Art Galleries - Newcastle Airport Car Parking from SkyParkSecure
Art Galleries near Newcastle Airport
Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle (Tyne & Wear Museums)
New Bridge Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8AG
Tyne & Wear
England
Collection details
Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, World Cultures
Contact details
General enquiries (Tel) : 0191 232 7734
Text-phone users (Tel) : 18001 0191 232 7734
General enquiries (Fax) : 0191 222 0952
General enquiries : laing@twmuseums.org.uk
Main website : www.twmuseums.org.uk/laing
Open
Monday to Saturday 10 - 5
Sunday 2 - 5
Closed
Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Admission charges
Free entry
Description
The Laing Art Gallery has been attracting visitors for over a hundred years and there are always new exhibitions to enjoy. The permanent collection includes beautiful 18th and 19th century paintings and world-renowned watercolors. The gallery also displays contemporary artwork and has initiated a national competition, Laing Solo, to showcase emerging artists. A friendly, accessible environment, the Laing has a wealth of resources to help everyone learn more about art. There is also a varied learning program to enjoy throughout the spring.
Collections description
The gallery’s most important works are displayed in the recently refurbished 18th and 19th century gallery. Highlights include Gauguin’s The Breton Shepherdess, William Holman Hunt’s Isabella and the Pot of Basil and John’s Martin’s The Bard and The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Laing’s Designated Collection of British Watercolors is of international significance. An exhibition of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite paintings including work by Rosetti will be shown at the gallery until 13 March. Real Life begins on 24 March until 11 September and includes a selection of inspiring landscape views, powerful portraits and amusing events. The works are all from the 20th century and painted from a realist standpoint. The artists include Edward Bawden, Thérèse Lessore, and Laura Knight. Visitors who want to find out more about art, the history of the Laing and its collections will enjoy the All About Art Resource Area. It includes access to the Art Online database, books and catalogues relating to the gallery. Specifically designed for very young children the Under Fives' Area provides a safe, stimulating environment in which to learn more about art through play. It includes a dressing up box, games and puzzles.
Key artists and exhibits
Spirit of the Age: Newcastle's Great Victorian Painters; 5 February – 19 June; Newcastle was home to a thriving art world during the 19th century and the Laing has a strong collection from this period. Spirit of the Age explores the work of many of its key figures who captured the life and character of the time, with familiar names such as Ralph Hedley, Robert Jobling and John Falconar Slater. ; Tom Bendham: A Twentieth Century Art Collector; 29 January – 3 April ; This exhibition showcases the Art Collection of Tom Bendhem, an avid collector of art from the 1960s until his death in 2002, when he left his collection to the Contemporary Art Society. The exhibition reflects the collector's passion for paintings, sculpture and prints, illustrating his friendship with many artists. Work by a diverse range of artists including Bruce McLean, Bridget Riley and Frank Auerbach will be on show. ; The Figure Explored: Modern British Art; 29 January – 3 April ; An exhibition of Modern British work exploring the use of the figure in art. It includes Sleeping by leading British painter Paula Rego, on loan from the Arts Council Collection. Other highlights include work by the artists Stanley Spencer, Adrian Wiszniewski and R B Kitaj from the Laing Art Gallery’s collection. ; Laing Solo; Laing Solo is a national competition for artists in the early stages of their careers. ; Cath Keay ; 15 January – 13 March ; Cath Keay's beeswax models of 1930s buildings are placed into working beehives, where the bees build their honeycomb onto them. The work makes reference to group behavior, architecture as a means of social control, and the extremes of community art. ; Des Hughes; 26 March – 26 June; Des Hughes constructs sculptural installations from found objects, finely crafted paintings, carvings and casts. Using resourceful and low-tech materials, he demystifies the processes used to make and install his work. ; The Contemporary Art Society, founded in 1910, is a registered charity promoting the collecting of contemporary art through gifts to public museums and advice offered to companies and individuals on buying art.
