Pedals to Petrol: the evolution of the motorcycle, 1900-1930

26 July – 30 August 2008

Bright sunshine, Norfolk jacket and plus fours, fields of barley, a gentle chugging sound juxtaposed with a bumpy surface, punctures, slipping belts and clouds of dust - these are some of the joys and tribulations of early motorcycling.

In this exhibition a small selection of motorcycles from a local collector have scooted in to the Art Gallery & Museum to show how the cycle became motorised. One of the first attempts happened here in Gloucestershire with the JES. JE Smith made his motor units in Gloucester from about 1910; a rider could either buy a motor to attach to his own cycle or buy a complete bicycle with the engine fitted.

The progression of motorisation during these 30 years is pinpointed with classic examples – a 1909 Triumph, 1914, Invicta and 1929 Ariel.

Exhibitions & Education Manager, Sophie Wilson says

“We are excited by the prospect of having these classic motorcycles at the Art Gallery & Museum, the stories related to each cycle are fascinating and they are all beautifully made – this gives them a universal appeal.”

Through the decades visitors can discover how these cycles changed, for example, as motorisation becomes more sophisticated the cycles decrease in size. Visitors can relive the freedom and excitement of motorcycle riding through listening to recounted stories and watching film. Helmets, goggles, lamps, tools and graphics complete this picture of early motorcycling.

The motorcycle photographed 1946 – 1960

5 July – 24 August 2008

The excitement, skill and freedom of motorcycling in Gloucestershire has been captured perfectly by Bill Cole with his Leica camera. A keen motorcyclist himself, Bill also became one of the best motorcycle photographers of the mid twentieth century.

Based in Gloucestershire, Cole combined his love for motorcycling with his passion for photography and snapped 1000s of images of scrambles and trials in the county.

With its hills, valleys and woodland Gloucestershire provided an ideal landscape for cross country motorcycling. Scrambles were about speed and were enjoyed in the summer, Cooper’s Hill, Miserden and many more locations provided circuits. Trails took place in the winter and were about skill and ability to ride in difficult areas and conditions.

Exhibitions & Education Manager, Sophie Wilson says:

“This exhibition reveals one of the hidden treasures of Gloucestershire, we are lucky to be able to show these spectacular photographs which are important in terms of a record of local history as well as being visually stunning.”

For Bill Cole this was a way of life, he attended and photographed these events every weekend because his friends were there – many were also well-known – he lived in Gloucestershire all his life and worked at Gloster Aircraft.

This exhibition focuses on a small selection of Gloucestershire highlights and gives a taste of the legacy Bill Cole has left behind.

Geometry of Fear

7 June – 20 July 2008

Jagged wiry forms, reflecting the anxiety of the post-war period will be on show at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum in the exhibition, Geometry of Fear. The exhibition showcases the work of a group of young sculptors who came to prominence in the early 1950s.

Seventeen sculptures and related works on paper make up the exhibition, with many of the most renowned British sculptors of the last sixty years being represented, including Reg Butler, Lynn Chadwick, Bernard Meadows, Kenneth Armitage, John Hoskin, Robert Adams, Elizabeth Frink and Eduardo Paolozzi.

The work of these sculptors was shown in a landmark exhibition at the British Pavilion in the 1952 Venice Biennale. A huge success, the 1952 show ensured the international art world directed their gaze to London. The famous art historian of the time, Herbert Read, coined the phrase ‘geometry of fear’ as a comment on the exhibitors’ expressionist style. Read wrote in the exhibition catalogue: ‘These new images belong to the iconography of despair, or of defiance…Here are the images of flight, of ragged claws “scuttling across the floors of silent seas”, of excoriated flesh, frustrated sex, the geometry of fear…These British sculptors have given sculpture what it never had before our time – a linear quality.’

The stylistic and technical innovations made by these sculptors can not be underestimated – the curved, the carved and the smooth were abandoned for rough, spiky, welded structures. Sculptors like Chadwick and Butler were seen as breaking away from the rounded, graceful shapes of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, who for some belonged to a slightly older generation. Work by Moore is also included in the exhibition, enabling visitors to compare the different approaches for themselves.

Some of the most striking pieces in Geometry of Fear include Reg Butler’s 1951 work Girl and Boy and Lynn Chadwick’s 1956 work The Seasons. Their spindly constructions have clearly been influenced by European artists such as Picasso and Giacometti.

Geometry of Fear contains powerful works which challenge the visitor, encouraging them to think about the post-war climate in which they were made. Many of the sculptors experienced first-hand the horrors of the front-line; they had all been subjected to the austerity of rationing, the bombsites and the disturbing threat of the Cold War. These experiences shaped the artists, compelling them to comment on their ambiguous times. Indeed these works have stood the test of time, and provide a provocative, pertinent statement on today’s mood of uncertainty.

Silk, Squalor and Scandal: Hogarth’s London

31 May – 26 July 2008

Delve into the lurid lifestyles of 18th-century Londoners with the famous artist William Hogarth (1697-1764) as your guide, in the latest exhibition at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum.

The exhibition consists of engravings by Hogarth, many of them among his best-known works, including the sozzled spectacle Gin Lane & Beer Street - proof that bawdy street drinking is not just a modern phenomenon.

Hogarth’s engravings were extremely popular during his lifetime, providing a gossipy commentary on the realities of the day at a price to suit the masses. Satirical works such as the famous Rake’s Progress and Marriage A La Mode, which form part of the exhibition, held up a mirror to the less admirable aspects of human nature. The public loved this sensational, unflattering mix. In the end Hogarth’s engravings were so successful he had to lobby for their copyright.

A fascinating element of the exhibition is the inclusion of a contemporary work by Chio Kao, a student from Camberwell College of Art, entitled Rake’s Progress. This piece, created from the Yellow Pages, enables visitors to reflect on the themes of Hogarth’s work, and see parallels between 18th-century and modern-day society.

Guaranteed to make you raise an eyebrow - Silk, Squalor and Scandal shows Hogarth’s talent for capturing life.

Ritual: The Still Point and the Dance - Sandy Brown
The Adam Brothers: contractors to the metropolis in the reign of George III

19 APR – 31 May 08

“Ceramics in the UK means pots, and almost only pots. There is nothing wrong with pots. I make them and I love making them. But contemporary ceramic installation is a genre of its own, quite unlike any other form of sculpture, distinct, intuitive, organic.” Sandy Brown, 2006

Vivid, vivacious ceramics, teeming with energy and originality and are on show at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum in the exhibition Ritual: The Still Point and the Dance by the acclaimed ceramicist Sandy Brown.

The exhibition is a major two-part ceramic installation, combining the art of the Japanese tea ceremony with the exuberance of dance. These two inspirations have been fused to present a metaphor for the artistic process: the contemplative stage of creation and the spontaneity of making. The tea ceremony element includes a ceremony ‘room’ and appropriate utensils, together with stunning pots in Sandy’s unique style.

Sandy’s take on the ancient art of tea ceremony is a deliberate hybrid of east and west traditions, an alternative and contemporary approach. Sandy’s interest in tea ceremony has been shaped by her experience in Japan, where she trained as a potter in the 1970s. Rituals, like the tea ceremony are held in high importance in Japan, and quality ceramics underpin such rites.

Contrasting with the poised elegance of the tea ceremony are the tall and bulbous forms of the ‘Dance.’ Curling stacks of round ceramic shapes, loom, large-scale, their individual structures suggestive of beads, seeds and fantastical confectionery.

Colour is an integral part of Sandy Brown’s work. Buttery yellow, pale salmon pink, tangerine, sage green and ultramarine are joyfully spotted and streaked on a white ground. Shape and colour are always in harmony.

Ritual: The Still Point and The Dance is a landmark exhibition, establishing new boundaries for the ceramic artist. Innovative both in style and concept, the exhibition offers visitors a totally new experience in ceramic art.

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibitions & Education Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20 • Closed Bank Holidays • Admission free, donations welcome (First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Vaulting Ambition
The Adam Brothers: contractors to the metropolis in the reign of George III

19 APR – 24 May 08

Vaulting Ambition tells the story of the 18th century Adam brothers – Robert, John, James and William who were architects and partners in the business William Adam & Co. The exhibition illustrates, through a number of fascinating objects, a tale of genius, arrogance, boom and bust, broken relationships and audacious building schemes.

The focus of the exhibition is the Adelphi development which was built in the Strand in London from 1768. Adelphi is translated as ‘brothers’ in Greek, and the Adelphi development was very much a filial affair. Visitors can feast their eyes on a selection of paintings of the scheme, including both watercolours and oil paintings. Vibrant ceiling designs, including one for the house of the actor David Garrick will also be on show. Garrick was a huge celebrity of the day - so getting him to move into the Adelphi was a huge coup for the Adam clan.

One of the most intriguing items in the exhibition is the ticket from the Adelphi Lottery. This item illustrates a crucial stage in the Adam Brothers’ story, principally the establishment of a private lottery to prevent the company from financial ruin.

The exhibition also contains some superb architectural drawings from the Adam office. One of the works, a Perspective View of Bath Terrace shows what Bath might have looked like - as it was never adopted by the city. The Bath items, two of which have been included especially for the Cheltenham show, offer an insight into how the Adam brothers visualised an ideal spa town.

Miniatures of the Georgian brothers, with perfect Neo-Classical profiles also form part of the exhibition. Unfortunately these four brothers who started out as such a close-knit brethren ended up falling out dramatically. Competitive in-fighting and irresponsible business speculation – the Adams brothers always seemed to hanker for the high life – chipped away at their once promising empire. The last surviving brother, William, committed suicide in 1802.

Vaulting Ambition is a captivating exhibition, its superb artefacts telling a unique and rich story about a family dynasty and a crucial and exciting period in Britain’s architectural history.

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibitions & Education Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20 • Closed Bank Holidays • Admission free, donations welcome (First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Schools' Art

15 MAR – 12 APR 08

Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum will be brimming with the town’s young artistic talent, when both of its exhibition galleries throw open their doors to the annual Schools' Art show.

This popular exhibition is guaranteed to brush the winter cobwebs away with its lively selection of colourful and exciting work.

Exhibitions Assistant Laura Kinnear says:

"I can’t wait to see what the young people have created this year, it is always so vibrant and interesting. It is so inspiring to see the Art Gallery & Museum’s gallery spaces covered floor to ceiling with their work. The exhibition is such a great opportunity for young people to show off their artwork and be involved with the Art Gallery & Museum."

This year 27 schools are contributing work, mostly infant and primary, but also some secondary.

Schools' Art has a firm place in Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum’s exhibition calendar. The show, held every year, demonstrates the Art Gallery & Museum’s ongoing commitment to working with the local community and indicates its strong relationship with local schools.

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibitions & Education Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20 • Closed Bank Holidays • Admission free, donations welcome (First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Medieval Machines

26 JAN – 8 MAR 08

Mention the word ‘medieval’ and a world of darkness and drudgery is immediately conjured up. Associated with short life spans and hardship, this time period, from about 1066 to 1485, is not usually thought of as a scientific age. However, the exciting interactive exhibition Medieval Machines at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum challenges our perceptions of what we think of as ‘medieval.’

Medieval Machines enables visitors to experience hands-on the amazing inventions from the medieval period. Did you know that the first mechanical clock was developed during this time? And that the compass also dates from this period? Innovations were made in all areas of life from architecture to warfare.

Visitors have the opportunity to find out about war in Medieval times using a model siege engine, and children can have a go at being a medieval knight by mounting a model horse and using stirrups – a major Middle Ages invention. Discover how the chunky, stout buildings of the Dark Ages were transformed into slim, elegant structures through the use of pointed arches, flying buttresses and stained glass windows. Become a medieval engineer and try your hand at supporting and collapsing constructions. Find out all about medieval publishing by having a go at the printing press.

This exhibition is ideal for children and young people but is also suitable for adults wanting a hands-on approach to finding out more about the technologies of the Middle Ages. Medieval Machines offers a fascinating insight into how early technology transformed everyday life in the Middle Ages, and highlights the roots of many of our 21st-century machines.

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibitions & Education Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20 • Closed Bank Holidays • Admission free, donations welcome (First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Trees: An Alphabet

12 JAN – 8 MAR 08

Literature and the visual arts come together to create this artist’s alphabet book.

Philip Sharpe’s poems are visually interpreted by artist Andrew Judd with woodblock and lino cut prints with a page for each letter of the alphabet.

Gloucestershire-born Andrew Judd studied Fine Art at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The long dormant seeds of Trees: An Alphabet were sown in the 1970s while Andrew Judd was showing in the Midlands and at The Royal West of England Academy, Bristol.

Philip Sharpe's poems had been written and pencil illustrations hastily made in time for a group showing at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Not until late 2005, a few years after Judd began printmaking, did he feel confident in reassessing the drawn work and re-creating it completely into print form. The preparation and block cutting work took 15 months to complete. The whole work was printed by letterpress and from the blocks by John Grice at Evergreen Press near Chipping Campden. This was completed in time for a first showing in Stroud in January 2007. Most recently, Trees: An Alphabet was successfully shown in its boxed, sale form at The Fine Press Book Fair in Oxford.

Andrew Judd is currently showing other print work in The Society of Wood Engravers' Exhibition in Cheltenham at Martin's Gallery from mid-January 2008, and in Leicester Print Workshop's 'Small Print: Big Impression' touring show. A new Sharpe/Judd/Evergreen Press collaboration – ‘Touchstone’ - is in preparation and should be available in 2008.

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibitions & Education Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20 • Closed Bank Holidays • Admission free, donations welcome (First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Edwardian Glamour to Hippie Chic -100 years of Fashion Accessories

27 OCT 07 – 5 JAN 08

What can a pair of shoes, hat or bag tell us about the past? Can we tell who it was worn by and does the material or style reveal anything? These are some of the questions this exhibition of women’s accessories raises and answers along with explaining the significance of why they are important to keep in the collections at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum.

The exhibition highlights some of the key fashion accessories of the past 100 years which have been collected by Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum and is the forth and final exhibition organised to celebrate the museum’s centenary.

Starting in the 1900s, there is a variety of accessories from top to toe including, hats, bags, gloves, handkerchiefs, shoes and stockings. During the past 100 years the etiquette for wearing certain accessories has changed as styles become less formal and a different emphasis is placed in certain garments. In the early decades sports and the two world wars influenced fashion; in the1950s, fashionable women played great importance on ensuring that their various hats, bags, gloves and shoes were colour co-ordinated; the 1960s saw a radical break with tradition and some of the most influential designers of the 1980s are represented by Isabella Blow’s wedding outfit – Manolo Blanik court shoes and a Philip Treacy headdress - this will be on show in memory of Isabella, who died earlier this year. Trainers, leggings and designer bags bring us up to the present day.

Exhibitions & Education Manager, Sophia Wilson says;

My favourite items include a black hat with a black and orange plumage which is about 1915 – it reminds me of the exotic fashions Paul Poiret was creating during the early 20th century – sumptuous and glamorous fabrics with a quirky twist. Other classics include a red platform shoe, about 1975, a 1950s gold metal mesh purse and more recently, a bag designed by McGregor & Michael.

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibitions & Education Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20 • Closed Bank Holidays • Admission free, donations welcome (First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Undersong - The paintings, sculptures and boxes of Tim Meagher

6 OCT – 24 NOV 2007

Tim Meagher uses his own visual language in a refreshing way to create innovative art forms. His work is expressive, dynamic and thoughtful; it draws upon his own experiences as well much wider issues.

This exhibition celebrates Meagher’s work from the 1980s to the present day. It shows how he has developed from making boxes to paintings and sculptural pieces. A recurrent theme throughout is our relationship with the environment. This theme is conveyed through pictorial symbolism, for example, a plane or car which is juxtaposed with the beauty of a landscape feature which recalls his time spent in Australia and New Zealand. More recent work shows the influence of Spanish culture, especially Flamenco. Recycled materials are used as well, for example packaging forms the ‘canvas’ for Portrait of Romy, 2003. In terms of art historical influences, Meagher sites artists such as Jean-Michel Basquait as inspirational.

Meagher began making leather boxes in the early 1980s. He was attracted to the flexibility of leather as a material – it can be cut, carved, incised, bent, stitched and painted. Making something which could be functional and express ideas appealed as well. His boxes challenge the defining line between craft and fine art and their decoration is a modern take on ancient myths, for example Orpheus and Eurydice. Their success is demonstrated through the numerous exhibitions, awards and commissions received, including a solo show at the Perth International Festival of Arts, Australia, followed by a residency and teaching tours of Australia and New Zealand.

The early 1990s saw a turning point in Meagher’s work. Always keen to experiment, Meagher started taking his work to a new dimension. In effect he flattened out his boxes and began creating two dimensional works. Keen to maintain the flexibility of cutting and inlaying pieces he uses bookbinder’s card and museum board. Meagher says ‘These new ways of working on a painting gave me tremendous freedom – I didn’t need to start with a preconceived format as I would have done with a stretched canvas, but could let the painting grow larger or smaller, depending on how I manipulated the panels.’ The result is a collage of added pieces which may vary in texture and colour or blend in and surprise us when we spot them. Meagher continues this adding process in his sculpture – found objects which represent cultural or environmental issues are combined to prick our conscious and re-evaluate what is most important – the ease of flying or the beauty of a palm tree.

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibitions & Education Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20 ? Closed Bank Holidays ? Admission free, donations welcome (First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Saved from the Bonfire - How Cheltenham's Arts & Crafts Movement collection developed

4 August – 20 October 2007

The importance of Cheltenham’s Arts and Crafts Movement collection is now recognised worldwide. This exhibition – one of four shows celebrating the museum’s centenary in 2007 – traces its development from small local beginnings to the award of Designated status in 1998 and is dedicated to the craftsmen and women involved in that story.

The Art Gallery & Museum’s links with the Movement were developed by Daniel W Herdman, Librarian Curator from 1922. He made contact with designers and makers, promoted the crafts to schools and colleges, and organised exhibitions of work in Cheltenham and elsewhere. On show will be items by makers such as Gordon Russell whose work was first shown at Cheltenham. This section will include a stunning necklace made by the jeweller Frances Ramsey while living in Chipping Campden in the 1920s. The necklace was bought from a Cheltenham show by the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Herdman’s most significant achievement was to save the collection of nearly 2000 working drawings by the architect/designer Ernest Gimson from the bonfire in 1941. This collection of designs for furniture, metalwork, embroidery, and plasterwork as well as architectural drawings was bought for the museum following the death of Gimson’s widow during the Second World War. Herdman came upon the drawings by chance during the auction of her effects; when he was told the drawings were to be burnt he offered £50 on the spot for the entire collection. Similar dramatic and poignant stories lie behind the acquisition of other pieces.

This fascinating look at how one major collection has developed also includes work by William Morris and the Kelmscott Press; decorated pottery by Grace Barnsley, and Alfred and Louise Powell; textiles by Eve Simmonds, Phyllis Barron and Dorothy Larcher; works on paper by Edward Payne, Fred Griggs and Paul Woodroffe; Winchcombe Pottery by Michael Cardew and Ray Finch and many other late 19th and 20th-century artists and designer-makers.

For further information and images, please contact Mary Greensted, Curator, Decorative Arts & Designated Collections, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20 ? Closed Bank Holidays • Admission free, donations welcome (First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Spotlight on St Ives - From the Arts Council Collection,
A Hayward Touring exhibition

9 June – 21 July 2007

Bringing together a selection of paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures from the Arts Council Collection, Spotlight on St Ives explore three decades of art inspired by the landscapes of West Cornwall. Starting with Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth, the exhibition introduces other artists who worked in Cornwall in the post-war years, including well-known figures such as Terry Frost, Peter Lanyon and Roger Hilton. This Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition opened in Swansea in April 2006, and now comes to Cheltenham in June as part of a national tour.

The artists who were associated with the St Ives School worked in a diverse range of media and styles, united primarily by the unique light and landscape that informed their work. Ben Nicholson moved to St Ives with Barbara Hepworth in 1939, having ten years earlier 'discovered' the work of local artist Alfred Wallis, whose works such as Trawler (1925) awoke in him a new sense of simplicity. Hepworth was also profoundly affected by their new surroundings, with sculptures such as Spring (1966) drawing inspiration from the land and ancient stones.

Hepworth and Nicholson were central to the growing artistic community, and a number of younger artists, including Terry Frost, John Milne and Denis Mitchell, worked as Hepworth's studio assistants. In Red, Yellow and Blue (1962), Frost evokes the experience of walking along the quayside, seeing moored boats rocking against each other: ' it is the sensation', he explained, 'you don't copy it.'

Other artists sought alternative viewpoints from which the experience the landscape. This led Peter Lanyon to take up gliding, and Soaring Flight (1960) is one of several works that describe the sensation of flight. Similarly, Bryan Wynter's series of paintings from the mid-1950s were inspired by his canoe outings, exploring new perspectives related to the experience of moving on or below water.

In the post-war years, others came to join the thriving community. Roger Hilton was a regular visit from the mid 1950s, eventually settling in St Just in 1965. His freely painted, highly personal abstract shapes take their inspiration from the body as much as the landscape. Confined to bed during his final years, he produced a series of lively gouaches, many of which provide a witty and bleak comment on his predicament.

Patrick Heron settled permanently in Zennor in 1955, drawing inspiration from the visual experiences directly around him, with the colours and circles in paintings such as Ultramarine, Cinnamon and Dull Yellow (1960) relating to the boulders and flowing shrubs in his impressive garden.

The art produced in St Ives during the 1940s, '50s and '60s went far beyond the provincial, with many of the artists achieving international success. Spotlight on St Ives illustrated the variety of ways in which a diverse group of artists responded to the unique Cornish landscape, producing some of the most innovative and influential art in twentieth-century Britain.

On Wednesday 20 June, Kelvin Corcoran recites his poems inspired by Roger Hilton, and gives readings about St Ives artists. 1.10-1.50pm, tickets £3.50 from the Museum shop.

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibition Officer, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20
Closed Bank Holidays, Admission free, donations welcome
(First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Looking East - Works on paper, Maurice Cockrill

28 July - 8 September 2007

Maurice Cockrill’s paintings have been described as ‘feasts for the eyes.’ The forthcoming exhibition of his work is a banquet of colour, form and expression, with Maurice using Far Eastern art as inspiration to explore his long abiding fascination with landscape. The title Looking East has been deliberately borrowed by Maurice from a previous exhibition devoted to American artists influenced by Far Eastern art at The Boston University Art Gallery in 2001.

The exhibition comprises many works which have not been exhibited before and encompasses both watercolour and oil. The paintings are in an array of bold, bright, beautiful colours - vibrant blues, roses and greens – the majority of which use exquisite Japanese paper as a ‘canvas’. They include series of paintings entitled Spectral Rivers, Little Oak Trees, based on Maurice’s admiration and passion for the oak, and Looking East.

The format of many of the works recalls the long, narrow shape of Japanese calligraphy scrolls. The influence of Japanese calligraphy can also be detected in the way Maurice has applied the paint and structured the work: sinewy lines snake vertically on the paper creating a dynamic network of shapes and pattern.

Maurice Cockrill describes the work in the exhibition as ‘Abstract Expressionism’ but also as ‘Coming in the category of landscape…rockfaces, vegetation.’ He explains that he is influenced by artists ‘Who love oriental methods and the oriental look of art.’

Maurice has exhibited widely throughout his career, both nationally and internationally, and his work is currently part of the Tate Gallery Liverpool exhibition, Centre of the Creative Universe: Liverpool and the Avant-Garde (until 9 September 2007). He was made a Royal Academician in 1999 and is currently Keeper of the Royal Academy Schools

A programme of events and activities will accompany the exhibition including two days of free children’s watercolour workshops utilising some of Maurice Cockrill’s techniques; a fortnight long label writing activity, inviting visitors to write their own alternative captions for Maurice’s work; and an adult creative writing workshop where the themes of the exhibition will be explored in poetry and prose.

For further information and images, please contact Laura Davis, Exhibitions Assistant, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20
Closed Bank Holidays, Admission free, donations welcome
(First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Not just history - Collections from the past for the present

21 April – 28 July 2007

This intriguing exhibition shows a selection of objects from the museum that illuminate, highlight, and provide a commentary for contemporary issues ranging from the environment to our image and identity. They show how what we think of as contemporary issues and fashions are often deeply rooted in history, and also what historic artefacts can tell us about contemporary issues, from the environment to diet. It will feature a fascinating selection of objects, many not seen for several years. These include local archaeological finds now providing vital data for studies into third-world diet, geological specimens that highlight climate change, fashion items from the past made from, now, endangered species, and a range of objects that highlight our continuing obsession with health and the body, from smoking to sunbathing. There will be a chance for visitors to have their say about what the museum should collect in the future,

This is the second in a series of three exhibitions celebrating the centenary of the museum.

For further information and images, please contact Helen Brown, Collections Manager, or Anna Stanway, Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20
Closed Bank Holidays, Admission free, donations welcome
(First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Amelia Shaw Hastings – Works on Paper and Sculpture: A Retrospective

10 February - 24 March 2007

Sculpted portraits of racing driver Stirling Moss and musician Stephane Grappelli, together with sketches of the actor Derek Jacobi are on show at Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, as part of Amelia Shaw-Hastings Works on Paper and Sculpture: A Retrospective.

This exhibition showcases a comprehensive selection of work by artist and sculptor Amelia Shaw-Hastings, who was born in 1924. Highlights include her early drawings from the 1930s when she studied at the renowned Mosley Art School (aged 12-14) and sculpture from the 1970s and 1980s. Amelia is known for her figurative work, both in sculpture and on paper, and it is this type of work she is most enthusiastic about, commenting:

Exhibitions & Education Manager, Sophia Wilson says:

"Expression, form and movement are what interest me most, including dancers, jugglers, actors etc."

Her prodigious talent is revealed in a number of early works, particularly a painstakingly intricate drawing of her sister’s type writer, which she undertook for homework when she was fourteen years old.

Amelia Shaw-Hastings is a local artist based in Stroud, Gloucestershire. She was made an Associate of the Royal Society of British Sculptors in 1988. Amelia has exhibited at The Mall Galleries, London, the Royal Academy, London, Audiovisual, Paris and the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol.

Exquisite silverware is also on show from the time Amelia studied the newly established Industrial Design course at Birmingham College of Art. Designs for amongst others, a cast iron gate, an iron, and a shampoo label reveal the fashions and styles of the 1930s. Amelia’s range is highlighted through her post-war employment on various magazines and journals. Her creativity and design flair is apparent in her work as Art Editor for the 1940s shoe trade journal, Footwear and Leather, an issue of which is included in the exhibition. A selection of beautiful sketches and paintings of her young children are also part of the exhibition, created in the 1950s when Amelia moved away from commercial art. The drawings and paintings mark a shift in subject matter from design and the drawing of objects and things to a concentration upon people.

Amelia’s interest in sculpture dates from the 1950s onwards, and again she used her sons as models. A number of Amelia’s sculptures form an integral part of the exhibition, including work in relief, and many figurative works, for example a study of her sons, Boys on Bars.

Amelia Shaw Hastings Works on Paper and Sculpture: A Retrospective brings together a fascinating and varied collection of works in a diverse range of media. Spanning a period of over fifty years, Amelia’s work reflects the changing tastes and fashions in British Art over the last century. However her figurative sculpture in particular reveals an artist independent of the prevailing twentieth century fashion for abstract work, demonstrating her passion and skill for illustrating the human form.

For further information and images, please contact Laura Davis, Exhibitions Assistant, or Anna Stanway, Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20
Closed Bank Holidays, Admission free, donations welcome
(First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Directors’ Cut: prints, drawings and watercolours selected by two former Directors

20 January – 14 April 2007

Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum has asked two of its former directors, David Addison and George Breeze to create an exhibition from its Fine Art Collection. The exhibition is the first in a series of four shows which have been organised to celebrate the museum’s 100th anniversary. In addition to managing the Art Gallery & Museum, both directors were specialists in fine art.

During their respective periods they developed the fine art collections within their own expertise. Large prints by notable artists such as Terry Frost and Brigit Skiold were acquired by David. George Breeze’s contribution to the collection reflects his interest in the Arts & Crafts Movement.

Exhibitions & Education Manager, Sophia Wilson says:

"In each case the selection is a personal trip down memory lane as we asked both directors to choose pictures which they had either accepted or purchased for the collections and / or those which had a particular relevance to them."

The exhibition provides the opportunity to show some significant works on paper which are normally in store. It addresses some of the issues all collectors are faced with when developing a collection; each selection is very personal and proves the importance of being knowledgeable in your field in order to be able to get the best.

Visitors can see work by Henry Payne, Charles March Gere, Turner, Joseph Southall, John Nash, Edward Wilson, Edward Bawden, R Stanley Dent, Theodore von Holst and Edward Armitage

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibitions
& Education Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer,
Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20
Admission free, donations welcome
(First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Art and Fashion: a private collection of jewellery from the Arts and Crafts period

4 November 2006 – 13 January 2007

In 1982 a young couple spotted a pendant in an antique shop in Worcester. They liked its strong and original design and admired the skill and craftwork that had gone into making it. They didn’t buy it straightaway but couldn’t forget it. When they returned a few days later for a second look, they bought it and began a collecting bug that has continued ever since.

Their collection of jewellery – most of it from the Arts and Crafts period from about 1870 to 1925 – will be on public show for the first time at Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum. It includes pieces by some of the most important designers of the period including C R Ashbee, Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, Archibald Knox and Omar Ramsden, as well as pieces sold through the Artificer’s Guild and Liberty’s. All the pieces combine stunning designs, artistic grouping of colours using enamels and semi-precious stones, and quality craftsmanship. They also illustrate some of the fashion trends in jewellery of the period such as the influence of Indian jewellery and the interest in peasant styles.

Two less usual elements in this very personal collection are examples of jewellery made by amateurs and the cheaper pieces which were produced for a more mass market.

For further information and images, please contact Mary Greensted, Arts & Visitor Services Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing & Information Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20
Closed 25 & 26 December, and 1 January
Admission free, donations welcome
(First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)

Khel, Toys from India

16 December 2006 – 27 January 2007

Colourful and beautiful handmade Indian toys, both contemporary and historic provide a feast for the eyes in this exhibition. The contemporary toys were purchased directly from makers in New Delhi and represent the highly skilled craftsmanship which is still prevalent today. In India, where the mass manufacturing of toys is less prevalent than it is in the West, handcrafted toys are more common and affordable. Craft production plays a vital role in families as well as the Indian economy: there are approximately 23 million craftspeople in India today.

Divided into four categories, the exhibition focuses on toys made from recycled materials (wire toys, paper stencils and fabric dolls), natural materials (lacquer ware wooden toys, papier-mâché figures, fabric and straw animals), those made for entertainment (puppets and musical instruments) and traditional Indian toys (kaleidoscopes and spinning birds).

Sophia Wilson says, ‘This is a show for all the family to enjoy, there will be a special activities day on Saturday 16 December and the Museum shop will be stocked well in advance with a variety of Indian toys – perfect for the Christmas stocking.

The exhibition was initiated by Shisha, the international agency for contemporary South Asian crafts and visual arts based in Manchester. Working with Shisha and Dastkar, whose aim is to improve the status of rural craftspeople, the V&A Museum of Childhood bought the collection of toys from the Dilli Haat Bazaar on a visit to New Delhi at the end of November last year.

For further information and images, please contact Sophia Wilson, Exhibitions & Education Manager, or Anna Stanway, Marketing Officer, Tel: 01242-237431

Opening times:
Monday – Saturday 10.00-5.20 ? Closed Bank Holidays ? Admission free, donations welcome
(First Thursday of each month open from 11.00am)