April Events at the Gallery

Why not take part in one of our free Saturday events, sure to inspire creativity or even ideas as part of your MA research.

Our creative writing workshop on the 14 April, led by experienced tutor Suzannah Evans, invites participants to respond to works in the Gallery's collection. This year we're also offering people the chance to enter a competition which sees the winners reading their poems read for a recording, to be placed alongside the chosen artwork via the wonders of QR-code technology. The poems will be available to listen to for a limited period to coincide with National Poetry Day 2012 (4 October). Places can be booked here: http://spinastory.eventbrite.co.uk/

Nick Cass, Research Associate in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, is leading a curatorial interventions workshop on the 21 April which involves re-interpreting the space of the Gallery for an afternoon. This is perfect for any students wanting to learn more about curatorial and interpretive practice. Sign up here: http://nickcassart.eventbrite.co.uk/

Finally, on the 28 April John Thorp MBE, Leeds Civic Architect will be giving a talk about working on projects that have helped to define the architecture of modern Leeds. The talk will be followed by a guided tour by John across the campus to finish up at one of the city’s newest architectural additions, the M&S Company Archive, where refreshments will be served and informal tours of the building will be offered. This talk and tour is free and all are welcome. For details of these and other events, please visit: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/gallery/events.htm

Mucha website help?

Love Art Nouveau?


Help Bring Alphonse Mucha into the 21st century by giving your time to the Mucha Foundation website testing: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFJWSFJXYkZDdVVQOGtjRjJkYlBaaEE6MQ

Art-Inspired Set Design: Talk by Grant Montgomery

Saturday, 17 March 2012, 2-3pm

The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery welcome production designer, Grant Montgomery, to talk about finding inspiration through art when working on films and series for television.

Grant’s research for a number of high-profile BBC and ITV projects has taken him into many galleries and museums. Drawing from the distinctive colours and features of period paintings, Grant will share a behind-the-scenes insight into designing historical sets and using art to create the contemporary look and feel of a particular period.

Grant Montgomery's credits include: ‘Unforgiven’ (ITV), ‘Worried about the Boy’ (BBC), The Crimson Petal and the White (BBC), ‘Birdsong’ (BBC) and ‘Dancing on the Edge’ (BBC) (forthcoming).

Free event, all welcome. No booking necessary but limited seating so please arrive early.

Alternative Histories: Creative Writing Workshop with David Tait

Saturday, 3 March 2012
1.30-4pm

To celebrate the Gallery’s new Matt Smith exhibition, ‘Other Stories: Queering the University Art Collection’, in association with LGBT History Month, join poet David Tait for a workshop in response to the show. Smith draws inspiration from the life narrative of the Victorian writer and early gay rights activist, Edward Carpenter, but the workshop will be focused on re-writing the narrative of the whole gallery; the people and the pictures, ensuring that every piece argues and sings. We’ll be looking at poems too – notably by Elizabeth Bishop, Carol Ann Duffy, Frank O’Hara and Mark Doty.

For more information about the event click here

Free workshop, but places are limited so please book your place in advance by e-mailing gallery@leeds.ac.uk or by phoning (0113) 343 2778,

Heritage Reading Group - 6th March, 12.30-2.00pm

The next meeting of the Heritage Reading Group will be 6th March at 12.30pm in 104, Student Common Room in the Old Mining Building (number 53 on the campus map).
All postgraduates and staff very welcome indeed.

We will be reading Laurajane Smith's '"Man’s inhumanity to man" and other platitudes of avoidance and misrecognition: an analysis of visitor responses to exhibitions marking the 1807 bicentenary' (Museum and Society, 8(3): 193-213) which explores visitor responses to exhibitions and displays developed as part of the bicentenary of the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The discussion will be introduced by Helen Graham, School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies.

To facilitate staff and student access to the reading group texts we have set up a shared 'Community' on Elgg (Leeds' in house blogging site). The texts for the March meeting and all future groups will be posted here.
https://elgg.leeds.ac.uk/hrg/
To join the group Log in with your standard ISS username and password, all you need to do is 'join' the Community.

We hope to see you on 6th March,

Helen Graham and Nick Cass

Lunchtime Talk with Artist Matt Smith

Tuesday, 28 February 2012
1.30-2.15pm

Come along to the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery this Tuesday to hear Matt Smith, the artist responsible for the new exhibition, ‘Other Stories: Queering the University Art Collection', deliver a lunchtime talk the day after the opening, in association with LGBT History Month.

Smith will be talking more about the artistic process and the research undertaken as part of this exciting project.

Free event, all welcome. No booking necessary. We look forward to welcoming you!

Click here for more information on our upcoming events in March.

Teaching within Collections: Opportunities for Collaboration between Universities and Art Galleries / Museums

A conference that might be of interest to you...

Teaching within Collections: Opportunities for Collaboration between Universities and Art Galleries / Museums

1st March 2012, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne

The seminar will focus in the morning on three collaborative papers, where curators and academics will reflect on their experience of using collections as teaching resources. The day will conclude with a round table discussion, with curators, academics and students participating. Registration will begin at 10.00am and the day will conclude at 4pm. There is space for an audience of 69.

With the increase in funding initiatives aimed at encouraging knowledge transfer and collaboration, the event is aimed primarily at education and museum professionals, but will be of equal benefit to students of various disciplines, and is meant to be practical above all. It aims to explore questions such as;

• What are the benefits/limitations/problems of using collections as teaching resources?
• In an age of digital media, how do collections retain their relevance to teaching practice?
• How do galleries/ museums balance the problems of preserving fragile and unique objects, while making them available to academics and students?

We are hoping to attract an audience of both curators and academics and the afternoon session will aim to be as interactive as possible in order to assist colleagues in developing collaborative partnerships.

Information for Delegates:

Booking fee for delegates is £40 (£30 for AAH members, £19 for concessions).

Booking by 23 February 2012 here.