New Walk Museum and Art Gallery
On the historic New Walk, Leicester's original museum has collections spanning the natural and cultural world. A family friendly day-out, displays include Dinosaurs, Egyptians, Geology, The Den, Wild Space and World Arts.
The art galleries showcase Modern and Old Masters, contemporary art and craft exhibitions and permanent galleries of Arts & Crafts and Picasso Ceramics: The Attenborough Collection and Leicester's internationally renowned German Expressionism collection.
The museum offers a varied events programme, Costa coffee shop with free Wi-Fi access and gift shop including a range of exhibition merchandise and contemporary craft and design. The venue is also available for private hire and licensed for civil marriage and naming ceremonies.
Venue Type:
Museum, Gallery
On the historic New Walk, Leicester's oldest museum has collections spanning the natural and cultural world. A family friendly day-out, displays include Egyptians, Wild Space, World Arts and Leicester’s Fine Art collection.
Changing exhibitions feature works by Modern and Old Masters with Leicester’s German Expressionist collection, one of the most notable outside of Germany.
Collection details
World Cultures, Natural Sciences, Fine Art, Decorative and Applied Art, Archaeology
Picasso Ceramics: The Attenborough Collection
- 18 August 2011 — 31 December 2017 *on now
Following on from the highly successful 2007 exhibition, New Walk Museum & Art Gallery is delighted to present Picasso: The Attenborough Collection, a permanent gallery of selected key works from the collection of Lord and Lady Attenborough.
In 1954 Richard and Sheila Attenborough paid their first visit to the Madoura pottery in Vallauris, where Picasso had been working for several years with Georges and Suzanne Ramié. The Attenboroughs started with modest purchases, leading to a collection numbering some 150 pieces.
All of Picasso’s activity with ceramics centred around the Madoura pottery factory in Vallauris, France. Picasso made plates, jugs and tiles but he also designed new forms combining aspects of painting and sculpture in ceramics. The majority of the collection consists of Editions and Original Impressions; multiple works that Picasso insisted the pottery should produce and sell inexpensively, so that everyone could own a ‘Picasso’.
This intimate permanent exhibition shows a changing display of around forty works selected from the unique collection, curated by renowned Picasso expert, Dr Marilyn McCully.
In 2007, Lord and Lady Attenborough announced that their Picasso ceramics collection would be entrusted to the City of Leicester to commemorate the lives of their daughter, Jane Mary, and their granddaughter, Lucy Elizabeth, who perished together in the Asian Tsunami on 26th December 2004.
Suitable for
- Any age
Where
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery
Admission
Free admission
Website
http://www.leicester.gov.uk/picasso
The Den
- 31 March 2012 — 31 December 2020 *on now
Come and investigate The Den! The Den is a dedicated space for children aged five and under and their families. Explore exciting new ways to experience museum objects and how they open up opportunities for fun and learning around the museum.
Look, listen, touch, move - in The Den there are no right or wrong answers... the only limit is your imagination!
Suitable for
- 0-4
- 5-6
Where
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery, Leicester
Admission
Free admission
Website
http://www.leicester.gov.uk/theden
The Victorian Art Gallery
- 24 May 2014 — 31 December 2016 *on now
The Victorian Art Gallery includes restored oil paintings and artworks returning to display after many years.
The new exhibition includes major 16th – 19th century British and European artists, including Joseph Mallord William Turner, Lord Leighton, Edgar Degas and Michael Sweerts.
Opened as a lecture hall and art gallery in 1879, the room continues these roles with improved facilities for weddings, private hire and events.
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Free admission
Website
http://www.visitleicester.info/museums
Expressionism: The Total Artwork
- 17 September 2014 — 31 December 2016 *on now
New Walk Museum & Art Gallery are proud to host the largest collection of German Expressionist artwork in the UK, and with support from Arts Council England have re-displayed the collection.
The gallery uses cutting edge museum design to uncover the remarkable story behind our collection. Exploring how and why German and other Expressionist artists revealed their innermost emotions through art, dance, music and drama.
The gallery is accompanied by a website presenting our collection online for the first time and an exciting events programme and performance space to evoke the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ (the total artwork).
Admission
Free admission
Website
http://germanexpressionismleicester.org
The Ancient Egqyptians
http://www.leicestermuseums.ac.uk/discoveryzone/egypt_explorer/index.htm
New Walk Museum and Art Gallery
53 New Walk
Leicester
Leicestershire
LE1 7EA
England
Website
www.visitleicester.info/museums
Enquiries
Telephone
Reception
0116 225 4900
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