The art beat of YORKshire
AS The Hepworth, in Wakefield, plays host to a major Barbara Hepworth retrospective, Two Bigs Egos In A Small Car podcasters Chalmers & Hutch discuss Yorkshire’s great sculptors.
Elsewhere, PINGDEMONIUM! What next for arts and culture amid Covid chaos and show cancellations?
Vanguard Bristol Street Art and Colston on-his-side- shows at M Shed, Bristol: do sculptures still stand up or are murals THE sign of the times?
To listen, head to: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1187561/8892619
IN The Moment: The Art of Wellbeing will be in the moment for much longer than first planned at Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens near York.
The show was scheduled to close this autumn, but after a temporary closure enforced by Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the exhibition run is being extended to October 31 2021.
First opened in the spring in the Saloon Galleries at the National Trust country house, In The Moment explores how art can help relaxation and provide a break from life’s daily worries.
Presented in tandem with the Arts Council Collection, the show was inspired by research that affirms visiting an art gallery is good for your health.
In this instance that means viewing works by such high-profile artists as L.S. Lowry, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Henry Moore and Marc Chagall. The combination of sculpture, colour and intricate sketching alongside video allows visitors to explore their own personal responses to the art.
Covid-secure safety measures are in place at Beningbrough Hall, including a new one-way route to allow for social distancing that utilises the spiral servants’ staircase.
Ann Jones, curator at the Arts Council Collection, says: “We are delighted that In The Moment has reopened at Beningbrough Hall and will be extended until October 2021, enabling more people to see the exhibition.
“Its theme of wellbeing is particularly pertinent at this moment and we hope that visitors will find seeing the art works an uplifting experience.”
The Great Hall and Saloon Galleries are playing host to 14 “engaging and different” artworks, curated to encourage visitors to explore the “five ways to wellbeing”. Namely, to connect, to be active, to give, to keep learning and to take notice.
Among the exhibits are the translucent and colour-shifting Doryphoros sculpture by Matthew Darbyshire, standing tall in the Great Hall; the bold hues of Orange No.1 by Basil Beattie in the Saloon and the immersive detail of Doing, Thinking, Speaking by Lisa Milroy.
To see Ecclesia by Bridget Riley, visitors will need to visit Beningbrough Hall before the end of this year because this piece was committed to another exhibition before the agreed extension.
The galleries are sited primarily on the first floor of the hall, where other rooms not part of the exhibition remain closed. To add to their wellbeing, visitors can explore the eight acres of gardens, now awash with autumn colours and a bountiful harvest in the walled garden.
The stables shop and restaurant are open with spaced-out seating both indoors and outside and takeaway options are available too.
Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens, near York, is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 3.30pm until November 1; during November, Friday to Sunday, then weekends until March plus the festive Bank Holidays and school half-term in February. Extended opening will resume in Spring 2021.
Booking is recommended to guarantee admission by 3pm the day before, although it is not always needed on quieter days mid-week. Go to: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beningbrough-hall-gallery-and-gardens