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
Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, which runs Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, has announced that actor, writer, creator of Downton Abbey and Conservative peer Julian Fellowes will present himself for election as President this autumn.
Dorset Museum announces appointment of Downton Abbey creator
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the appointment of Dr Olivia Horsfall Turner as Chief Curator, succeeding Charles Hind who will become Chief Curator Emeritus from January 2025, after 28 years at RIBA. Horsfall will be RIBA’s lead expert on architectural history, and lead its curatorial team in “developing and maintaining our world class collection of more than 4.5 million drawings, photographs, rare books, models, and more.”
Openings & closures
Temporarily closed since November 2023, the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds will reopen on 12 July after a major refurbishment. The first purpose-built sculpture gallery in the UK is relaunching with the first solo exhibition in a European institution by Hany Armanious, one of Australia’s leading sculptors, alongside a display bringing together the work of contemporary artist Hew Locke and 19th century sculptor Mary Thornycroft.
Imperial War Museums has announced plans to develop a new research and development centre for sustainable air transport at its Duxford site. The ‘Duxford AvTech centre’ will be developed in partnership with Cambridge University’s Gonville & Caius College, and will carry out prototype testing, certification and manufacture of new low and zero carbon aircraft technology.
Imperial War Museums to build low carbon aviation research centre
Newhaven Fort in East Sussex has announced its opening programme of events as it re-opens next year, following the completion of a £7.5 million restoration of the 19th century site. The heritage site is expected to reopen to the public from February 2025 with a schedule of events and activities.
Newhaven Fort to reopen next February after £7.5m restoration
Exhibitions
The Beatles Story Museum has announced a new exhibition in celebration of 60 years of the band’s film “A Hard Day’s Night.” Visitors will be able to see recreations of key scenes from the movie, pieces of original memorabilia from 1964 including original movie posters and cinema tickets. Opens 11 July 2024.
A new exhibition at Fairfax House tells the story of how the Georgian townhouse in York was brought back to life, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of its restoration. Pictured above, ‘Restoration: A Townhouse Reborn’ will tell the story of the transformation from “a damp and decaying shell to the magnificent architectural gem seen today”. Runs until 20th October 2024.
The Courtauld Gallery will reunite a group of Claude Monet’s Impressionist paintings of London for the first time in 120 years, as part of an exhibition opening later this year. ‘The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Monet and London’ will display paintings created during three visits to the capital between 1899 and 1901. The paintings depict Charing Cross Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, and the Houses of Parliament, and were first unveiled in Paris in 1904. Money “fervently wanted to show [the collection] in London the following year but the project fell through”, said the gallery. Runs 27 September 2024 – 19 January 2025.
A temporary exhibition at Ely Museum, ‘Back to Nature’ has been announced, in partnership with the Ely Nature Friendly Farmers and conservation organisations such as the RSPB and the National Trust at Wicken Fen. The exhibition champions the environmental initiatives that are taking place across the Cambridgeshire Fens. The exhibition includes activities for children and family visitors including a roleplay vegetable patch and a craft table, and a nature trail around the museum. Runs to 30 November 2024.
Funding
The Association for Cultural Enterprises has announced its new Seeds of Change £10,000 prize fund has been awarded to Edinburgh based gallery, Fruitmarket. The prize fund was created to support and encourage sustainable initiatives within the cultural sector. Fruitmarket’s Future Makers programme was selected as the winner for “its creativity as well as its potential to be replicated across the sector”. The programme will support 10 local makers to create bespoke products that are ethically and sustainably produced, developing community-minded commercial practices as well as generating income.
