Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Derby Museum and Art Gallery
The Strand
Derby
Derbyshire
DE1 1BS
England
Website
Telephone
01332 641901
Fax
01332 716670
A museum featuring collections relating to the history, culture and natural environment of Derby and Derbyshire.
Visit the Museum and Art Gallery to discover the fantastic recently refurbished Joseph Wright Gallery as well as our vibrant contemporary exhibition spaces. Discover Derby's thriving local history in our Nature and Origins galleries alongside favourite exhibits such as The Mummies, 1001 Objects and The Soldier's Story.
Venue Type:
Museum, Gallery
Additional info
See website for facilities information.
Collection details
Archaeology, Archives, Coins and Medals, Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, Natural Sciences, Personalities, Social History, Weapons and War
Key artists and exhibits
- Joseph Wright Of Derby
- Derby Porcelain
FORMAT FESTIVAL: BRIAN GRIFFIN
Expertly using light to dramatic effect, photographer Brian Griffin has created a truly amazing body of work. Gazing at one another from across the gallery walls is an inspirational collection of outstanding characters
people who have influenced the shape of Derby’s cultural, economic and industrial landscape. Business leaders, innovators and enlightenment thinkers, figures that our very own, Joseph Wright would have been commissioned to paint. Still Waters is a visual articulation of Derby’s history of creativity, innovation and application.
Suitable for
Admission
Free
ENLIGHTENMENT: IDEAS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see. Be curious.” So said Stephen Hawking at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics last year.
This exhibiton brings together objects collected over the past three years through the HLF Collecting Cultures project in partnership with Buxton Museum and Art Gallery and Belper Museum.
In spirit of Hawking, it celebrates and explores the extraordinary period known as ‘The Age of Reason’ or ‘Enlightenment’ in the eighteenth century, a time of curiosity and discovery across many continents and subjects.
Objects as diverse as a salt cellar, a patch box, ceramics, a telescope, minerals, paintings and a cribbage set are woven together to illustrate and explain this vast and fascinating subject.
Contemporary artist Jane Pepper’s assemblages and digital images, based on the Museum’s herbarium collection are concealed within drawers among the natural history collection and incorporated into the display.
Visitors will be encouraged to leave their comments and thoughts about this exhibition.
Suitable for
Admission
Free
Beyond One Step: Edition 9
Bursting out of the gallery and spilling onto the stairs and surrounding the landings, two of our galleries have been saturated with the work of eleven participating artists; Elisavet Andreou, Paul Holding, Sally French, Carol Harries-Wood, Stephen Elvidge, Lauren O’ Grady, Weixi Lin, Virginie Weiss, Jackie Macrae, Vasiliki Fragkou and Bruce Asbestos.
This year’s artists have approached themes that are wide and varied and the exhibition showcases the ‘edge’ and innovation that infuses their creative practice. The group exhibition includes fragile sculptures, assemblages created from borrowed objects, delicate drawings, photograph and installation, a diverse mix of process and media designed to visually surprise and ignite desire to discover more about the artwork and artists.
Suitable for
- Any age
Social Media Takeaway
Within his practice Bruce creates work that exists as short performances or online films, often sliding intrusively into other projects and events. His approach is intrinsically multi-media and collaborative, positioning his artwork firmly in the public domain. This philosophy feeds into and responds to the Social Media Takeaway project where the gallery will be used to present an artwork that is in constant, weekly reinvention.
Social Media Takeaway will be live and active once a week when an episode will be created and filmed in the gallery. The studio will lay dormant, but for the few props and evidence of the event for you to view. The completed episode will be edited retrospectively, with the option of using the ‘green screen’ chroma key technique to change backgrounds and add sections filmed off-site. The resulting film will be screened simultaneously on line and in the gallery space.
Reminiscent of anarchic television shows such as The Word, each Social Media Takeaway episode will include a menu of guest performers, music, games and contributions via Social Media, all tied together by our inimitable presenter Bruce Asbestos.
Suitable for
- 14-15
- 16-17
- 18+
- 11-13
- 7-10
The Visual Poetry of 1001 Objects
Details: Come and visit the new exhibition space nestled in the heart of the Museum, a place where we hope to delight and inspire you with an eclectic selection of objects. The Visual Poetry of 1001 Objects will profile an amazing 1001 objects in a dynamic presentation, designed to celebrate the diversity of our collection and add visual delight to the museum experience.
Under 5's Friday
Make a beautiful bird mask to take home and see how many birds you can spot in our Natural History Gallery.
Suitable for families.
Every Friday morning in term time we host an event for children aged between 2 and 5 years and their parents and carers. It’s a great place to meet, have fun and learn together. With a different theme each week, activities include stories, rhymes, songs, crafts, trails and colouring.
Suitable for
- 0-4
When
10-11:30am
Website
http://www.derbymuseums.org/events/under-5-friday-birds-of-a-feather/#.UZnsI6I3tc0
Owls at the Museum
Get up close and personal with live owls to learn all about them.
Take inspiration from our feathered friends and create, colour and collage a beautiful bird mask to wear. Fly around the Nature Gallery to see how many birds you can spot in the displays.
Suitable for families.
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 7-10
- 11-13
When
10am-3pm
Website
EXPLORING DERBY’S METAL MAKERS
Join us for a handling session with some smaller industrial objects from the collections currently in store. Find out about what made Derby ‘The hub of industrial Britain’ by getting up close to what Derby people made from metal.
Suitable for familie
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
2-3pm
Admission
Free
WHAT A LOVELY LONG LOGBOAT!
Take a closer look at the Bronze Age Logboat from Shardlow Quarry. Learn about how these boats were made and used more than 3000 years ago.
Suitable for families.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11am-12pm
Admission
Free
1001 OBJECTS TO HANDLE
Join us for an object handling sessions in the 1001 Objects Gallery and get even closer to these fascinating artefacts. Explore the collection through discussion, sketching and interaction. Take part at 11am, 1pm and 3pm in the gallery.
Suitable for families.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11am-3pm
Admission
Free
COMMUNICATION AND RADIOS
Take a closer look at some of our army issue radios and find out how important communications are in times of war. Discover our permanent collection of wartime costume, medals and other objects in The Soldier’s Story exhibition.
Suitable for families.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11am-3pm
Admission
Free
TIME TRAVEL DAY- EXPERIENCE DERBY THROUGH THE AGES
Derby Museums are taking a journey back in time! Join us on our time travelling day of discovery as part of the ‘Time 2013 season’. Take part in time-themed crafts and activities. Meet Vikings, Romans, Egyptians and Knights of Old as well as talk to medieval archers and fair maidens to find out what life was like long ago.
Suitable for families.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11am-3pm
Admission
Free
SPRING FLOWERS
The sun is shining and the flowers are blooming! Come in and make bold and beautiful paper flowers to give to that special someone. Older children and adults can try their hand at origami to create folded floral bouquets and arrangements.
Suitable for families.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11am-3pm
Admission
Free
POTTERY JUNGLE
Get hands on and decorate a paper plate, taking inspiration from the ornate objects in the Porcelain Gallery. How many animals can you find? Take our Pottery Number Challenge Trail and hunt down the animals in our porcelain gallery.
Suitable for families.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
11am-3pm
Admission
Free
TALK: BEYOND ONE STEP
Join a selection of the Beyond One Step artists as they discuss their work as part of their current exhibition at the Museum and Art Gallery.
Bursting out of the gallery and spilling onto the stairs and surrounding the landings, two of our galleries have been saturated with the work of eleven participating artists
Elisavet Andreou, Paul Holding, Sally French, Carol Harries-Wood, Stephen Elvidge, Lauren O’ Grady, Weixi Lin, Virginie Weiss, Jackie Macrae, Vasiliki Fragkou and Bruce Asbestos.
‘Beyond One Step’, a key fixture in our biannual exhibition programme, acts as a platform for artists emerging from four of the region’s MA Fine Art courses and demonstrates our commitment to supporting work by emerging artists.
This year’s artists have approached themes that are wide and varied and the exhibition showcases the ‘edge’ and innovation that infuses their creative practice. The group exhibition includes fragile sculptures, assemblages created from borrowed objects, delicate drawings, photograph and installation, a diverse mix of process and media designed to visually surprise and ignite desire to discover more about the artwork and artists.
Suitable for
When
1-2pm
Admission
Free
WALK: THE ENLIGHTENMENT IN DERBY- A GUIDED WALK AROUND THE CITY
Visit some of the most significant sites of Derby in the enlightenment, such as St Helen’s House and marvel at the wonderful Georgian architecture. The walk will last approximately an hour and a half, beginning and ending at the entrance to the Museum and Art Gallery.
Suitable for all.
Suitable for
When
1:30-3pm
Admission
Free
UNDER 5 FRIDAY: RUN RABBIT RUN
Rabbits are shy creatures and love to hide. See if you can spy the rabbits hiding in our galleries. Come and make a ‘peeking’ bunny and your own bunny ears so you can join in the fun.
Suitable for families.
Every Friday morning in term time we host an event for children aged between 2 and 5 years and their parents and carers. It’s a great place to meet, have fun and learn together. With a different theme each week, activities include stories, rhymes, songs, crafts, trails and colouring.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
10-11:30am
Admission
Free
UNDER 5 FRIDAY: TEDDY TIME
Bring your own teddy for a teddies tea party. Make a teddy mask, listen to teddy stories and complete our teddy challenge. Try out some brilliant toys from long ago.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
10-11:30am
Admission
Free
TALK: JOHN WHITEHURST
Jonathan Wallis, Assistant Head of Museums will be talking about John Whitehurst the Derby clock maker and scientist, who made significant early contributions to geology.
Suitable for adults
Suitable for
When
11am-12pm
Admission
Free
UNDER 5 FRIDAY: SUN AND MOON
Learn about the Sun and Moon, sing some fun songs and take part in some fabulous craft activities.
Suitable for families.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
10-11:30am
Admission
Free
WALK: THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
Meet us at the entrance to Derby Museum and Art Gallery and join us for a walk on the longest day of the year. Enjoy this special early morning walk through the city as the sun comes up over Darley Park. Finish at the Terrace Cafe for an optional breakfast and refreshments before returning to the Museum.
Suitable for
When
7:30-9am
Admission
Free
TALK: JOSEPH WRIGHT AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Join Lucy Bamford, Keeper of Art at Derby Museums, as she talks about the connections between Joseph Wright and other members of the Lunar Society including John Whitehurst during the exciting age of the Enlightenment.
Suitable for
When
11am-12pm
Admission
Free
UNDER 5 FRIDAY: SUMMER FLOWERS
The sun is shining and the flowers are blooming. Make a beautiful bouquet to give to someone you love. Colour in your favourite flower and take part in our flower- power trail. Join in the fun!
Suitable for families.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
When
10-11:30am
Admission
Free
Time 2013 Trail
Take part in our Time Trail at Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Throughout the ‘Time 2013′ season, follow our family-friendly trail around the museum to discover time related objects.
Time 2013 is a programme events across Derby City Centre that celebrates the 300th anniversary of the birth of John Whitehurst a Derby clockmaker, innovator, scientist, geologist & founder member of the Lunar Society.
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 7-10
- 11-13
Admission
50p per trail
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