Two New Exhibitions Open at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts
What’s better than one new exhibition to go alongside an amazing permanent collection? The answer is pretty straightforward – two exhibitions, of course! The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts has recently opened two very different, but equally amazing, exhibitions for you to admire. Better yet, they’ve got a new admission system, so everyone can afford to see!
Read on to find out more about these individual exhibitions and this new admission system – which is the first of its kind in the country, by the way…
Julian Stair: Art, Death and the Afterlife
No pre-booking necessary | Open now until September 17, 2023
In this striking show, leading ceramics artist, Julian Stair, presents works created in response to the global pandemic, offering commemoration for those who lost loved ones. Approximately 30 works can be viewed in this display, inviting the viewer to consider the relationship between the clay in front of them and the human body.
In connection with this exhibition, the Sainsbury Centre and Stair facilitated forums which brought together professionals working in end-of-life care and members of the community who have lost those close to them. This engagement led to the donation of ashes, with donors expressing their wishes to have them embedded in the works in this exhibition. Some are smaller pieces, while some are monumental in size.
The exhibition is open now and runs until September 17, 2023, after which the ceramics will be given to the families of those lost as a permanent memorial.
Artist, Julian Stair, with his ceramic works.
Empowering Art: Indigenous Creativity and Activism from North America’s Northwest Coast
No pre-booking for admission necessary | Free guided tours available |Open now until July 30, 2023
Empowering Art really is an incredible experience at the Sainsbury Centre. Made up of rich but rarely seen artworks, this exhibition brings together the best of contemporary and historical pieces from across the northwest coast of North America.
This exhibition was created in close consultation with Indigenous artists and community leaders from across the northwest coast, showcasing the culture’s art for the first time in the UK since the 1970s – with the expectation that it will be just as long before we see another exhibition of this kind in the country after it closes on July 30.
These works bring together a tense past into realities of the present, telling the story of different artistic and cultural traditions across the coastline, as well as their similarities. This exhibition includes renowned artists such as Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, Marriane Nicolson, and Susan Point.
Free guided tours are available Tuesday – Sunday at 11:30am, and you can reserve your place at the Gallery’s reception.
A mask from Empowering Art: Indigenous Creativity and Activism from North America’s Northwest Coast.
Pay if and What You Can Scheme
New to the Sainsbury Centre and the first of its kind in any museum across the country is the ‘Pay if and What You Can Scheme’. While the permanent collection has always been free to view, any temporary exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre, like the two above, previously cost £14 to enter.
Now, anyone can view, which is really great news. So, this is the perfect time to reignite passion in the Centre’s permanent collection, as well as the stunning sights in both temporary exhibitions.
Upon entry, visitors will be asked to pay only if they can and whatever they’d like to donate. From here, an access all-areas ticket will be issued alongside a new map to help navigate these amazing sights.
While you’re there, make the most of your visit with their two restaurants/cafes, free gallery tours, free learning events, and contemporary shop!
Permanent Collection
A constant of the Sainsbury Centre that’s just as interesting every visit – the permanent collection is something everyone has to see during their time in Norwich. Spanning from pre-history 5000 years ago to contemporary works today, this collection is such a special sight here in the City of Stories.
From the works of Francis Bacon to Pablo Picasso, you’re bound to find something that delights and fascinates here. There’s plenty from different regions across the world too, including Africa, the Asias, South American, Antarctica, and much more.
Fancy something for those warmer days? Take a wander around the 350-acre sculpture park and admire the sights you’ll find on your travels; you can even break it up with multiple visits and discover something new every time! Outdoor works of art include artists: Henry Moore, Elisabeth Frink, Lynn Chadwick, Liliane Lijn, Antony Gormley and internationally acclaimed installation artist and sculptor Cristina Iglesias.
To find out more about the Sainsbury Centre and what events they have on, as well as to plan your journey, visit their website here!
The Sainsbury Centre permanent collection
