The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum in Cheltenham is reopening its doors this July 2022, following a £500,000 redesign and refurbishment.
The new look venue features vibrant new arts café, The Wilson Kitchen, on the ground floor; the Sir Charles Irving Community Art Gallery; and artists' studios – and it’s celebrating its reopening with two days of live music, free exhibitions, cultural activities and family fun on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July 2022.
Here’s what’s happening…
Reopening activities at The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum on Saturday 23 July 2022
The first exhibition being held at the new look venue is the critically acclaimed Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk produced by National Museums Scotland, exploring inclusivity and body positivity in the fashion industry. The exhibition officially opens on Saturday 23 July 2022 with National Museums Scotland curator, Georgina Ripley, giving an opening talk at 1pm, which is free to attend, but places are limited.
There’s a Made in a Day: Indigo dying drop-in at The Foyle at 10.30am; a curator-led tour in the Arts and Crafts Gallery at 12pm; an opening talk on the Break the Cycle exhibition in the new Sir Charles Irving Community Art Gallery at 2pm, followed by a drop-in workshop; and Handling the Collection: Exploring Edward Wilson and the Antarctic in The Foyle space from 2pm to 6pm.
There are family activities taking place in the WOW Gallery, with a Bang the Drum session from 10am to 10.45am and a Tots and Tales storytelling session from 1pm to 2pm.
Plus, don’t miss live music taking place throughout the day, with Boss Morris performing from 10.30am to 11.30am and The Honeymoon Swing Band performing on the ground floor, too.
Reopening activities at The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum on Sunday 24 July 2022
As well as live music and the Body Beautiful exhibition continuing throughout the day on Sunday and another curator-led tour in the Arts and Crafts Gallery, visitors can also enjoy a Made in a Day: Clay portraits drop-in at The Foyle, a clothes swap as part of the Break the Cycle exhibition in the Sir Charles Irving Community Art Gallery and a Meet the Makers session in The Makers Space from 11am.
Visitors can also look forward to a tour of Cheltenham Untold in the Friends Gallery and Beautiful Beasts – an exploration of the museum’s taxidermy collection in The Foyle, both at 3pm.
For families, there are puppet shows in the WOW Gallery at 11am and 2pm, perfect for little art-lovers!
