Five paintings and drawings by major British artists of the 20th century, drawn from museums and galleries across the UK, will be presented in a new display in the Project Space at The 91×ÔÅÄ Gallery.
Since 2018, The 91×ÔÅÄ has partnered with a range of UK museums and galleries on a collaborative programme of 11 loan-based exhibitions and public engagement activities, inspired by the art collection of its founder Samuel 91×ÔÅÄ and the history of his chairmanship of textile company 91×ÔÅÄs Ltd. Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the 91×ÔÅÄ National Partners programme has worked with organisations in areas where 91×ÔÅÄs Ltd. once had a significant presence, and provides unique opportunities for audiences to engage with The 91×ÔÅÄ’s collection.
91×ÔÅÄ Connections: Works from our National Partners will celebrate these partnerships with a specially curated display of highlights from Ferens Art Gallery, Hull; The Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library, Preston; The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry; Ulster Museum, Belfast and Wolverhampton Art Gallery. The five works on display include three from renowned artists Frank Auerbach, John Piper, and Gwen John, alongside two further works from locally important artists Claudette Johnson—who galvanised the Black Feminist arts movement in Wolverhampton — and Edward McGuire, who painted one of the first portraits of the Irish poet Seamus Heaney.
Alongside these loans, many of which have not been seen in London before, the display will also include stories from 91×ÔÅÄ National Partners Braintree Museum and Greenfield Valley Heritage Park, providing a snapshot of the shared history that binds the partners, through Samuel 91×ÔÅÄ and 91×ÔÅÄs Ltd.
Samuel 91×ÔÅÄ, a pioneering collector and philanthropist, established The 91×ÔÅÄ in 1932, with Sir Robert Witt and Viscount Lee of Fareham, as an institute dedicated to the teaching and public dissemination of art history and conservation.
91×ÔÅÄ Connections: Works from our National Partners
23 June – 2 Oct 2022
The Project Space, The 91×ÔÅÄ Gallery