Critical Friends – An Open Call

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.



by Chris Wilkinson

Walsall for All Pledge

 

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

 



by Chris Wilkinson

We are open!

Wednesday – Saturday: 11am – 4pm

Sunday: 12 noon – 4pm

(Closed: Monday & Tuesday)

 

Following recent Government announcements easing lockdown, we are delighted to announce a phased reopening of The New Art Gallery Walsall over the coming weeks.

 

The first phase will start on Wednesday 5 August with the following open for visitors:

 

  • The Ground Floor Community Gallery, sponsored by HomeServe, 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 & Louise Wilson amongst many others.
  • The renowned Garman Ryan Collection on the 1st and 2nd floors, with Sarah Taylor Silverwood’s exhibition Kathleen and Sally Series.
  • Our spacious shop, stocking a wide range of books, as well as gifts, gallery souvenirs, art supplies, greeting cards and stationary.

 

We will be operating a revised opening schedule, with the Gallery open initially from Wednesday to Saturday, 11am-4pm and on Sundays 12-4pm.

 

Your safety is our priority


We’re committed to making your visit safe. We are following health and safety advice with additional measures and standards also in place. Please note a few changes before you plan your visit:

    • There is no need to book before you visit. On entry we kindly request visitors provide their details in accordance with NHS Track and Trace.
    • Hand sanitiser will be available on entry and at stations positioned across the building.
    • Please observe Government guidelines on face coverings, and adhere to social distancing throughout the Gallery.
    • As usual, our informed and friendly team will be on hand to ensure you have a great visit. They will also regularly sanitise frequently touched areas such as door handles and lift buttons.
    • Toilets will be available on request and cleaned frequently throughout the day.

We look forward to welcoming you back when you are ready.

 

 



by Hannah Anderson

Keith Piper Acquisition

The New Art Gallery Walsall is delighted to announce that we have been able to acquire Keith Piper’s multi-media installation Surveillance: Tagging the Other (1991) through the Contemporary Art Society Rapid Response Fund.

This work was created in response to issues arising in the run-up to the formation of the European Union in 1992. The four monitors, installed in a row, show the artist’s head being a target of surveillance and control. The Black body is scrutinised in terms of ethnicity, gender, citizenship and appearance. Sound is an important part of the work, featuring fragments of news reports related to the rise of racist attacks, anti-Semitism and right-wing tendencies across Europe.

 

Keith Piper, artist, said: “I am particularly excited that this work has found a home in the collection of The New Art Gallery Walsall during a period in which the European debate has arrived at the critical moment of ‘Brexit’. I hope that having this work in the collection will stimulate ongoing debate and examination of what has been a watershed period of recent British history.”

 

Stephen Snoddy, Director, The New Art Gallery Walsall, said: “Keith has strong connections with our region, having grown up in Birmingham, studied in Coventry and Nottingham (as well as London) and of course, he was a founder member of the highly influential BLK Art Group based in Wolverhampton. Though this work was created in 1991, it remains hauntingly pertinent today following the death of George Floyd and the demands for racial equality that have followed. It also connects with wider issues around surveillance and control in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. In the longer term, the work will remain witness to turbulent times in British history and the struggles for racial equality. We plan to present the work next year, either as a stand-alone work or as part of a major solo exhibition we are developing with the artist for Autumn 2021.”

 

The CAS Rapid Response Fund, in partnership with Frieze London, is a response to the Covid-19 pandemic to support both artists and museums across the UK. Museums which are members of the Contemporary Art Society are invited to apply to buy art and craft that will support their civic role when they reopen after the lockdown is lifted.

 

The fund is designed to support as many different artists and local museums as possible, based on the understanding that our museums will play a vital role in our communities as we exit the crisis. The money raised purchases artworks by British-based artists, providing financial support to artists, technicians and art handlers, many of whom work on a freelance basis and have seen their income streams decimated over recent weeks, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The CAS Rapid Response Fund also ensures that when museums reopen, they are able to reach out to their communities through new acquisitions, playing a vital role in civic healing and mental wellbeing.

The fund has raised £234,000, which has supported 16 acquisitions. £109,000 was raised through the generosity of CAS Patrons and a further £125,000 was raised through the CAS’s first crowdfunding campaign, which closed on 10 June 2020. People who donated £35 received a limited-edition facemask designed by top artists – David Shrigley, Eddie Peake, Linder and Yinka Shonibare. £120 bought a pack of all four.

 

The Contemporary Art Society’s partnership with Frieze London allowed the campaign to reach even more art lovers and collectors, both attendees to the art fairs and readers of the magazines.

Rapid Response Fund applications are reviewed by the 2020 CAS Acquisitions Advisory Committee, an external panel chaired by Caroline Douglas, Director of the CAS, consisting of leading curators, writers and artists (full committee list in notes to editors). Further purchases will be announced at the beginning of each month.

 

 

Image credit: Keith Piper, Surveillance: Tagging the Other, (1991), mixed media installation with 4 video monitors, video projection, sound.  Installation at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.  Photo: Ilona Zielinska (Elona Photography)

 

PRESS RELEASE – Rapid Response Fund July acquisitions_FINAL



by Chris Wilkinson

Reopening of The New Art Gallery Walsall

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 1st and 2nd 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 20th 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

 

 



by Chris Wilkinson

Working towards reopening

 

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.

 



by Hannah Anderson

New ‘Discover from Home’ Arts Award course launched!

 

Arts Connect with Trinity College, London, have devised a new digitally available Arts Award course, that can be completed from home. The ‘Discover from Home’ course is being rolled out through selected cultural organisations, including The New Art Gallery Walsall. The first 50 places on the course are FREE! Thereafter a small fee will be incurred by participants to cover the cost of the certificate.

 

The Gallery is now taking bookings for the course, that is running between Monday 15th June and Monday 31st August 2020. See the ‘Arts Award, Discover from Home’ page on our website for further details and to enrol.

 

The online children’s workshops delivered by our talented artist-educators are being used as a resource for completing the Discover from Home Arts Award course.



by Hannah Anderson

Farwa Moledina

Ramadhan Essentials, 2020

Digital Illustration

 

Three West Midlands based artists selected for The Stay at Home Residency series during lockdown

 

The New Art Gallery Walsall has adapted its Studio residency programme in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic to support three artists to produce work from their homes between May and July this year. Following an open-call to artists based in the West Midlands, the Gallery received 60 varied proposals from a diverse range of artists working across the region. The many challenges that artists are facing during lockdown were well articulated. In selecting, we were keen to see opportunities for artistic and professional development during these challenging times, to support creative approaches to practice amid imposed restrictions and to explore the benefits and possibilities of sharing with an online audience.

 

We are delighted to announce that the selected artists are Farwa Moledina, Faye Claridge and Antonio Roberts and we look forward to working with each of them over the coming months.

 

For more information see the artist’s individual pages on our website, listed on the What’s On page.

 

 



by Hannah Anderson

The Stay at Home Residency series – open call out

 

Open Call-out for The Stay at Home Residency series (May, June & July 2020)

 

The New Art Gallery Walsall is adapting its studio programme in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic to offer a series of stay at home residency opportunities for artists based in the West Midlands. Between May and July 2020, three artists will receive support to develop work from the safety of their home. See Submitting a Residency Proposal for full details. Application deadline: Friday 24th April, 10am



by Hannah Anderson

Children’s workshops going digital!

 

Our much loved children’s workshops will being going online! Join us from home to take part in our various workshops. This Easter we’ll have Saturday Playdates, Tuesday Tots, Wednesdays for All and Thursday Skills. Our talented Artist Educators are working hard to provide their workshops digitally so you can all join in from home. Keep an eye out on our website in the What’s On section and keep an eye on our Facebook page for alerts and updates about which workshops will be available. We’ll upload them all to the relevant sections on our website in Families so that they are there for whenever you feel like getting creative! Please do share your creations with us by  tagging us on social media – Facebook @newartgallerywalsall and Instagram @thenewartgallerywalsall or send them to us via messenger, or at info@thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk We can’t wait to see what you create!

 



by Hannah Anderson