The Wilson (Cheltenham)

Last updated

The building of Cheltenham Library which adjoins Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum on 21 March 2009.jpg
The building of Cheltenham Library which adjoins Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum
Gerrit Dou, Selfportrait, 1635-8 Self-portrait by Gerrit Dou.jpg
Gerrit Dou, Selfportrait, 1635–8

The Wilson, formerly known as Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, was opened in 1899. It offers free admission, and has a programme of special exhibitions. It was renamed The Wilson in honour of polar explorer Edward Wilson, a son of Cheltenham, in 2013 after the building was extended. The gallery and museum is managed by The Cheltenham Trust.

The museum is housed in part of a Regency building on Clarence Street (Cheltenham Library currently occupies much of the original building), designed as the Cheltenham Public Library by architect William Hill Knight, who also designed the Cheltenham Synagogue [1] and Montpellier Walk.

In 2007 a national architectural design competition was launched by RIBA Competitions to extend the building, providing more space for the renowned Arts and Crafts collection. Through this process Berman Guedes Stretton were selected by Cheltenham Borough Council and the extension was completed in 2012.

Baron de Ferrieres, a former Mayor and Liberal MP for Cheltenham, gave 43 important paintings, mostly from Belgium and the Netherlands, to the town. He also donated £1,000 towards the building of a gallery in which to display them. The Museum was opened in 1907 in the adjacent former Schools of Art and Science. A major extension to the building by Hugh Casson was opened by the Princess Royal in September 1989, where the main entrance to the gallery is now situated.

The museum is particularly noted for its Arts and Crafts collection of furniture, textiles, ceramics, carvings, silver and jewellery which is recognised as an outstanding collection of international importance for which the Art Gallery & Museum has received Designated status. [2]

Cheltenham's history is well represented, and in addition there are paintings spanning four centuries, oriental collections of pottery and costume, and archaeological treasures from the neighbouring Cotswolds. [3] [4]

The Edward Wilson gallery shows the life of the Antarctic explorer who perished with Scott on his expedition to the South Pole in 1912. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art museum</span> Building or space for the exhibition of art

An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It might be in public or private ownership, be accessible to all, or have restrictions in place. Although primarily concerned with visual art, art museums are often used as a venue for other cultural exchanges and artistic activities, such as lectures, jewelry, performance arts, music concerts, or poetry readings. Art museums also frequently host themed temporary exhibitions, which often include items on loan from other collections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashmolean Museum</span> University Museum of Art and Archaeology in Oxford, England

The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University of Oxford in 1677. It is also the world's second university museum, after the establishment of the Kunstmuseum Basel in 1661 by the University of Basel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheltenham</span> Town and Borough in Gloucestershire, England

Cheltenham is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the most complete Regency town in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery</span> Museum and art gallery in Birmingham, England

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BM&AG) is a museum and art gallery in Birmingham, England. It has a collection of international importance covering fine art, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery, natural history, archaeology, ethnography, local history and industrial history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dulwich Picture Gallery</span> Art gallery in London

Dulwich Picture Gallery is an art gallery in Dulwich, South London. It opened to the public in 1817 and was designed by the Regency architect Sir John Soane. His design was recognized for its innovative and influential method of illumination for viewing the art. It is the oldest public art gallery in England and was made an independent charitable trust in 1994. Until then, the gallery was part of the College of God's Gift, a charitable foundation established by the actor, entrepreneur and philanthropist Edward Alleyn in the early 17th century. The acquisition of artworks by its founders and bequests from its many patrons resulted in Dulwich Picture Gallery housing one of the country's finest collections of Old Masters, especially rich in French, Italian and Spanish Baroque paintings, and in British portraits from the Tudor era to the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Wilson (explorer)</span> English polar explorer (1872–1912)

Edward Adrian Wilson was an English polar explorer, ornithologist, natural historian, physician and artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Whitworth</span> Art gallery in Manchester, England

The Whitworth is an art gallery in Manchester, England, containing over 60,000 items in its collection. The gallery is located in Whitworth Park and is part of the University of Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Art Gallery</span> Art gallery in Manchester, England

Manchester Art Gallery, formerly Manchester City Art Gallery, is a publicly owned art museum on Mosley Street in Manchester city centre, England. The main gallery premises were built for a learned society in 1823 and today its collection occupies three connected buildings, two of which were designed by Sir Charles Barry. Both of Barry's buildings are listed. The building that links them was designed by Hopkins Architects following an architectural design competition managed by RIBA Competitions. It opened in 2002 following a major renovation and expansion project undertaken by the art gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Morris Gallery</span> Museum and exhibitions in Walthamstow, London

The William Morris Gallery is a museum devoted to the life and works of William Morris, an English Arts and Crafts designer and early socialist. It is located in Walthamstow at Water House, a substantial Grade II* listed Georgian home. The extensive grounds of the building are a public park, known as Lloyd Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Museum & Art Gallery</span> Museum in Bristol, UK

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is a large museum and art gallery in Bristol, England. The museum is situated in Clifton, about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from the city centre. As part of Bristol Culture it is run by the Bristol City Council with no entrance fee. It holds designated museum status, granted by the national government to protect outstanding museums. The designated collections include: geology, Eastern art, and Bristol's history, including English delftware. In January 2012 it became one of sixteen Arts Council England Major Partner Museums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitzhanger Manor</span> English country house

Pitzhanger Manor is an English country house famous as the home of neoclassical architect, Sir John Soane. Built between 1800 and 1804 in Walpole Park Ealing, to the west of London), the Regency Manor is a rare and spectacular example of a building designed, built and lived in by Sir John Soane himself. Soane intended it as a domestic space to entertain guests in, as well as a family home for a dynasty of architects, starting with his sons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renwick Gallery</span> United States historic place

The Renwick Gallery is a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum located in Washington, D.C. that displays American craft and decorative arts from the 19th to 21st century. The gallery is housed in a National Historic Landmark building that was opened in 1859 on Pennsylvania Avenue and originally housed the Corcoran Gallery of Art. When it was built in 1859, it was called "the American Louvre", and is now named for its architect James Renwick, Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leighton House Museum</span> Art museum in London, England

The Leighton House Museum is an art museum and historic house in the Holland Park area of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in west London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Young Museum</span> Art museum in San Francisco, US

The de Young Museum, formally the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, is a fine arts museum located in San Francisco, California. Located in Golden Gate Park, it is a component of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, along with the Legion of Honor. The de Young is named for early San Francisco newspaperman M. H. de Young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarjeant Gallery</span> Regional art museum in Whanganui, New Zealand

The Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui at Pukenamu, Queen's Park Whanganui is currently closed for redevelopment. The temporary premises at Sarjeant on the Quay, 38 Taupo Quay currently house the Sarjeant Collection, and all exhibitions and events. The Sarjeant Gallery is a regional art museum with a collection of international and New Zealand art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watts Gallery</span> Art gallery in Compton, Surrey, England

Watts Gallery – Artists' Village is an art gallery in the village of Compton, near Guildford in Surrey. It is dedicated to the work of the Victorian-era painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York Art Gallery</span> Public art gallery in England

York Art Gallery is a public art gallery in York, England, with a collection of paintings from 14th-century to contemporary, prints, watercolours, drawings, and ceramics. It closed for major redevelopment in 2013, reopening in summer of 2015. The building is a Grade II listed building and is managed by York Museums Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Albert Memorial Museum</span> Museum in Devon, England

Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) is a museum and art gallery in Exeter, Devon, the largest in the city. It holds significant and diverse collections in areas such as zoology, anthropology, fine art, local and overseas archaeology, and geology. Altogether the museum holds over one million objects, of which a small percentage is on permanent public display. It is a National Portfolio Organisation under the Arts Council England administered programme of strategic investment, which means RAMM receives funding (2012–15) to develop its services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheltenham Municipal Offices</span> Municipal building in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

The Cheltenham Municipal Offices are a municipal facility on The Promenade, Cheltenham, England. The offices, which are the headquarters of Cheltenham Borough Council, are a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrexham County Borough Museum</span> Museum in Wrexham, Wales

Wrexham County Borough Museum is a local history museum in Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It is located within County Buildings, alongside the Wrexham Archives and a proposed Football Museum for Wales. The building is located on Regent Street, in the city centre. The museum is managed by the Wrexham Heritage & Archives Service, which in turn, is operated by Wrexham County Borough Council as part of its Housing & Economy Department.

References

  1. Sharman Kadish, Jewish Heritage in England : An Architectural Guide, English Heritage, 2006, pp. 100-101
  2. "The Wilson - Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum". Visit Cheltenham. Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  3. "Collections". The Cheltenham Trust. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  4. "The Wilson Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum". Culture 24. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  5. "The Wilson". Cheltenham Borough Council. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2020.

51°54′6.5″N2°4′46″W / 51.901806°N 2.07944°W / 51.901806; -2.07944