Following updates from the Government this week, The New Art Gallery Walsall will remain temporarily closed to the public until at least Wednesday 6 January 2021.

More so than ever, it is important to be able to access arts and culture. We will continue to share content about our collections and exhibitions online. Please visit our social media channels or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest workshops, virtual tours, artist’s films, throwbacks and updates.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you back. Until then, stay safe, take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

Outside In is delighted to collaborate with The New Art Gallery Walsall for the first time to invite applications for two remote residencies intended to support participating artists in the West Midlands to develop their practice and explore the benefits and possibilities of engaging with an online audience.

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

The New Art Gallery Walsall is an award-winning gallery in the heart of the West Midlands that presents, collects and interprets historic, modern and contemporary art through a dynamic exhibitions, learning and events programme. The Gallery houses a purpose-built Artists’ Studio, which provides a base for its long-standing and respected residency programme. This programme exists primarily to support emerging and mid-career artists based in the region to test ideas and develop new work within a public-facing studio context. Curatorial guidance and critical conversation, often with external studio visitors, is a vital part of this work.

In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic the Gallery adapted its studio programme to support artists remotely, encouraging them, in particular, to find creative approaches to sharing work, and connecting, with an online audience. The programme currently offers a mix of onsite and remote/virtual residency opportunities intended to support a broad cross section of practices and artists, some of whom may face additional barriers to accessing the building and working in the mainstream.

Outside In is an established national charity, founded in 2006. It aims to provide a platform for artists who face significant barriers to the art world due to health, disability, social circumstance or isolation. Outside In’s work covers three main areas: artist development, exhibitions and training. These activities, supported by fundraising and communications, all aim to create a fairer art world by supporting artists, creating opportunities and influencing arts organisations.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITY

This opportunity will support two artists to develop work from home over a 6- week period with support and guidance from both participating organisations and a virtual studio visit from an artist or curator.

We are asking artists to complete an application form with a proposal outlining how they would like to use the residency.

The successful artists will receive:

• £1500 fee (inclusive of materials)
• in kind support (virtual studio visits, curatorial guidance, advocacy and a presence across TNAGW online platforms )
• access to remote technical advice, as appropriate

Residencies will take place remotely and we anticipate that artists will produce work from home or their usual place of work. Reasonable access costs will be considered.

Who can apply?

This opportunity is open to visual artists, working in any medium, who are based in the UK and meet the Outside In criteria. Outside In supports artists who face a significant barrier to the art world due to health, disability, isolation or social circumstances.

The selection panel particularly welcome applications from Black and African/Caribbean artists and artists who self-identify as disabled whose practices and experiences are currently underrepresented in mainstream galleries.

Additionally, you must be:

• not in full-time education (part-time students may apply)
• actively engaged in developing your practice with a demonstrable existing body of work
• willing to generate work that can be shared online/made accessible to a virtual audience from your home ‘studio’
• able to commit time to the project each week over a 6-week period
• willing and flexible to accommodate a virtual artist/curator studio visit
• committed to sharing and enabling archiving of residency outcomes and experiences via TNAGW website and other platforms, as directed.

Residency dates: 

The residencies will take place between February and May 2021.

Residency 1: 15 February – 28 March 2021
Virtual artist/curator studio visit: w/c 8 March 2021 TBC

Residency 2: 29 March – 9 May 2021
Virtual artist/curator studio visit: w/c 19 April 2021 TBC

Key dates:
Submissions open: 30 November 2020
Applications close: 10 January 2021, 10am
Shortlisting and selection: w/c 11 January 2021
Announcement (for both residencies): 8 February 2021

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this opportunity, please fill out the application form, which is available to download here:

Application form for TNAGW+Outside In collaboration 

Artists can submit in different formats, including audio, film or text. Please get in touch for details by emailing: jose.forrest@outsidein.org.uk or call 07496 997 333.

Do you need some support applying?

Artist support sessions can be booked by artists who would like help with applying for this opportunity. Support sessions will take place over the telephone or via Zoom on the following dates:

Tuesday 8 December 2020

Tuesday 15 December 2020

Wednesday 16 December 2020

To find out more or to book onto a session, please contact José Forrest, Regional Artist Development Coordinator, Outside In, Midlands Hub: jose.forrest@outsidein.org.uk or call: 07496 997 333.

Here at The New Art Gallery Walsall, we want to be welcoming, relevant and engaging to all of our communities.  We would like to create a small team of Critical Friends to help evaluate our programmes and communications and to explore ways in which we might do things differently. The team should reflect a variety of perspectives and we appreciate you may experience our work in different ways. We want to reflect the diversity of Walsall and we encourage applications from LGBTQ+, women, people of African or Caribbean heritage, people of South Asian, East Asian and South East Asian heritage and those with disabilities.

We will organise 3 meetings per year to listen to your feedback and discuss resulting actions. You will be paid £50 for each meeting. Prior to the meetings, you will need to engage with some of our programme such as exhibitions, workshops, digital activity and events, at your leisure. Meetings can be attended online.

We would expect each Critical Friend to commit to 12 months.

The Gallery is currently partially open and has social distancing measures in place.  However, we understand that not everyone will be comfortable or able to visit physically in the coming months. The Gallery also offers a wide range of digital projects. Further information can be found on our website.

If you are interested in supporting us to make positive changes, please send an email to stephen.snoddy@walsall.gov.uk and let us know why you would like to become our Critical Friend in less than 300 words. Deadline: 5pm, Friday 30 October 2020.

The New Art Gallery Walsall is delighted to announce it has signed the Walsall for All Pledge, as part of the pledge we declare our support for a more integrated Walsall; to do what we can to help make Walsall fairer for everyone and to connect with other people and organisations that share our goals.

Stephen Snoddy, Gallery Director said ‘The New Art Gallery Walsall is committed to the Walsall for All Pledge to work in partnership to promote cohesion and integration across the communities and equality for all to work, learn and play for a better future. We will strive to make Walsall a fairer place for everyone’.

The Pledge aims to encourage individuals, groups and organisations to sign up to promoting cohesion, equality, inclusion and integration. Within the pledge are learning opportunities to develop an understanding of these key areas.

The Pledge is one of a range of projects being delivered through Walsall for All, a borough-wide, long-term strategy for creating strong and integrated communities in Walsall. It recognises our collective strengths as well as our challenges, and sets out the steps Walsall will take to break down barriers to integration.

For more information please visit https://www.walsallforall.co.uk/pledge

Press release

July 2020

The New Art Gallery Walsall to reopen

Following the recent government announcements easing lockdown, plans have been devised for a phased reopening of The New Art Gallery Walsall. The planning has been carefully focussed around the safety of both gallery staff and visitors.

The first phase of reopening is due to start on Wednesday 5 August with the following open:

• The Ground Floor Community Gallery with 20 for 2020, 20 works of art representing each year of the Gallery’s history. The exhibition includes works by Gavin Turk, Christopher Le Brun, Soheila Sokhanvari and Jane and Louise Wilson amongst many others.
• The renowned world class Garman Ryan Collection on the 1^st and 2^nd Floors, with Sarah Taylor Silverwood’s exhibition Kathleen and Sally series.
• The spacious shop, stocking a wide range of books as well as gifts, gallery souvenirs, arts supplies, greeting cards and stationary.Over the last few months the Gallery has been working hard to maintain a creative offer for audiences through enhanced online content and new digital programme initiatives. For children and families the Gallery has produced weekly online workshops based on works from current exhibitions and works from the Collections. These have had over 8000 views over four months. We were furthermore, selected to deliver the new, digitally available, Discover at Home Arts Award.
• “Our focus is on proceeding very carefully and safely, and staying in step with our neighbouring authorities. Gallery staff are adhering to official guidance and recommended best practice and risk assessments have taken place. We are adopting a phased approach and will seek to learn from our initial opening phase and the emerging national picture.”
• “We are delighted that the acclaimed New Art Gallery is reopening and are thrilled to welcome you back. We believe that arts and culture play a vital role in our emotional wellbeing and sense of community. Experiencing great art can be healing and we hope the gallery can offer a much needed space for reflection and inspiration.
• Councillor Garry Perry, Portfolio Holder for Community, Leisure and Culture said:
• Three Stay at Home residencies for artists based in the West Midlands were awarded and a new series of films entitled INSIGHTS has been launched to further connect audiences with artists. This has been in addition to regular posts across our social media platforms, with staff reminiscences of our past programme.
• Admission to the Gallery is free.

Please check the Gallery website www.thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk for opening hours during the initial phased reopening.

ENDS

Note to Editors:

The NAG is celebrating its 20^th Birthday in 2020. Free admission.

For images, interview opportunities and further information, please contact Chris Wilkinson, Marketing Officer on 07846 692 667 or email Chris.wilkinson@walsall.gov.uk

Visiting The New Art Gallery Walsall

The New Art Gallery Walsall is situated in the heart of Walsall Town Centre, at the top of Park Street, along the main High Street, within easy walking distance from both the train and bus stations. The Gallery is situated opposite the Crown Wharf Retail Park, which includes local parking, retail outlets restaurants, Premier Inn hotel and The Light Cinema.

Further travel information can be found here: https://thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk/visit/

The New Art Gallery Walsall is funded by revenue support from Walsall Council and the Arts Council England.

For more information visit thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk

Following the Government’s easing of Coronavirus restrictions, we are one step closer to welcoming you back to the Gallery.

We will not be reopening on Saturday 4th July, but are working hard to ensure that visitors are safe when we do.

Keep an eye on our social media channels or sign up to receive our newsletter to be among the first to know when we will reopen. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.