- Venue
- yale
- Location
- Wales
The Wirral Spring Art & Photography Exhibition 2010
The Williamson art gallery has a special meaning for me, and to be able to exhibit a piece of my work here would indeed be very special to me. I come from Birkenhead and once lived just down the road from the Williamson Art Gallery, this is where my childhood began and the beginning of my love of art.
The Williamson was my play ground and my introduction to art. This is where it all began, from being fascinated by the large painting of Waterloo, to being intrigued by the exhibition of antique dolls. The oriental furniture pieces were the beginning of my adventure in art. Back then the gallery seemed a lot bigger but that was seen through the eyes of a child. The Williamson back then offered a world of discovery into the past and the present.
On one of my many visits to the gallery with my sister and friends there was an exhibition of an antique polyphone which is a large music box or record player, a type which my parents owned and which stood in our front reception room. We all were quite excited at seeing this and maybe just a bit nosy. ‘Ours is bigger than this’ we were saying to our friends ‘and we had more records!’ ‘Have you really?’ said a tall man to us, ‘yes we have and ours is much bigger’ we all said at once. The man was very nice and asked us a lot of questions about our polyphone. I remember at the time feeling so proud and important that we had seen something that the Williamson had on show. The man then asked us if he could come and see our polyphone, and we took him along to see our mum. She immediately shooed us outside while she showed the man from the Williamson our big polyphone. I never learned what happened after that as children were never told anything back then. The Williamson still has the polyphone on show in the gallery today, but sadly our polyphone was sold many years ago.
I spent most of my childhood and teenage years visiting the Williamson and seeing all of the wonderful things it had to offer to a young enquiring mind, things that would stay with me for the rest of my life.
I moved away from Birkenhead but over the years I visited the Williamson taking my children and grandchildren to visit. The Williamson is one of the most welcome of galleries for children and adults and for me have lots of wonderful memories. As so very often happens life gets in the way and I was not able to pursue a life of art until I was in my mid 50’s. I started to visit the Williamsons a lot more whilst I was studying for my BA Honours in Fine Art at Liverpool John Moore’s University.
While visiting The Wirral Spring Art Exhibition 2008, I began to day dream, thinking how wonderful it would be to see one of my works of art on these fine walls. Just a dream but wouldn’t it be nice to exhibit in the place that introduced you to the world of art all those many years ago?
The Wirral Spring Art & Photography Exhibition 2010 is on show now from April 23rd till May 23rd opening times Tuesday –Sunday-10.00am -5.00pm at the Williamson Art Gallery Slatery Road Birkenhead. There are two sections, section one paintings (any medium), sculpture (any medium) prints and drawings. Section two is photographs prints (not transparencies).There are three prize winners in both sections art and photographs, five highly commended in the art section, four commended in the photographs section and peoples vote.
I attended the opening night of the exhibition show. On show is a variety of works, from young and old, amerture, and professional artists. The first painting that caught my eye was the painting of John Lennon by Scott Whelan next was the Carousell11 by Peter Philip for me this painting was full of colour, gaiety and movement. I found out later that this was one of the prize winners. Another prize winner was Alan Edwards Secrets. For me this painting was full of intrigue and secrets it was not so much what was painted but what was not. Millie Edwards the Cat. Rabbit, Bat, Cheetah and Joseph Cottier represented the under 16 in the art section ones to look out for in the future. These are just a sample of the 230 works that are on show in the art section
The photograph was to the left as you came in the first to catch my eye hear was the prize fighter by Garry Lucas which I think is very good, next was John Hinde Rhyl Promenade and Lamplight ,followed my . Ole Hansen Eagle Eyed and Breakwateters these two were excellent. Breakwater is (highly commended) and Eagle Eyed is (commended). Representing the under 16 is Lauren Pierce Serenity well done. Once again these are just a sample of108 photograph on show this is an excellent exhibition and well worth a visit. On one of its fine walls there was before me one of my own works of art, so you see sometimes dreams do come true! Thanks to the Williamson Art Gallery for giving me another special memory.
