Laing Art Gallery
The Laing Art Gallery is a gallery in Newcastle-upon-Tyne .
history
Despite a fairly active art scene, Newcastle did not have an art gallery until the late 19th century. In 1900 Alexander Laing, a wealthy Newcastle wine merchant, offered the city a donation of £ 20,000 (estimated) to build a gallery. It was designed by local architects Cackett and Burns Dick. A place for a possible gallery had already been chosen before the donation, and so the city council accepted the donation, despite votes against because of the unfavorable traffic situation of the place. By the time it opened in 1904, it was expected to cost £ 30,000 to build.
As is often the case, there were no private patrons who donated works of art from their collections to the gallery. Therefore, the first curator, C. Bernard Stevenson, had to ask for individual loans and donations. He was able to collect 400 objects for the opening exhibition.
In 1996, a side wing was added, through which the gallery borders a larger street and is therefore easier to see and reach from the city center. In 2004 the gallery building was renovated. To date, the Laing Art Gallery has had five curators: C. Bernard Stevenson, his son Collingwood Stevenson, John Millard, Andrew Greg and, since May 2001, Julie Milne.
present
The Laing Art Gallery has a collection of mostly British paintings from the 18th century to the present day, with an emphasis on local artists. The collection comprises a total of around 1000 paintings, 4000 watercolors, 5000 prints, 100 sculptures and 7000 handicraft objects. The main artists represented are John Martin , Holman Hunt , Edward Coley Burne-Jones , Paul Gauguin , Stanley Spencer , Joshua Reynolds and Laura Knight .
On the upper floor of the gallery there are four rooms that are used for special exhibitions and exhibitions from the company's own collection. Paintings by local artists depicting scenes from the city's history can be seen in the lunettes of these rooms.
On the ground floor there is the permanent exhibition "Art on Tyneside" ( Art on the banks of the Tyne ), as well as a café. There is also an art learning center, the All About Art Room, aimed primarily at children. The "Marble Hall", the former entrance hall of the gallery, houses a sculpture exhibition, including a bust of Alexander Laing.
The entrance area and reception are located in the new wing, above a room for lectures, conferences, etc., and another exhibition room on the upper floor.
The gallery is managed by the Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums and supported by the UK Department of Culture. Admission is free. Since 1965 there has also been an association called “Friends of the Laing Art Gallery” (FLAG), which collects money for exhibitions, catalogs and the purchase of other works of art.
literature
- A Short History of the Laing Art Gallery. Edited by The Friends of the Laing Art Gallery. 2002, 3rd edition 2007.
Web links
Coordinates: 54 ° 58 ′ 29.3 " N , 1 ° 36 ′ 33.6" W.