Poster-Appeal makes Enchanted Dreams the must-see exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Enchanted Dreams: The Pre-Raphaelite Art of ER Hughes.  Until 21 February

Whilst many people will not have heard of the Pre-Raphaelite artist, ER Hughes, the worldwide popularity of two of his celebrated paintings, Night with her Train of Stars and Midsummer Eve, on posters and postcards is converting poster fans into art connoisseurs at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery!

“For people who don’t consider themselves to be huge art fans, it takes something familiar to draw them into an exhibition – and that’s why Enchanted Dreams is proving so popular.  The name of ER Hughes is not very well known, but two of his works have been so widely used for posters and postcards that people find his work very accessible,” comments Victoria Osborne, Curator of Fine Art at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.  “It was a huge coup for us to be able to display Night with her Train of Stars – which is in Birmingham’s own collection – alongside the privately-owned Midsummer Eve as part of the largest-ever exhibition of Hughes’s work.”

The two paintings sit at the heart of the Enchanted Dreams exhibition in the Gas Hall of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, in which the life and works of ER Hughes are brought together for the first time from international public and private collections.  Presenting captivating, magical fairy visions, Enchanted Dreams is proving to be a landmark for the museum, putting this unsung master of British art back into the spotlight where he belongs.  Sadly, the exhibition is as ephemeral as one of Hughes’s dream-worlds: when it ends in five weeks on 21 February, the works will be dispersed across the world – some may never again be seen in public, making this a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness the talent of this lost British virtuoso.

To toast the show’s success, on Saturday 20 February visitors will have an opportunity to experience Enchanted Dreams – which has achieved national interest, with the painting Midsummer Eve even making it onto the cover of the New Year’s Eve edition of Country Life magazine – in a whole new light, in an Enchanted Evening.  This special twilight reception, organised in collaboration with The Food and Drink Events Co., on the final evening of the exhibition will include many surprises including a unique star-lit pop-up bar experience, with specially created cocktails prepared by the tastemeisters of Snow Queen Vodka, including the Lavender Caipiroska and Forager’s Fizz, both inspired by delicious ingredients that would have been familiar in Edwardian high society! 

Today, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has the world’s largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art, but Night with her Train of Stars, which was donated 100 years ago, is still one of its most beloved masterpieces.  Victoria Osborne adds: “The quality of the painting is astonishing, and the fantastical subject matter appeals to anyone who wants to believe there is still magic in the world.  Night with her Train of Stars and Midsummer Eve have become part of popular culture,  featuring on greeting cards and posters worldwide, but the delicate touch of the artist can only be truly appreciated in the original.  This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to experience their subtlety and beauty at first hand.” 

Enchanted Dreams, including a magical Fairy Glen for children, runs at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery between 17 October 2015 and 21 February 2016.  The Museum & Art Gallery is open Monday – Sunday 10am – 5pm, except Fridays 10.30am – 5pm (closed 24 – 26 December).  Admission to the exhibition is Free for Children under 16, £7 Adults, and £6 Concessions.  Online booking is available.

The Enchanted Evening event is only suitable for over 18s, and costs £15.75 per person.  Two time slots are available, 6.00pm to 7.30pm and 8.00pm to 9.30pm.  Prebooking is essential.  Book online via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-enchanted-evening-tickets-19798557017

For more details, call 0121 348 8038 or visit www.birminghammuseums.org.uk.

Ends

Photographs are available by following the links at the bottom of this email, or from http://news.cision.com/birmingham-museums

Notes to Editors

Birmingham Museums Trust is an independent charity that manages the city’s museum collection and venues on behalf of Birmingham City Council. It uses the collection of around 800,000 objects to provide a wide range of arts, cultural and historical experiences, events and activities that deliver accessible learning, creativity and enjoyment for citizens and visitors to the city. Most areas of the collection are designated as being of national importance, including the finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. Attracting over 1 million visits a year, the Trust’s venues include Aston Hall, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Blakesley Hall, Museum Collections Centre, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Sarehole Mill, Soho House, Thinktank and Weoley Castle.  www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2015 and 2018, Arts Council England plans to invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and an estimated £700 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

Lenders represented in Enchanted Dreams include the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford; the Art Workers’ Guild; Bruce Castle Museum, Haringey; the Castle Howard collection; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery; the National Portrait Gallery; the National Trust for Scotland; the Royal Collection; the Royal Watercolour Society; the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, Birkenhead.

The Food and Drink Events Co. designs and executes exceptional food and drink experiences. They create memorable, intelligently thought-out events, connecting audiences to food and drink in an engaging and creative way.

Snow Queen super-premium vodka is an entirely organic wheat based spirit. The brand is inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story, The Snow Queen. Snow Queen is available in various premium retailers including Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, RRP: £35.

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Nicola Bexon or Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel:         0121 285 9899

Email:    nicola@pyperyork.co.uk or jay@pyperyork.co.uk