Latest News - Jan-May 2008
14 May 2008
Gallery Experience on Offer at Ebay in TopLots 2008
Watts Gallery is delighted to be participating in TopLots 2008, the online fundraising auction which gives participants the opportunity to bid for unique, ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences at heritage venues across the UK. The auction, which launches this week on eBay for Charity and runs until 15 June, includes a Watts Gallery lot, and money generated by the bid will go straight to Watts Gallery’s fundraising campaign. Click here to see the Watts Gallery Lot. You can bid for it from 31 May 2008 for just 10 days.
Commenting on the auction, Watts Gallery’s Curator, Mark Bills, says: “This is a fantastic initiative, and we are extremely pleased to be taking part. The Watts Gallery Lot includes a private tour of the Gallery and Chapel, and in addition a rare opportunity to visit the Watts’s family home - not normally open to the public - in which GF and Mary received visits from numerous eminent Victorians, including Alfred Lord Tennyson and Auguste Rodin.”
Mark adds, “With restoration set to begin in September, this will be the last opportunity for such a trip until Watts Gallery reopens in 2010. This really is a unique opportunity!”
Further information about the Watts Gallery lot can be found at www.toplots.co.uk, along with details of all other participating organisations.
To make a bid, you must first have an eBay account (visit www.ebay.co.uk should you need to set up an account), then log on to www.ebay.co.uk/toplots regularly (from 15 May). Individual lots will be on for 10 days only, so anyone wishing to bid for a specific lot will need to visit the site regularly.
12 March 2008
Sixth Series of Adult Art Classes Announced
Details of the sixth series of our popular art courses, delivered by excellent teachers in the wonderful setting of Watts Gallery have just been announced.
This year there are weekend courses as well as 5 day week-day courses and the topics include Drawing with a Pencil and Sketchbook, A Landscape in Oils, A Still Life in Dry Pastel and Creative Techniques with Oils Places on these courses are always highly in demand and are limited to 12 particpants per course. Click here to find out more about the courses and how to book.
25 February 2008
Statement on the Disposal of Two Paintings from Watts Gallery
Watts Gallery is to offer for sale two paintings from its non-core collection at auction to ensure the long-term care of its collection of works by and about George Frederic and Mary Watts. The paintings to be sold are The Triumph of Love by Edward Burne-Jones and Jasmine by Albert Moore.
In the light of the Museums’ Association’s October decision to change the ethical code, to reflect exceptional circumstances where disposal with financial gain is acceptable, the Trustees of Watts Gallery have proceeded with the decision to sell these two paintings.
The Gallery has offered the works for sale to 19th-century public art collections in Britain over the last two months but did not receive any letters of interest in acquiring them. The disposal was also advertised in December’s and January’s Museums Journal.
It has been a difficult decision for Watts Gallery but it is one which fits both collections management policy and acquisitions and disposals policy, while securing the future of the collection.
The Collections Policy
Watts Gallery has the core aim of collecting, conserving and promoting the works of G. F. Watts and Mary Watts and to develop a centre for exploring Victorian art, social history and craft. Founded in 1904 as a Gallery dedicated to the work of G. F. Watts, Watts Gallery’s collection is nationally significant, placed within the heart of a village. The two works to be sold came to the Gallery long after its original foundation, and form no part of current display and interpretation plans. As a consequence, the Trustees have come to the difficult decision to sell The Triumph of Love by Edward Burne-Jones and Jasmine by Albert Moore in order to protect the core collection.
Perdita Hunt, Director comments:
“I hope this difficult decision will give some comfort to all those who support the Gallery that for the foreseeable future its internationally important core collection will be cherished, maintained and enjoyed by more people.”
Care and Conservation of the Core Collection
As the result of a gradually weakened endowment originally put in place by Mary Watts, the care and conservation of the collection at Watts Gallery has suffered over many years. In order to protect, enhance, interpret and add to the core collection based around G. F. and Mary Watts, the Gallery seeks to concentrate its efforts on this core collection and, by releasing money to increase the endowment, the long-term care and protection of the core collection will be ensured.
Consultation
Since the proposal was first made in 2005, Watts Gallery has been very open and transparent about its intentions to consider selling works from the collection. There have been consultations with everyone involved in the Gallery including the general public, key volunteers, staff, donors, Trustees, Directors of major institutions including Tate, National Gallery, V&A and National Portrait Gallery as well as The Art Fund, Museums’ Association and MLA. The Gallery has written to and canvassed opinion from all the major 19th-century public collections in the UK.
The Gallery has strived to engage all stakeholders in what is a difficult decision and one that is made with regret on behalf of all involved. If all the resources needed were available to Watts Gallery, it would of course not consider the need to rationalise its collection as the conservation and storage of these works would not be a constraint. However, they do remain non-core collection works, and as such would remain secondary in considerations of hanging and display and as such would not be available to be enjoyed fully by the public. Their placing within another collection will ensure their true value is realised amongst a collection able to do them best justice.
The works to be de-accessioned are Sleeping Woman (Jasmine) 1880 by Albert Joseph Moore, ARWS (1841 – 1893) and The Triumph of Love 1871 by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bart, ARA, RWS (1833 – 1898)