2016 EXHIBITIONS ANNOUNCED
National Museums Liverpool’s exhibitions programme for 2016
Images available on request
National Museums Liverpool has announced its exhibition programme for 2016, across its eight museums and galleries.
The year will present some fantastic opportunities to visit Liverpool to experience new, inspirational, celebratory and historical exhibitions in some of the city’s most-visited venues.
Both the Walker Art Gallery and Lady Lever Art Gallery are looking forward to some significant highlights next year, as they welcome two major exhibitions and the highly anticipated re-opening of the Lady Lever’s South End galleries.
In February, the Walker will unveil some of the most enduring and popular works of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, in Pre-Raphaelites: Beauty and Rebellion (12 February until 5 June 2016). This major exhibition will feature more than 120 paintings by leading Pre-Raphaelite artists, including loans from institutions and private collections across the UK – many of which have never been on public display before – along with works taken from National Museums Liverpool’s own collections.
From 9 July until 27 November 2016, the John Moores Painting Prize 2016 exhibition will form part of Liverpool Biennial 2016 festival of contemporary art. Having championed contemporary British painting for almost 60 years, the John Moores competition is the country’s longest-established prize for artists working with the medium of paint. A selection of shortlisted works will be displayed in the exhibition, chosen by an esteemed panel of judges, including five prize-winning paintings, one of which will be awarded the £25,000 first prize.
In spring, the Lady Lever Art Gallery will also make its mark in 2016, with the re-opening of its South End galleries, following a £2.8m refurbishment project to transform 500 square metres of gallery space. The galleries will be returned to their original architectural design and objects including the best collection of Wedgwood jasperware in the world, one of the finest collections of Chinese porcelain in Europe and outstanding 18th-century paintings, furniture and sculpture, will be on show in stunning new displays.
World Museum’s 2016 exhibition programme opens in January with the inspiring family-friendly exhibition Eye for Colour (22 January until 4 September 2016), returning for its 10th anniversary having been seen by more than a million people across Europe. The Museum will also play host to some ancient Egyptian visitors from October, as the fascinating Gifts for the Gods: Animal Mummies Revealed (14 October 2016 to 26 February 2017) explores the religious practice of offering animal mummies to the gods. Featuring mummified specimens such as jackals, crocodiles, cats and birds, the exhibition will include a recreation of a subterranean animal catacomb.
On the waterfront, the Museum of Liverpool will display the second of its First World War: Reflecting on Liverpool’s Home Front exhibition series (17 June – October 2016), this time focusing on the relief and charitable activities of the city and its people during the War period, as we mark 100 years since 20,000 men lost their lives on the First Day of the Somme.
A fascinating exhibition of original film posters highlighting Liverpool’s cinematic history, will give a new perspective on the city at the Museum of Liverpool. A city of storytellers, Liverpool has starred as itself on many occasions, providing the perfect backdrop to tell the stories of its people and culture, and also portrayed many other locations around the world during its film career. Reel Stories: Liverpool and the Silver Screen will run from 11 March 2016 until January 2017, exploring numerous themes which demonstrate Liverpool’s star quality, as the most-filmed city in the UK outside of London.
At the International Slavery Museum, Afro Supa Hero will be on show from 13 May – 11 December 2016. Celebrating the importance of role models and icons in combating the legacies of racism and discrimination, Afro Supa Hero provides a snapshot of a childhood journey to adulthood, shown through artist Jon Daniel’s personal collection of pop cultural heroes and heroines of the African diaspora. The exhibition will offer an insight into the experience of a boy growing up in south west London in the 1960s and 70s, finding his positive Black role models in the West Indian culture of his family, and the African American culture of the US.
Merseyside Maritime Museum will display a brand new exhibition from 22 July until February 2017, focusing on the Liverpool Pilotage Service; the second oldest institution in Liverpool. Telling the story of the Liverpool Pilots and exploring their vital role in navigating ships in and out of the Port of Liverpool, this 2016 exhibition will mark their 250th year, which has included numerous occasions of bravery, saving lives and cargo from disaster.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/exhibitions2016
WALKER ART GALLERY
Free entry
Open daily 10am-5pm
William Brown Street, Liverpool
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker
Telephone 0151 478 4199
@walkergallery
New for 2016
Pre-Raphaelites: Beauty and Rebellion
12 February – 5 June 2016
Admission £7 for adults / £5 for concessions / visitors aged 18 and under enter free
This major new exhibition, showcasing more than 120 paintings by leading Pre-Raphaelite artists, will highlight Liverpool’s significant role in the art movement, reinforcing the city’s position as the Victorian art capital of the north. Through some of the most enduring and popular works of the period, National Museums Liverpool has worked with one of the world’s leading Pre-Raphaelite experts, Christopher Newall, to produce an exhibition which reveals the full extent of a Northern art scene that rivalled London in Victorian England. Paintings on loan from institutions and private collections across the UK – many of which have never been on public display before – and key pieces from National Museums Liverpool’s own collections, will feature. The exhibition will examine the relationship between artists like Ford Madox Brown and Dante Gabriel Rossetti with their Liverpool contemporaries, collectors, and the institutions that welcomed them, while also looking at the patrons who commissioned them, many of whom had Liverpool connections. Accompanied by a full-colour 128-page catalogue, the exhibition will present fascinating new research into Pre-Raphaelite painters and collectors in Northern England, through the legacy of the glorious artworks they left behind.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/preraphaelites
John Moores Painting Prize 2016
9 July – 27 November 2016
Admission free
Established in 1957, the John Moores Painting Prize is the country’s longest-established prize for artists working with the medium of paint. Organised in partnership with the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition Trust, it has championed contemporary British painting for almost 60 years. Entries are judged anonymously by an esteemed panel of judges, who will select a final shortlist of five paintings from which the £25,000 first prize-winning work will be chosen and four prizes of £2,500 will be awarded. A selection of shortlisted works will be displayed in the exhibition, forming part of Liverpool Biennial 2016 festival of contemporary art.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/johnmoores
Continuing exhibitions
Transformation: One man’s cross-dressing wardrobe
Until February 2017
Admission free
This ground-breaking display, the first of its kind in a British museum, features 16 garments from the collection of Peter Farrer. Born in 1926, Peter has been cross-dressing since he was 14. The display includes highlights from his historic and modern collection of cross-dressing clothes.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/transformation
LADY LEVER ART GALLERY
Free entry
Open daily 10am-5pm
Port Sunlight, Wirral
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever
Telephone 0151 478 4136
@leverartgallery
New for 2016
South End galleries
Opening spring 2016
Admission free
A £2.8m project - including a generous grant of £1.4m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) - will see 500 square metres of gallery space transformed as part of an extensive programme of restoration and improvement in the South End of the Lady Lever Art Gallery. Opening spring 2016, the galleries will be returned to their original architectural design and objects including the best collection of Wedgwood jasperware in the world, one of the finest collections of Chinese porcelain in Europe and outstanding 18th-century paintings, furniture and sculpture, will be on show in stunning new displays. A display of work from community groups involved in the project will run from 18 March until 12 June 2016.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/leverplans
Putting on the Glitz
Until 28 February 2016
Admission free
Dazzling 1930s evening gowns take centre stage in the Putting on the Glitz exhibition, revealing how the glitz and glamour of Hollywood was reflected in the fashions of the period.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/glitz
SUDLEY HOUSE
Free entry
Open daily 10am-5pm
Mossley Hill Road, Liverpool
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/sudley
Telephone 0151 478 4016
@sudleyhouse
New for 2016
Putting on the Glitz
25 March 2016 – 2017
Admission free
Following a display at the Lady Lever Art Gallery, this popular exhibition features dazzling 1930s evening gowns taking centre stage, revealing how the glitz and glamour of Hollywood was reflected in the fashions of the period.
Continuing exhibitions
Drip Dry!
Until 20 March 2016
Admission free
A 1990s shell suit and a 1960s 'Beatles dress' are just two of the highlights of this small exhibition looking at how man-made fibres have revolutionised textile manufacture.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/dripdry
WORLD MUSEUM
Free entry
Open daily 10am-5pm
William Brown Street, Liverpool
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml
Telephone 0151 478 4136
@world_museum
New for 2016
Eye for Colour
22 January – 4 September 2016
Admission free
Returning to World Museum for its 10th anniversary, having been seen by a more than a million people across Europe, Eye for Colour is a visual feast of an exhibition that will alert the senses and stimulate the mind. This inspiring family-friendly exhibition is packed with hands-on exhibits and interactive displays, exploring the endless ways in which colour shapes our world.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/eyeforcolour
Gifts for the Gods: Animal Mummies Revealed
14 October 2016 – 26 February 2017
Admission free
This fascinating exhibition – in partnership with Manchester Museum, Glasgow Museums and The University of Manchester – will explore ancient Egyptian animal mummies, prepared in their millions as votive offerings to the gods. Gifts for the Gods will explain the background behind this religious practice in the context of life in ancient Egypt and the environment in which the animals lived. Featuring mummified specimens such as jackals, crocodiles, cats and birds, the exhibition will also include a recreation of a subterranean animal catacomb, creating an immersive and atmospheric experience for visitors. It will explore the British fascination with Egypt, the discovery of animal mummies by British excavators, and how the mummies ended up in the UK, using photographs, archive material and travel journals to show how the animal mummies were excavated and selected by archaeologists and museum experts. Using animal mummies from a variety of UK collections, the exhibition will look at the use of science, such as CT imaging, to learn more about the subject.
MERSEYSIDE MARITIME MUSEUM
Free entry
Open daily 10am-5pm
Albert Dock, Liverpool
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime
Telephone 0151 478 4499
@merseymaritime
New for 2016
Liverpool Pilots (working title)
22 July 2016 – February 2017
Admission free
The Liverpool Pilotage Service is the second-oldest institution in Liverpool and celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2016. This exhibition will tell the story of the Liverpool Pilots and explore the vital role that these highly-skilled people have played in navigating ships in and out of the Port of Liverpool for more than two centuries. Liverpool waters are some of the toughest in the world to navigate. Ships entering Liverpool Bay and the River Mersey face serious hazards and rely on the skills and knowledge of pilots to ensure their safe passage. The exhibition will explore the development of the Pilotage service within the wider history of the Port of Liverpool, from the explosion of growth in the 18th and 19th-centuries, decline in the mid to late 20th-century, through to the thriving port of the 21st-century. It will also highlight many of the dramatic examples where the pilots’ judgement and bravery have saved lives and cargo from disaster
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/pilots
Continuing exhibitions
Sail Away: Liverpool Shipping Posters
Until 17 April 2016
Admission free
This display features posters dating from 1888 to 1980, advertising Liverpool shipping companies, many of which have never been on display before.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/sailaway
On the Waterfront
Until 19 June 2016
Admission free
This exhibition explores the rich history of the Albert Dock and the changing fortunes of the waterfront, the city and Port of Liverpool. The display highlights the commercial, industrial and architectural development of the area from 18th-century up to the present day, using photographs, paintings and archive collections, supported by film and audio. Marking the 300 year anniversary of the city’s Old Dock, personal stories show how the area was shaped and the impact it has had on the lives of local people. The waterfront has changed greatly in appearance and use since the construction of the Old Dock, but it remains an important symbol and focal point of the city.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/waterfront
Lusitania: life, loss, legacy
Admission free
Situated on the first floor of the Museum, this exhibition was created to mark the centenary of the sinking of the Lusitania, on 7 May 2015. As well as the story of the Lusitania, the display considers the role of Liverpool’s liners in the First World War.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/lusitania
Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story
Admission free
This compelling exhibition explores Liverpool's central role in the Titanic story. Discover the real life stories of those who sailed on Titanic, in their own words. Featuring film footage, images, costumes and interactive touch screens, the optimism and tragedy of Titanic is brought to life.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/titanic
INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY MUSEUM
Free entry
Open daily 10am-5pm
Albert Dock, Liverpool
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism
Telephone 0151 478 4499
@slaverymuseum
New for 2016
Afro Supa Hero
13 May – 11 December 2016
Admission free
Born in south west London, Jon Daniel found his positive Black role models in the West Indian culture of his family and the African American culture of the US. In his late 20s, he began collecting comics, games and action figures featuring positive Black role models of history and fiction, feeling that they most strongly embodied the era of his childhood and his search for identity. Celebrating the importance of role models and icons in combating the legacies of racism and discrimination, Afro Supa Hero provides a snapshot of a childhood journey to adulthood, shown through Jon’s personal collection of pop cultural heroes and heroines of the African diaspora.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/afrosupahero
Continuing exhibitions
Broken Lives: Slavery in modern India
Until December 2016
Admission free
Nearly half of the victims of modern slavery globally are in India, most of these are ‘Dalits’. Broken lives: Slavery in modern India provides a glimpse into the experiences of India’s Dalit community. This is the first-ever exhibition to look specifically at the modern slavery and human trafficking of Dalits in India. Delivered in partnership with the Dalit Freedom Network, this powerful and moving exhibition reveals stories of hardship, survival and hope for broken lives mended.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/brokenlives
MUSEUM OF LIVERPOOL
Free entry
Open daily 10am-5pm
Pier Head, Liverpool
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol
Telephone 0151 478 4545
@museumliverpool
New for 2016
First World War: Reflecting on Liverpool's Home Front
17 June – October 2016
Admission free
This will be the second exhibition in the Museum of Liverpool’s First World War: Reflecting on Liverpool’s Home Front series, with a new special display for 2016, focusing on charity during the War period. In the summer of 2016 many people will remember the 20,000 men whose lives were lost on the First Day of the Somme. The details of those men and the others killed during the course of the First World War are fairly well documented. The fate of the men who survived, often with terrible injuries or long lasting mental trauma is not so well recorded. Memories Lost will explore the work of some of the charity organisations formed at this time, who gave much needed assistance to the returning soldiers and their families, and will also look at how those charities are still carrying out essential work today.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/firstworldwar
Reel Stories: Liverpool and the Silver Screen
11 March 2016 – January 2017
Admission free
Displaying around 40 original film posters, this exhibition will throw the spotlight on Liverpool’s cinematic history. As the most-filmed city in the UK outside of London, Reel Stories will explore numerous themes to demonstrate Liverpool’s ability to take on a leading role. A city of storytellers, Liverpool has starred as itself on many occasions, providing the perfect backdrop to tell the stories of its people and culture. With its own Film Office, established in the city for more than 25 years, Liverpool has played host to more than 6,000 productions since it opened in 1989, also portraying other locations such as New York, Chicago and Russia.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/reelstories
Continuing exhibitions
Poppies: Women and War
Until 5 June 2016
Admission free
An exhibition by photographer Lee Karen Stow, remembering women in times of war from the First World War to the present day. It combines a portrait series of women whose lives have been affected by war, with a botanical series of the poppy flower in its national environment.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/poppies
Ends
Notes to editors:
National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool comprises eight venues, including some of the most visited museums in England outside of London. Our collections are among the most important and varied in Europe and contain everything from Impressionist paintings and rare beetles to a lifejacket from the Titanic. We attract nearly 2.7 million visitors every year. Our venues are the Museum of Liverpool, World Museum, the Walker Art Gallery, Merseyside Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, Seized! (UK Border Force National Museum), Sudley House and the Lady Lever Art Gallery.
The Lady Lever Art Gallery
The programme of restoration and improvement of the South End of the Lady Lever Art Gallery, is funded through donations, corporate sponsorship and major grants including the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Lord Leverhulme's Charitable Trust, The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Headley Trust, J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust, The Granada Foundation, The Henry Moore Foundation, Charles Hayward Foundation and Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement.
About the Heritage Lottery Fund
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported over 36,000 projects with more than £6bn across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk.
The Museum of Liverpool
The Museum has received generous support from several major funders, and grants from trusts and foundations, corporate support and individual donations. Major funders include the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS),Garfield Weston Foundation and the Clore Duffield Foundation.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) was responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of England’s Northwest and had five key priorities: Business, Skills and Education, People and Jobs, Infrastructure and Quality of Life.
The European Development Fund (ERDF) is making a real difference to people and businesses in the North West. With €755 million to invest between 2007 and 2013, ERDF is enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s economy by supporting growth in enterprise and employment. ERDF in the North West is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government – for further information visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf.
Contact Lucy Cattell - Communications Manager
e lucy.cattell@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk t 0151 478 4615 f 0151 478 4777
w liverpoolmuseums.org.uk