed second and third places respectfully.

It’s such exciting news for the city, adding yet another musical title to our bow (we’ve also been hailed as the World Capital City of Pop by The Guinness Book of Records) in a Capital of Culture Year which has already drawn so much attention from audiences at home and abroad.

It’s also great news for National Museums Liverpool, confirming our suspicions that it was high time an attraction was put in place to mark the city’s musical history and influence on popular music around the globe.

The Beat Goes On exhibition is due to open at World Museum Liverpool on 12 July, and with only weeks to go this latest announcement is perfect timing to centre all eyes on Liverpool, showing that it still tops the charts in the hearts of the nation.

After seeing Sir Paul McCartney, The Zutons and The Rascals all live recently, it’s a privilege to live in a city where artists are proud to return to their roots, and I’m in no doubt that the title of Most Musical City is completely deserved. Old or new, our city’s sound is second to none! "

Our roving work experience reporter Isobel paid a visit to see Ben Johnson's Liverpool Cityscape 2008 and the World Panorama Series, here's Isobel's verdict on the Walker's latest offering:  

I was lucky enough to be able to visit the opening event and preview of the new Ben Johnson painting of Liverpool. It is hanging in the Walker Art Gallery alongside the other completed paintings of the cities of Zurich, Jerusalem and Hong Kong.

The Liverpool painting is not what I expected it to be. I was anticipating a long, narrow panoramic view of the waterfront but I was greeted with a large rectangular view of the city reaching right back to Fiddler’s Ferry. It’s hard to predict what time of day the painting is supposed to be and it is strange to see a waterfront with buildings not yet constructed. However there is a feeling of pride amongst the people of Liverpool at having their city amongst these impressive paintings.

I do have some reservations about the painting though. It is not the Liverpool I know. It does not show the culture and the people and seems a little bit like a computer made image… leading onto the fact that Ben Johnson did not solely create this image of Liverpool! I had notions of an artist stood traditionally drawing out an image, pencil in hand. That was not the creation process however, behind the scenes lay a team of people working to create stencils (yes, stencils!) for the artist to use.

The sheer detail of the painting is very astonishing though - from the hands of the clock to the lettering of the Radio City tower. A lot of thought and consideration has evidently been put into this painting. It is the main focus of the room, commanding a whole wall, as well as being the largest. The glossy book that partners it tells an impressive story too.

The Jerusalem painting was a favourite of mine with its dusty dusk light. Unlike the image of Liverpool it does have an element of life, a historic settlement with a story to tell. Hong Kong was also eye-catching. The vibrancy of the trees caught in the corner shows something deep within the painting, the light shining from an individual window of a tower block deep in the hillside of a mountain is something special. The final painting is of a city I have never laid eyes on, so in some ways the painting holds a responsibility to show it off, and that it certainly does. The painting gives a glimpse of a romantic city bordering a river - it entices me.

I think the painting of Liverpool is special in its own right and commands attention to finite detail. It is definitely worth a visit, even to just see what it looks like. Take some time out to seek where you live, or find a place only you know then walk away knowing this archive will remain for generations to come to see the place you lived and the Liverpool before the city undergoes another era of transformation.

Next stop Jerusalem for Isobel ...

Paul and friend

If like me you need cheering up after Riise-nt events cast your eyes on this cute fella currently being prepared for his new home at the Lady Lever Art Gallery. We’ve been lucky enough to get local artist Paul Cousins to paint our SuperLambBanana as part of the Go SuperLambBananas project which will give birth to herds of them around the city.

Paul has christened his creation ‘Cloudorama’ and it is a reflection of a series of sky paintings he has produced that highlight the threat pollution poses to the earth’s atmosphere. After Paul has put the finishing touches to the piece Cloudarama will be welcoming visitors to the Lady Lever from 16 June – 25 August. Let’s hope having him there in his blue-skied splendour will be a good weather omen for the summer. 

Sketchbooks at the ready!

Are you a budding Botticelli, a promising Picasso or would you just like to be able to make you stick figures look less like, erm, a pile of sticks? If so and you’re aged between 11 and 16 then Culture Vultures at the Lady Lever Art Gallery is the place for you. There are still a few places left on this week-long course for young people who want to explore their artistic side running from 25 - 28 March. You’ll get to try your hand at sketching, craft activities and photography all in the inspiring surroundings of the Lady Lever. If you want to book a place call Lauren Gould our Learning Officer on 0151 478 4143.   

I think it’s fair to say we all need a little encouragement to draw out our artistic sides. It took an influential primary school teacher to force, sorry encourage me, to play Joseph in the school musical (Boltonian boys are notoriously tone-deaf) and I’ve never looked back. As my colleagues in the Press and Marketing office will tell you this extensive training has not gone to waste and is regularly demonstrated in the finest Liverpool karaoke establishments.  

Left a bit, right a bit ...

It’s been all go at the Walker over the past few days. A herculean effort from our handling team to bring in one of the biggest works the gallery has ever seen, the installation of our very own artist in residence and a swarm of local, regional and international press can mean only one thing: the Ben Johnson residency excitement has begun.

On Friday I was lucky enough to witness our handling team brave the notorious William Brown Street winds and skilfully transport Ben’s huge Liverpool cityscape (it measures a whopping 8 ft by 16 ft) up the steps of the Walker and through the gallery to it’s new home in Room 15. Trust me it’s no mean feat getting something that size through the door - next time I’m struggling with my shopping bags I’ll think back and count myself lucky!

Ben has already spent 3 years working on his masterpiece and you can watch him and his busy team beavering away on the picture for the next 6 weeks. Ben’s arrival has already caused quite a stir, journalists from Bangor to Paris have been along to check out the monumental panorama and chat to the man himself. One of the most exciting things about the piece for me is the inclusion of projects still under construction in the city such as the Paradise Project, canal link and the picture’s eventual home, the Museum of Liverpool.

I’m definitely going to keep popping in to see the progress but if you can’t get to the Walker that often yourself our web team have installed a webcam for your viewing pleasure so you can keep an eye on the action. 

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat, but don't go panicing and filling your stockings with tat! I have a much better idea - head down to the shopping night at the Lady Lever Art Gallery tonight and bag yourself a cracking gift instead. There's jewellery, candles, gift stationery, cards and christmas decorations - something for everyone. To make it a totally stress-free experience mince pies, mulled wine and musical refreshment courtesy of Church Drive School choir are on offer to help you on your merry way. Sounds perfect.

I hope one of those presents has my name on it

All eyes are going to be on our fair city and visitors - along with some superstars thanks to the MTV Europe awards - from all over the world will be descending next year, but does this make Liverpool a global city? A public forum being held at World Museum Liverpool tomorrow night is going to be looking at Liverpool’s status as a global city and what the term really means.

The discussion is the second in a series of public forums giving you the opportunity to comment on the main themes that will be focused on in the new Museum of Liverpool. If you want to have your say or just listen to a lively discussion headed by our expert panel of history lecturers and curators the event runs from 6-8pm – although if I was you I'd get there a bit early as complimentary refreshments are being served from 5.45pm ...

Places are limited so if you want to come along call 0151 478 4543 to book.
 

Menaka in action

I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of a Sattirya dance performance this morning at World Museum Liverpool. Award-winning classical dance star Menaka Bora was checking out the space and practicing a couple of moves in preparation for her performance at the Treasure House Theatre on Saturday 20 October.

Dressed in fabulous traditional costume Menaka gave us a flavour of the Dashavatara which tells the story of the Hindu god Vishnu. If you're a budding dancer and fancy having a go at this ancient Indian dance technique Menaka will be running a workshop at 3.30pm on the 20th. Give it a try - if John Barnes can master ballroom dancing there's hope for us all!    

Forget Eastenders, Coronation Street and Neighbours, there’s a new soap storyline in town. Take a tour around the Lady Lever Art Gallery this weekend and experience the amazing architecture and collections through the eyes of a Sunlight Soap worker. You can catch our role-player giving a unique insight into the gallery on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September at 1, 2 & 3pm. These sessions are part of a jam-packed Heritage Open Day programme happening across our venues. Check out our full programme for details.

Factory girl

It was party time at the Walker Art Gallery this morning as the gallery celebrated it’s 130th birthday. Staff donned birthday badges and enjoyed a slice of cake in honour of the big day.

Named after brewery owner Sir Andrew Barclay Walker who paid for its construction to commemorate his term as mayor of Liverpool, the gallery was opened on 6 September 1877 by the 15th Earl of Derby. A number of events are being staged over the next month to commemorate the birthday, including a special birthday tour and a lecture by former Keeper Julian Treuherz. 

I only hope when I enter my twilight years I look so well. Don’t worry Walker, you’re wearing well … you don’t look a day over 129.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you ...

Local after school clubs have been treated to a programme of activities showing a different side to the Walker Art Gallery over the past couple of months. Starring King Henry, Millie Smith and the Athlete Struggling with a Python, almost 700 children have witnessed characters from the collections come to life in a production by Fuse Theatre company. Staff from the Walker have also been bringing out the children’s creative side with art workshops and follow up visits to Big Art for Little Artists. I remember when all I had to look forward to after school was an ice-pop, the occasional game of kerby and if I was really lucky an episode of Fun House with Pat ‘The Mullet’ Sharp and those scary twins.

I saw him standing there

Having recently bumped into Philip Olivier and Bombhead from Hollyoaks I’ve known for a while that William Brown Street’s cobbled knoll is a haven for Liverpool celebrities, but even I was surprised to see the Walker Art Gallery playing host to some true A-listers.

To mark Liverpool’s birthday celebrations, St Margarets C of E High School have been working with local primary schools to create Scarecelebs, a display of sculptures representing Liverpool legends. King John is currently keeping a watchful eye on John Lennon, Robbie Fowler and Levi Tavari, while Cilla Black’s contending with Ken Dodd and his tickle stick. 

If you’re sat wishing you had tickets to Glastonbury, wondering what to do with your weekend, never fear there's lots to do on your less boggy and much drier doorstep.  

The Walker Art Gallery is spoiling you with three new exhibitions ripe for discovery. Enter the mystical world of Josh Kirby and Peter Chang or mark the end of Refugee week with a visit to Once upon a tile.

If abstract art is more your thing Laura Galloppo, one of National Museums Liverpool’s hard working volunteers, has curated a show at the International Gallery on Slater Street. For one week only the vivid and minimalist work of Italian artist Pasquale Napolitano will be on show. Catch it while you can.

Who wants to queue for hours for a filthy toilet and swim around in a pool of mud anyway?

Darth Vader. Alfred Hitchcock. Elephant Man. Captain Cook. Rincewind. Luke Skywalker. Monty Python. These iconic figures are all currently battling for wall space as the finishing touches are added to Out of This World, our Josh Kirby retrospective opening at the Walker on Friday.

Liverpool born artist Kirby is best known for his cover illustrations of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, but he started his career producing film posters and book covers. Some of the titles for the books he illustrated are brilliant, The Robot in the Closet, A Whiff of Madness and Hello Lemuria Hello, to name but a few. I can’t wait to see how Kirby interpreted these.

Don’t forget to catch Unnatural Selection also on show from this Friday. Peter Chang’s vibrant jewellery, objects and sculpture are really breathtaking. Let’s hope Darth and Luke control themselves - note to participating science-fiction characters, all breakages caused by over-exuberant use of light sabers must be paid for. 

Update 15.6.07: If you click on the Out of This World link you can now see our lovely new Josh Kirby exhibition pages rather than our coming soon page.

The handling team hard at work

Don't set off too quick kids, Gerry didn't bring the Pacemakers

The Walker Art Gallery played host to a musical icon this afternoon as Liverpool legend Gerry Marsden joined local school children for the launch of Merseyside Walk to School week. Pupils across the country are taking part in this national initiative aiming to cut down on pollution caused by the daily school run. It seems no matter how small the feet there’s no escaping those carbon footprints. Gerry got some practice in for Athens and gave us a quick blast of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ - let’s hope for more triumphant renditions next week.   

If you’re still not convinced of the merits of shanks’ pony head over to the National Conservation Centre and check out The Long Way Home. Bernard Fallon captured many of the Liverpool images featured in this exhibition on his walk to Art School. Documenting the changes to Liverpool’s landscape, both physical and social, Bernard’s photographs capture the essence of the city. Something that can be all too easily missed as we race by.   

It was with a heavy heart - and an even heavier gut - I had to order myself to step away from the Easter egg last night, listen to the feelings of nausea and save the rest of its shell of creamy loveliness for another day. If like me you devoured the weight of a small motor-home in chocolate over the weekend your thoughts may be turning to the world of points counting, soup eating and general misery that is diets. Don’t do it.  I’m glad to report that American researchers have discovered that diets actually make you put on weight. A balanced diet (including a small amount of antioxidant rich chocolate naturally) and exercise are the way forward - which is why I’m prescribing a course of LoveSport at World Museum Liverpool to all you Easter egg gluttons. It's only open for a couple more weeks so catch it while you can and trust me, sinking a couple of points on the Hectic Hoops and a quick burst on the Tour de France simulator has done me the world of good. I definitely deserve the rest of that Easter egg tonight.

Liverpool style icon Coleen McLoughlin celebrated her 21st birthday at Thornton Manor this weekend and I can exclusively reveal that pictures from inside the house are now on show at the Lady Lever Art Gallery.
 
Ok, you’ve rumbled me. We couldn’t quite match the offer Hello! put on the table to secure the rights to capture Rooney serenading the birthday girl or Peter Crouch celebrating his Liverpool hat-trick with more hilarious robotics. But we can treat you to a glimpse of the music room at Lord Leverhulme’s former residence as part of the Merchant Palaces exhibition. Who wants to see a bunch of WAGs and B-listers drunkenly cavorting when you can see some true Victorian splendour anyway? 

Music room minus the Sugababes and P Diddy

I’m delighted to reveal Port Sunlight has made it into the BBC News website’s top 20 hidden tourist gems. After asking a gaggle of celebrities to pick their favourite places off the typical tourist track readers were invited to nominate secluded spots of their own. It’s heartening to hear that the Lady Lever Art Gallery is gaining a reputation on both sides of the Atlantic and I couldn’t agree more with Daniel from Charleston, USA, that the gallery does have a ‘surprisingly good art collection’. I’ll let him off for calling us a museum.

As for Tony ‘Time Team’ Robinson’s rather random choice of Newbury Park Bus Station, think I'll give that one a miss.

I’ve just been acquainting myself with Merchant Palaces, our photographic exhibition of Wirral and Liverpool mansions, currently on show at the Lady Lever Art Gallery. I was interested to discover that Dawpool in Thurstaston, the magnificent home of Sir Thomas Henry Ismay, was designed by Richard Norman Shaw the architect responsible for the White Star Line offices in James Street. I’ve always had a strange obsession with this candy striped masterpiece and yet again this morning its hooped turrets of copper and cream stirred me from my rush-hour induced slumber as I crept along the dock-road. Ever since I visited Liverpool, as a wide eyed 7 year old Boltonian, I’ve always had a sneaky feeling the White Star building actually has an edible façade. I remember looking longingly and almost salivating at the prospect of a huge building encased in chocolate and icing. So far I have resisted giving its auburn bricks a cheeky lick so I’d like to think there’s still a small chance it could be Liverpool’s equivalent of the Hansel and Gretel gingerbread house.

This got me wondering if there are any more buildings in Liverpool with culinary characteristics and I discovered the Radio City tower is in fact a marshmallow ripe for melting and the columns of the Walker Art Gallery bear more than a slight resemblance to sticks of coltsfoot rock. Ah, if only Lutyen’s Cathedral that Never Was had made it past the planning stage, Liverpool would have been home to an ice-cream sundae of mammoth proportions. 

The delicious White Star Line offices

One of our best loved pieces has returned home after a long holiday. Henry VIII abdicated his throne at the Walker Art Gallery last September to form part of the Hans Holbein exhibition at Tate Britain. The exhibition was a royal success but we are delighted to announce - after a quick appointment with our experts at the National Conservation Centre, you know how sand gets everywhere after a long break  -  the King has now re-entered the building.    

Hooray it's Henry

The awards season is upon us, so in honour of the Baftas and the Grammys and in anticipation of the Oscars and the Brits (anyone else think Russell Brand, alcohol and live TV spells a pre-watershed disaster worse than Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood?) I couldn’t resist awarding gongs to my favourite pieces from our collections. 

First up Best Newcomer and it was a photo-finish between Reveal at the National Conservation Centre and the brand new Titanic, Lusitania and the Forgotten Empress gallery at the Merseyside Maritime Musuem. For me Reveal just edges it in this tightly contested category, where else can you see dirt-busting lasers and look under a mummy’s bandages? 

Best Actor in a leading role goes to David Garrick as Richard III by William Hogarth. David’s in such high demand that he’s currently away from the Walker Art Gallery starring in Tate Britain’s blockbuster Hogarth exhibition running until 29 April, definitely worth checking out if you’re in the big smoke.

Personally I think there could only be one winner of Best Animated Short, Crackers the crab. This vivacious yet vertically challenged inhabitant of the Shipwrecked exhibition, voiced by Ricky Tomlinson, beat off strong competition from Big Arts Little Artists to claw his way to the top of the pile.  

Forget Pirates of the Caribbean and Superman Returns, our Planetarium which scoops the award for special effects, is nothing short of spectacular. My personal favourite show is the Sunshine Show to which I’d also like to award Best Soundtrack.

Sitting resplendant at the Lady Lever Art Gallery, hair with more volume than a gaggle of teenage girls at a Justin Timberlake concert, Anne Duchess of Cumberland painted by Thomas Gainsborough takes the coveted Best Hair and Make up. The fact I’ve got hair as flat as a pancake and thus have extreme volume envy may have slightly influenced this result.

Finally Best Picture goes to the Walker Art Gallery’s Harmony in Green by Dan Hays, for the simple fact that it’s my favourite and I love it.

Harmony in Green by Dan Hays

I was rudely awoken this morning by a nagging pain on the left side of my mouth. A rogue brazil nut (apparently encased in a jacket of steel) caused part of my tooth to break off last night. I always knew this healthy eating lark was bad news - chocolate's much safer and ice cream has certainly never led to me losing a body part. Needless to say I was feeling pretty sorry for myself on the way to work, that is until I heard about poor Nissim the elephant. Nissim, a resident at Knowsley Safari Park, suffered damage to his tusks that was so severe a top London dentist had to be drafted in to operate on him. Nissim lost a large part of his tusk trying his luck with some older female elephants (Dumbo springs to mind). As I was reading the story I couldn't help picturing the scene as some kind of elephantine Samson and Delilah, young Nissims strength ripped away from him by his ruthless mistress and as I walked past Solomon J Soloman's depiction of Samson at the top of the stairs at the Walker Art Gallery this morning I almost had to wipe the tear from my eye … or maybe it was just the effects of that darn brazil nut.

Did you know that Knowsley Safari Park was founded by the 13th Earl of Derby - whose collections formed the origins of what is now World Museum Liverpool - and there was an exhibition dedicated to him at the Walker a few years ago. 

The special exhibition galleries at the Walker are having a bit of a makeover thanks to our upcoming exhibition Doves and Dreams. 

For me the highlight of the exhibition - devoted to the work of artist-couple Frances MacDonald and J. Herbert McNair - is definitely the spectacular Turin room. Long before the bed had even entered Tracey Emin’s head, MacDonald and MacNair created the Ladies Writing Room, an ambitious art installation for the 1902 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art in Turin. As you can see below the room is being carefully reconstructed for Doves and Dreams and contains many of the original artefacts, including glass, furniture, watercolours and graphics - these two were truly multi-talented.

Photographs of the highly stylised interior of the couples own Liverpool home are also on display. So if like me you’re addicted to Relocation, Relocation and like nothing better than a Wednesday evening in with Phil and Kirstie checking out other peoples houses, come and sneak a look at some true avant-garde splendour. The exhibition opens this Saturday, 27 January.