Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery News: October/November 2013

Artists Make Faces

'Artists Make Faces' is our major autumn/winter exhibition. It will be on display until 7 December and the 50+ works of art in it have been selected by pioneering curator, Monika Kinley. Monika received an OBE in the 2012 New Year Honours List for her services to the arts. The exhibition includes work by famous artists such as Frank Auerbach, LS Lowry and Lucian Freud. It also features a large work by Gilbert and George - a collaborative duo who are known for their brightly-coloured artworks. Gilbert hails from Italy while George was born in Plymouth! We're running a number of events connected to the exhibition including guided tours and short talks about some of the key artists, so come and join us if you want to find out more.

Hidden in Plain Sight

‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ is our latest exhibition and it opens this Saturday (26 October). It will remain on display until 11 January (not including 25 December to 1 January) and features 10 large-scale abstract paintings from our permanent collection plus 5 sculptures. Artists in the show include Patrick Heron and Barbara Hepworth from the St Ives School and 1991 Turner Prize nominee, Ian Davenport. Many of the artists have links to the South West. The exhibition also includes some previously unseen footage of Patrick Heron in his studio. If you'd like to find out more about the show, our exhibition coordinator will be giving Art Bites on 30 October and 4 December. Tickets are available now from the Museum Welcome Desk or by calling 01752 304774. 

Museum Pop-Up in Drake Circus

If you're out and about at the start of half term why not stop off at our Pop-Up Museum in the Drake Circus Shopping Centre? Our Curators and Archivists will be on hand from 10am until 4pm from Saturday 26 to Tuesday 29 October. You can chat to them and ask questions, see and handle real objects and specimens and discover more about the fascinating art, human history, natural history and archive collections that are held here in the City.

Half term activities 

As well as being off site with our Pop-Up Museum, we've got plenty on offer at the Museum and Art Gallery during the half term week. Activities begin with some 60-minute 'Little Monsters' sessions for Halloween this Saturday (26 October); on Tuesday 29 we have a lunchtime talk about Saltram House's magnificent garden; on Wednesday 30 you can drop-in and make some 'Fantastic Faces' inspired by our 'Artists Make Faces' exhibition between 10.30am and 1pm; on Thursday 31 you can work with one of our Learning Officers to make your own abstract art inspired by our 'Hidden in Plain Sight' exhibition and on Saturday 2 November you can join in with one of our artist-led Giant Mask Making Sessions.

New craft displays

Looking ahead

We'll be running a series of 60-minute creative sessions on Saturday 23 November to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr Who. Children and their accompanying adults can work together to make masks, a paper dalek and tardis. The world's most famous Time Lord is a hugely popular character so we're expecting these sessions to be busy. Please book your places in advance by calling us on 01752 304774 to avoid disappointment. We'll also be opening our historic Merchant's and Elizabethan Houses for one day only on Thursday 28 November to mark Thanksgiving. Both properties will be open from 10am to 5pm. Standard admission charges will apply but are very reasonable. We have lots more planned for November as well - details will follow in our next e-newsletter!