MOMA, Wales

Last updated

MOMA Machynlleth
Museum of Modern Art, Machynlleth - geograph.org.uk - 910703.jpg
Powys UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Museum location in Powys, Wales
Established1994
Location Machynlleth, Powys, Wales
Coordinates 52°35′30″N3°51′09″W / 52.5916°N 3.8524°W / 52.5916; -3.8524
TypeArt museum
Website www.moma.cymru OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

MOMA Machynlleth or Museum of Modern Art, Machynlleth (Formerly MOMA Wales(Welsh : MOMA Cymru)) is an arts centre and gallery adjacent to Y Tabernacl (The Tabernacle) in Machynlleth, Powys, Wales.

Contents

The Tabernacle was converted in the mid-1980s from a Wesleyan chapel into a centre for the performing arts. Since then the Museum of Modern Art has grown up alongside it, with six exhibition spaces.

Background

MOMA Machynlleth originated as MOMA Wales in 1986 as Y Tabernacl, a centre of performing arts in an old chapel, a private initiative by businessman Andrew Lambert. In 1994 this was expanded with a new complex of art galleries, a recording studio and a language laboratory. [1] In 2016 it gained accreditation from the Museums, Archives and Libraries Division of the Welsh Government and changed its name to MOMA Machynlleth.

Events and exhibitions

The Machynlleth Festival takes place in the Auditorium in late August every year. [2] During the week events take place ranging from recitals for children to jazz. Special features are the Hallstatt Lecture on some aspects of Celtic culture and the Glyndŵr Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Wales.

Throughout the year MOMA shows Modern Welsh Art, a constantly changing exhibition featuring leading artists from Wales. There are also a series of temporary exhibitions.

In August the international Tabernacle Art Competition takes place. [2]

The Tabernacle Collection

The Tabernacle Collection contains over 400 works and concentrates largely on artists living and working in Wales in the 20th and 21st centuries. Paintings and drawings from the Tabernacle Collection are shown in rotation. Works in this permanent collection include Portrait of William McElroy by Augustus John, Toasting by Stanley Spencer and Portrait of a Woman by Percy Wyndham Lewis. MOMA Wales owns Waterfall, Ogwen, Cottages, Cilgwyn, Carreg Cennen and Road above Deiniolen by Sir Kyffin Williams. The Brotherhood of Ruralists is represented by Graham Arnold's Last Poems (A E Housman) and Journal 1997 and by Ann Arnold's Clare's Countryside (8) and The River Dyfi. There are also two drawings of Dylan Thomas by his friend Mervyn Levy.

Peter Prendergast (Early Winter, Nant Ffrancon Valley and Study for Early Winter, Nant Ffrancon Valley) received the Glyndŵr Award in 2004, while Shani Rhys James (Night Kitchen I) is the designated recipient for 2007.[ citation needed ]

The Tannery and the Rural Wales Award

CPRW Rural Wales award, presented to the Tannery, Machynlleth The Tannery, MOMA, Machynlleth 01.JPG
CPRW Rural Wales award, presented to the Tannery, Machynlleth

On 5 November 2014 the Montgomeryshire Branch of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) made a special award, the Rural Wales Award, to MOMA for the restoration of the Tannery. The award was made in recognition of the sensitive and high quality restoration of the building.[ citation needed ] The Tannery was officially opened as an additional art and sculpture gallery at MOMA in May 2014 following its restoration.[ citation needed ] A detailed record of the building as well as the importance of the Tannery to the Machynlleth leather industry, was made before the conversion of the building into an art gallery. [3]

Performance facilities

The Auditorium of The Tabernacle seats 325 people. Chamber and choral music, drama, lectures and conferences regularly take place here. A Steinway grand piano has been purchased; translation booths, recording facilities and a cinema screen have been installed; the oak-beamed Foyer has a bar; and access for the disabled.

Ty Llyfnant houses music teaching rooms and an art studio while the Green Room doubles as a Language Laboratory where Lifelong learning classes are held.

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owain Glyndŵr</span> Leader of a Welsh revolt against English rule

Owain ap Gruffydd, commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr, was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Late Middle Ages, who led a 15-year-long revolt with the aim of ending English rule in Wales. He was an educated lawyer, forming the first Welsh parliament under his rule, and was the last native-born Welshman to claim the title Prince of Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomeryshire</span> Historic county of Wales

Until 1974, Montgomeryshire was an administrative county in mid Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. It was named after its county town, Montgomery, which in turn was named after one of William the Conqueror's main counsellors, Roger de Montgomerie, who was the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machynlleth</span> Market town in Powys, Wales

Machynlleth is a market town, community and electoral ward in Powys, Wales and within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 2,147, rising to 2,235 in 2011. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Mach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanidloes</span> Town in Powys, Wales

Llanidloes is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire, Wales. The population in 2011 was 2,929, of whom 15% could speak Welsh. It is the third largest settlement in Montgomeryshire, after Newtown and Welshpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyffin Williams</span> Welsh painter

Sir John Kyffin Williams, was a Welsh landscape painter who lived at Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll, on the Island of Anglesey. Williams is widely regarded as the defining artist of Wales during the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwynfynydd Gold Mine</span> Gold mine near Dolgellau, Gwynedd, Wales

Gwynfynydd Gold Mine is near Ganllwyd, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, Wales. The lode, which was discovered in 1860, was worked from 1884. It has produced more than 45,000 troy ounces of Welsh gold until mining ceased in 1998. The equivalent of 1,400 kg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tabernacle, Machynlleth</span> Arts venue and former chapel in Machynlleth, Powys, Wales

The Tabernacle is a centre for the performing arts in Machynlleth, Powys, Wales. It is located in a former Wesleyan chapel, which was converted in the mid-1980s and opened in 1986. Since then the Museum of Modern Art has grown up alongside it, with six exhibition spaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glyndŵr Award</span>

The Glyndŵr Award is made for an outstanding contribution to the arts in Wales. It is given by the Machynlleth Tabernacle Trust to pre-eminent figures in music, art and literature in rotation. The award takes its name after Owain Glyndŵr, crowned Prince of Wales at Machynlleth in 1404.

Peter Prendergast was a Welsh landscape painter.

Angharad Price FLSW is a Welsh academic and novelist. She is a recipient of the Glyndŵr Award.

Jack Crabtree is a contemporary English figurative painter and teacher. He is known for a series of paintings documenting the South Wales coal industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urdd National Eisteddfod</span> Annual Welsh-language youth festival

The Urdd National Eisteddfod is an annual Welsh-language youth festival of literature, music and performing arts organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru. It is the youth counterpart to the National Eisteddfod of Wales. Arguably Europe's largest youth festival, it is usually held during the last week of May, coinciding with schools' half term holiday. Locations alternate between north and south Wales. The Eisteddfod consists of competitive singing, recitation, art, composition, dance and instrumental events for contestants aged between 7 and 24 years. Regional qualifying heats are held in advance around Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llangadfan</span> Human settlement in Wales

Llangadfan is a small village in Powys, Wales, based in the community of Banwy. The village lies on the A458 between Foel and Llanerfyl, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Llanwddyn. Dyfnant Forest is located nearby. The village is said to be known for its country dances.

Shani Rhys James MBE is a Welsh painter based in Llangadfan, Powys. She has been described as "arguably one of the most exciting and successful painters of her generation" and "one of Wales’ most significant living artists". She was elected to the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art in 1994. In the 2006 New Years Honours she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for "services to art".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales</span>

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) (Welsh: Ymgyrch Diogelu Cymru Wledig (YDCW)), originally named the Council for the Preservation of Rural Wales, is a charity in Wales that aims to secure the protection and enhancement of the country's landscapes and environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iwan Bala</span> Welsh artist

Iwan Bala is a Welsh artist, born May 1956 in Sarnau, Merionethshire, near Bala.

John Uzzell Edwards was a Welsh painter. He was also the father of artist Charles Uzzell Edwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal House, Machynlleth</span> Historic site in Powys, Wales

The Royal House in Machynlleth is a 16th-century merchant’s house with extensive interior timber framing, clad in stone on the outside, with two massive chimney stacks. The building has been dated by dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, giving felling dates for timbers within the house of 1559–1561, and for the rear store-house range of 1576. The building was acquired by the Machynlleth Tabernacle Trust and excavations and survey were undertaken by CPAT before restoration work was started in 2005. The restoration was supported by the Heritage Lottery funding.

Mildred Elsie Eldridge known as Elsi Eldridge, was a British artist, mural painter and book illustrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Bishop (artist)</span> English painter (1953–2022)

Peter Bishop was an English painter specialising in the mountain landscape of north Wales and was an art historian.

References

  1. Rowan, Eric; Stewart, Carolyn (2002), "Conclusions", An Elusive Tradition: Art and Society in Wales 1870 – 1950, Cardiff: University of Wales Press, pp. 216–7, ISBN   0-7083-1769-3
  2. 1 2 Whitfield, Paul; Le Nevez, Catherine; Stewart, Carolyn (2012), The Rough Guide to Wales, Rough Guides, p. 285, ISBN   978-1-405389815, archived from the original on 22 December 2014
  3. Leigh L. A. (2007), Yr Hen Danerdy:The Old Tannery. A History of the Leather Industry in Machynlleth, 1610–1900. Montgomeryshire Collections, Vol 95, 103–110.