Appointments
The Natural History Museum has announced two new members to its Board of Trustees. Lord Hall of Birkenhead CBE, former Chairman of the National Gallery, Director-General of the BBC, former Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House joins as the Public Engagement Trustee. David Craig, co-chair of the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures, joins as Digital Innovation Trustee. Chair of the Board of Trustees, Sir Patrick Vallance said the new appointments “bring a wealth of experience and will be great additions to our existing board at this exciting and important time for the Museum.’
Kids in Museums, a charity which supports museums in making them open to children, young people and families, has announced the appointment of two new Young Trustees. Appointed are Rachel Brodie, Learning and Events Assistant at Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life, and Joe Rattray, Student and freelance museum engagement practitioner at the Tall Ship Glenlee in Glasgow.
Catherine Goodman and Stuart Roden have been reappointed as Trustees of the National Gallery. Goodman is an artist, educator, and the Founding Artistic Director of the Royal Drawing School. Roden is Chair of The Design Museum, and is a trustee of The National Gallery, The Centre for Social Justice and the London School of Economics.Both will serve for a four year term which began at the start of the month.
Openings
The People’s History Museum is to temporarily close at the end of the year so that it can carry out further work as part of ‘the Welcome Project’ at PHM, which “stems from the museum’s vision to be an exemplar for accessibility”. It is set to reopen on Thursday 1 February 2024.
Tullie museum has announced it will close next month for the second phase of its ‘Project Tullie’ redevelopment. The museum will close from the end of December, beginning building works early next year with a plan to open in Summer 2024.
Tullie in Carlisle announces temporary closure for redevelopment works
Exhibitions
Derby Museums, home to the UK’s largest collection of surrealist artist Marion Adnams’ work, has opened a new display, ‘Marion Adnams: Into the Enchanted Country’ at Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Born in Derby in 1898, Adnams paintings and drawings can now be found in numerous public collections including the National Galleries of Scotland and Manchester Art Gallery. The new display “aims to present a comprehensive and rounded picture of Adnams and her accomplishments”, with a new space which will highlight the breadth of the artist’s work. Future additions to the display are set to include items from Adnams’ personal archive, such as rarely before seen objects that she collected and used as a reference in her work.
The Box has unveiled its 2024 exhibition programme, which includes ‘Planet Ocean’ an exhibition will be drawn from the natural history, art and social history collections at The Box and supported by a range of partners including the Marine Biological Association, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, University of Plymouth and South West-based ocean conservation organisations. It will explore how society “can study, use and take inspiration from familiar waters to play a part in a global movement to safeguard the sea. It will use the overarching themes of plankton, pollution, people and planet to share facts, key findings, objects and stories. Begins 16 March 2024 and runs throughout next year.
The National Lottery is presenting an immersive installation at The Horniman, created by artist Georgia Tucker. ‘Habitats of Hope’ has been created to highlight the UK wildlife rescued from the brink of extinction. Tucker’s art features lesser-known endangered species, including the White-Tailed Eagle and the Snowdon Rainbow Beetle. Organisations dedicated to preserving native species, which are National Lottery beneficiaries, are featured in the temporary exhibition. Runs 30 November – 10 December 2023
Funding
The Portico Library in Manchester has secured a development grant of £453,964 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to initiate their project, ‘Reuniting the Portico Library, Uniting People’.
Manchester’s Portico Library secures partial funding for £7m redevelopment
Image
‘For Lo, Winter is Past’, by Marion Adnams, 1963, oil on board. © Derby Museums Trust and Artist’s Estate
