centenary programme / Establishing a Platform
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An array of ideas and approaches to making more visible to audiences the impact that gifts and bequests have on the successful development of public collections.
There are a multitude of perspectives and approaches, brought to this part of the Centenary Programme, yet all consider the importance of gifts to public collections, through making some aspect of provenance more clearly visible.
Some featured works presented, over the years, through the Contemporary Art Society, others were more general in their approach to this subject. All used the Centenary Programme as a Platform from which to describe what a vital role gifts and bequests have had, and continue to have on the development of public collections.
Each project demonstrated how important it is that excellent works by contemporary artists are acquired for collections across the country so that everyone has access to at least one active and thoughtful collection of art in a town or city wherever they live, or wherever they may visit in the UK.
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Troglodytes: Portraits & Pottery from the Paisley Museum collection
11 February - 3 April 2011
An exhibition by artist Fiona Jardine -
Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery: A Skvader
11 December - 5 June, 2011
Works from the Castle’s collection and OUTPOST’s artist membership.
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Graves Art Gallery, Museums Sheffield: Centenary Display
31 March, 2010 - 19 March, 2011
Museums Sheffield mark the Centenary with a display of works generously given to the city by the society over the past ten years, including photographic and new media work by Bridget Smith, Isaac Julien and Michal Rovner. -
Centenary Programme - Past Exhibitions
Please see below for exhibitions that have taken place throughout 2010.
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Ferens Art Gallery, Hull: Unwrapped
30 October, 2010 - 9 January, 2011
A selection of artworks from the Ferens Collection made by Future Ferens, a group of young people age 18 to 25. -
Tate Britain:The Sleeping Congregation - Richard Wright
13 September - 5 December, 2010
A series of works selected from Tate's Collection from Turner Prize winner, Richard Wright. -
Aberdeen Art Gallery:The Diamond (Descartes Daughter) - Emily Wardill
30 October - 27 November, 2010
An exhibition and talk by Emily Wardill. -
The Pier Arts Centre, Orkney:Thunder - Hannah Rickards
2 - 31 October, 2010
An exhibition and performance of Hannah Rickards' sound work. -
Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum: Exuberant Colour
24 August - 27 November, 2010
An exhibition exploring artists' use of colour - including works acquired through the Contemporary Art Society. -
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery, Leicester:The States of Things - Rosalind Nashashibi
2 October - 19 December, 2010
An exhibition and talk by artist Rosalind Nashashibi. -
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery:Modern Treasures from the Contemporary Art Society
17 July - 30 October, 2010
An exhibition illustrating the relationship developed over the last fifty years between the Contemporary Art Society and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery through its' collection. -
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery, Leicester: Gifts of Art for Today and Tomorrow
5 June - 12 September, 2010
Leicester joins the centenary celebrations with a special exhibition of selected works gifted by the Society. -
Victoria Gallery & Museum University of Liverpool: A Break With Tradition
28 May - 14 August, 2010
An exhibition from the collection at the Victoria Gallery and Museum.
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The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent: ...and a Five Legged Donkey
8 May - 5 September, 2010
Marking the centenary of the Contemporary Art Society, this exhibition brings together the work of leading artists with other aspects of the museum’s collections in
a series of intriguing visual dialogues. -
Tate Britain:Ponder Pause Process (a Situation) - Yane Calovski
15 May - 30 August, 2010
An installation of works from Tate’s Collection and Archive by Yane Calovski -
Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle: The Symmetry of Intimacy - Michael Dean
15 May - 24 October, 2010
Exhibition and performance by Michael Dean that looks at Sunset, The Bay, North Devon (1946), by David Bomberg from the collection at the Laing as a starting point. -
The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester: Sweet Dis/order
1 April - 12 August, 2010
To mark 100 years of the Contemporary Art Society, the works on display within the exhibition describe the kinds of people and organisations that have helped the Whitworth to grow its' collection. -
Wolverhampton Art Gallery: Holylands - Seamus Harahan
30 March - 3 July, 2010
Wolverhampton Art Gallery will be showing Seamus Harahan's Holylands, the new acquisition made with the Contemporary Art Society. -
Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery: A Stranger's Window & Now for Tomorrow
20 March - 13 June, 2010
Two exhibitions that bring together many of the artworks that the Contemporary Art Society has gifted to Nottingham Castle that also investigate some of the stories behind these acquisitions. -
Touring Exhibition - At the Edge: British Art 1950 - 2000
13 March - 30 October, 2010
A touring exhibition of works from four leading leading museums in Rochdale, Oldham, Bolton and Preston.
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York Art Gallery: 100 Years of Gifts
6 February - 9 May, 2010
100 Years of Gifts at York Art Gallery offers a fascinating snapshot of British art over the last decade, bringing together works acquired by Yorkshire galleries with the support of the Contemporary Art Society. -
Tate Britain: Perfect Courses and Shimmering Obstacles - Elizabeth Price
2 February - 3 May, 2010
An installation of works from Tate’s Collection and Archive by Elizabeth Price
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Southampton City Art Gallery: The History of the Contemporary
11 January - 5 April, 2010
To acknowledge the commitment of those who have had an influence on the collection, Alice Workman has invited seven former curators to select pieces from the collection that are, in their view, key works. These will be displayed throughout the year and will be accompanied by a programme of talks and debates.