Appointments
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, has announced the appointment of a Chair and trustees to its board. Chris Loughran has been appointed as Chair and will take up his role on 1st March, along with 10 new board members in the voluntary roles. The new trustees are David Alexander, Mauricio Armellini, Daniel Jackson, Stephen King, Rachael Lennon, Dr Elouise Leonard-Cross, Conan McKinley, Bridget Stratford and Ian Thomas. The museum’s host local authority, Durham County Council, will retain one nomination to the board, who will be Councillor Elizabeth Scott.
The River & Rowing Museum will steer into its 25th anniversary year with a new Director at the helm following the appointment of successful business leader Steve O’Connor. O’Connor will assume his new position in late spring, taking over from Interim Director Paul Owen, who will continue to support the museum and its board of Trustees.
The Old Royal Naval College, the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in London, has announced Mark Hosea as its Director of Estates and Conservation. Hosea will provide strategic leadership for the Old Royal Naval College’s conservation programme, with care and presentation of the historically significant buildings including the Painted Hall, its grounds and collections.
Exhibitions
‘Thirsty for Fashion’ is a new exhibition at Killerton House, just outside Exeter. It will showcase over 50 items from the National Trust’s largest fashion collection, highlighting pieces that demonstrate the techniques used to repair, remodel, reuse and rewear clothing from the 18th century to the present day. Open now until 5 November 2023.
Artist Sean Scully’s sculptures (pictured above) will take over the grounds and historic interiors of Houghton Hall in Norfolk for a new exhibition. In the Hall and Contemporary Gallery, the artist will also show a significant group of paintings and works on paper. ‘Sean Scully at Houghton Hall – Smaller Than The Sky’ opens 23 April 2023 until 29 October.
In March, Wellcome Collection will present ‘Milk’, a major exhibition exploring people’s relationship with milk and its place in global politics, society and culture. Curated by Marianne Templeton and Honor Beddard, it will include historical objects, artworks and new commissions as it explores the milk’s links with health, farming, politics and motherhood. Runs 30 March – 10 September 2023
Glasgow arts venue Tramway is opening its 2023 programme with the first Scottish exhibition by Nigerian artist Ifeoma U. Anyaeji (born in Benin City): Ijem nke Mmanwu m (The Journey of my Masquerade). The exhibition features colourful, hand-crafted sculptures and installations created with a Nigerian hair-plaiting technique called Threading, using non-biodegradable plastics such as bottles and plastic bags. Runs 4 March – 4 June 2023.
An exhibition showcasing the work of three Ukrainian artists is to open at West Berkshire Museum. War.Art.Hope opens at the Newbury museum and will showcase the art of Ukrainians Nadia, Natalia and Luda, alongside three short films. Runs 22 February until Sunday 26 March.
A new exhibition opens at Mansfield Museum this month to celebrate the district’s Windrush generation, migration and black history. ‘It Runs Through Us’ invites residents to learn more about Mansfield’s black history, and the contribution made by the Windrush generation. It is part of an ongoing project, led by Mansfield District Council, to document and collect oral histories from local people of the Windrush generation and their descendants. Videos will be shown in the exhibition and will form the first archive of black-led oral histories in Mansfield. Runs 28 February – 30 November 2023.
Tate Britain is to open a complete rehang of its free collection displays this May, it has announced. Work on the rehang is now underway, which will see over 800 works by over 350 artists displayed, and will include brand new commissions.
Tate Britain announces complete rehang of free collection displays
Openings
Manchester Museum reopens this Saturday (18 February 2023), after closing in 2021 to facilitate the final phase of its £15m capital development project, ‘hello future’. For the first time, visitors will have access to a two-storey extension, which has expanded the museum’s footprint by 25%, alongside a reconfiguration of existing spaces.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held this week at Locomotion in Shildon to commemorate building work beginning on its New Hall, due to open in November 2023. The new collection building is hoped to significantly expand the visitor attraction and create one of the world’s largest collections of historic railway vehicles.
A Trust which was forced to close its museum in 2022 following funding cuts has announced it will retain a presence at its former Mill home. The Belper North Mill Trust has announced it will offer guided tours at the North Mill in Belper, Derbyshire from April 2023.
