The weekly feature rounds up the latest updates in museum appointments, openings, funding and new exhibitions from across the UK.
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Appointments
Sir Mark Jones’ appointment as Interim Director of the British Museum is to go ahead following approval by the Government. His appointment follows the resignation of Hartwig Fischer in the wake of reported thefts from the museum’s collection.
https://museumsandheritage.com/news/sir-mark-jones-confirmed-as-british-museum-interim-director/
Icon (The Institute of Conservation) has announced the appointment of a new CEO. Emma Jhita, Head of Partnerships and Development at Historic England and Head of the charitable Historic England Foundation, will officially join the Icon team on November 1st.
The Chief Exec of the SS Great Britain Trust, Dr Matthew Tanner MBE, will stand down at the end of the month after 23 years in the role. The Trustees have asked Angela Spreadbury, Director of Finance & Resources and Phil Smith, Commercial & Operations Director to jointly lead and manage the organisation until a new CEO is appointed.
https://museumsandheritage.com/news/chief-exec-of-ss-great-britain-trust-steps-down-after-23-years/
Tate has appointed two new Adjunct Curators to develop narratives around ecological issues and First National and Indigenous Art. Beginning in September 2023, Marleen Boschen will become the institution’s first Adjunct Curator dedicated to art and ecology, and Kimberley Moulton will take on the role of Adjunct Curator specialising in First Nations and Indigenous Art.
https://museumsandheritage.com/news/tate-appoints-curators-specialising-in-ecology-and-first-nations-and-indigenous-art/
Exhibitions
The fifty-ninth Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens next month at the Natural History Museum. The exhibition will feature the submitted and winning photographs, alongside soundscapes, videos, and expert insights. Runs 13 October 2023 – 30 June 2024.
Dublin is the first venue for a major survey of more than 70 paintings by modern Irish master Sir John Lavery. ‘Lavery. On Location’ is the first major monographic exhibition in the National Gallery of Ireland in three decades and is the first show to be presented in partnership with Belfast’s Ulster Museum, part of the National Museums Northern Ireland and the National Galleries Scotland in Edinburgh. A Garden in France (1898), recently acquired by the National Gallery of Ireland (pictured) will be among the landscapes on display. Begins 7 October 2023 – 14 January 2024 at National Gallery of Ireland.
Marking the bicentenary of clockmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet’s death, a new display of timepieces is to go on display at the Clockmakers’ Museum, inside the Science Museum in London. More than 20 timepieces designed by the inventor and watchmaker are to go on public display together in a museum for the first time, and include a gold watch made in 1808 for George III. ‘Abraham-Louis Breguet: The English Connection’ Opens 12 September 2023.
A series of new large-scale paintings co-created by Stanley Donwood and Radiohead singer Thom Yorke will be presented by TIN MAN ART in a two-part exhibition at Cromwell Place.‘The Crow Flies’ presents a series of artworks that were made by both artists literally side-by-side, painting at the same time. The exhibition will also include a Flemish woven tapestry of one of the key paintings, created to celebrate the anniversary of the debut album A Light for Attracting Attention from The Smile, a new band comprising Yorke, fellow Radiohead bandmate Jonny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner. Part One runs 6th-10th September 2023, Part Two runs 6th-10th December 2023.
The first-ever career-spanning exhibition dedicated to the Renaissance painter Francesco Pesellino opens at the National Gallery at the end of this year. It will include two of his masterpieces; two cassone (chest) panels depicting the Story of David, about 1453‒5, and the magnificent Pistoia Santa Trinità Altarpiece, 1455‒60.The exhibition is accompanied by the first fully illustrated catalogue dedicated to the artist to be published in English. Runs 7 December 2023 – 10 March 2024
Funding
Art Fund has announced the recipients of its latest funding to museums and galleries, totalling £1m.Twenty one museums and galleries across the UK have been offered a total of £800,000 for projects to support their workforce and improve inclusion and diversity. A further £200,000 has been awarded through Museum Development UK (MDUK) to support smaller museums to retain and train staff.
https://museumsandheritage.com/news/art-fund-announces-recipients-of-1m-reimagine-funding/
Historic England has announced further funding for its Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories. It is inviting community and heritage organisations to apply for funding to support creative projects supporting ‘everyday heritage’ to “unlock and bring these stories to life”.
Events
The Association for Heritage Interpretation has announced the ReBalance Conference 2023. Taking place in Lincoln, the event will “explore balance, equity and the environment – changing the climate of natural and cultural interpretation”. The programme’s speakers Professor Anne Chick from The Sensational Museum with a session on “using co-creation to change how museums work for everyone” and, the inventors of the Social Value Engine, a digital tool that quantifies the indirect benefits of cultural and environmental projects. The event will also see the winners of the 2023 AHI Engaging People Awards announced at a special dinner. More info.