Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery

• APRIL 2010 TO JUNE 2010 LISTINGS

Unless stated otherwise all exhibitions, activities and events take place at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery. Normal opening hours are 10am to 5.30pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 5pm Saturdays and Bank Holiday Mondays. Admission is free. Café and shop facilities are open daily Tues to Sat 10.30am to 4pm. Visitors are advised to check in advance if they are making a special trip.

Exhibitions and Gallery Displays

EXHIBITIONS        Free admission

Sir John St. Aubyn – The Secret Life of a Collector
13 March to 8 May 2010
An exhibition looking at the mineral and pressed plant collections and the life of colourful 18th century natural history enthusiast, Sir John St. Aubyn.

River: Kurt Jackson
27 March to 10 July 2010
A selection of paintings, sketchbooks and film footage from projects inspired by rivers that Cornwall-based artist, Kurt Jackson has completed over the last ten years – from the Liffey in Ireland to the Tamar here in the south west.

A Discipline of the Mind: The Drawings of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham
22 May to 10 July 2010
A selection of 20th century drawings inspired by the landscapes of Cornwall, Scotland, Italy, Switzerland and Lanzarote by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham – a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists and the St Ives Society of Artists during the 1940s.

GALLERIES                                                                                                Free admission

Bringing the World to Plymouth

Artefacts from Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Ancient Egypt

Statuettes, jewellery and a mummy inner coffin.

Uncovered

An archaeology-inspired gallery featuring hundreds of artefacts discovered in the local area.

Plymouth: Port and Place

An exploration of how and why the modern city of Plymouth has developed.

Explore Nature

Our family-friendly, interactive natural history gallery.

Atrium Gallery

A range of items from our large and significant decorative art collection.

More overleaf……

Cottonian Collection

The legacy of an outstanding art collection assembled by Charles Rogers (1711-1784).

The China Connection

Porcelain from the Far East, Europe and the UK.

Artists of St Ives and the South West

A selection of works from our significant 20th century art collection.

Beryl Cook Tribute Wall

Displaying three works by this celebrated Plymouth artist who sadly passed away in May 2008. Two of the works are taken from the Museum collections whilst the third is on loan from a private collector.

Activities and Events for Adults

17^th INTERNATIONAL CONCERT SERIES

Tickets can be purchased in person, via post or online at www.WeGotTickets.com. There is a 50p booking charge for online transactions.

Divertimento Piano Trio: Thursday 22 April at 1pm – Tickets £7.50

ADULT ART ACTIVITIES

Suitable for all abilities. 10.30am to 3.30pm. All materials supplied, except where stated. Bring a packed lunch and an apron with you. Workshops are suitable for experienced and beginners alike. Booking and payment in advance is essential. £25 per person (*£30) per workshop. Call 01752 304774 to make a credit or debit card payment over the phone or come in to the Museum to make a cash, card or cheque payment.

Saturday   1 May – Print and Stitch Something Special

Saturday 22 May – Drypoint Printmaking

Saturday   5 Jun – Soft Landscapes in Felt

LUNCHTIME TALKS

Unless stated, talks begin at 1.10pm and last for up to 45 minutes. Admission is free but all talks are ticketed. Please call 01752 304774 or come in and collect a ticket from our Welcome Desk.

Tuesday    4 May - Sir John St. Aubyn’s Herbarium

Tuesday  11 May - Behind Closed Doors: A Town Missionary’s Look at Life in Plymouth 1851-1869

Tuesday  18 May - Kurt Jackson: The River Projects

Tuesday  25 May - Ice Age Plymouth

Tuesday    1 Jun – St.Ives Series (1) – St. Ives: Modern Art and Landscapes in Post War Britain

Tuesday    8 Jun – St.Ives Series (2) – St. Ives 1860 -1930: The Artists and The Community

Tuesday 15 Jun – St.Ives Series (3) – From Mount’s Bay to Botallack

Tuesday 22 Jun – St.Ives Series (4) – An Exploration of Informal Education at Tate St. Ives

Tuesday 29 Jun – St.Ives Series (5) – Mind, Body, Landscape.  Bryan Wynter’s

Experiments in Life and Art.

(Please note there are no lunchtime talks in April)

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ART BITES

30-minute lunchtime tours of our decorative art displays or art exhibitions starting at 1pm. Admission is free but places are limited. Collect a ticket from our Welcome Desk or call us on 01752 304774 and we will post or put one aside for you. Everyone who attends our ‘Art Bites’ tours receives a voucher entitling them to a 20 per cent discount in our café afterwards – so they can grab themselves a quick bite to eat too! Although topics run on a rotation basis, no two tours are ever the same – so even if you’ve been before there are plenty of reasons to come back again!

Join our Assistant Keeper of Art at 1pm on the following Wednesdays for a 30-minute tour of our displays.

Wednesday 19 May - Silver

Wednesday   9 Jun – Plymouth and Bristol Porcelain

Activities and Events for Children and Families

WILD ABOUT PLYMOUTH

Tudors and Tussie Mussies

Saturday 24 April, 10.30am to 12noon or 1.30pm to 3pm

Elizabethan House, 32 New Street, The Barbican, Plymouth.

£2 per adult / £1.50 per child / Under 5s go free

Booking Essential

Find out how and why the plants in the Courtyard and Cook’s Garden at our historic Elizabethan House were chosen and step back in time with our hands-on activities. 2010 marks 80 years since the Elizabethan House and garden were saved from demolition by the Old Plymouth Society and opened as a museum! Booking forms are available by calling 01752 304774.

Vanished Lives

Sunday 30 May, 12 noon to 3pm

Mount Wise Recreational Ground

Come to Mount Wise with us for fun filled event all about fossils. See specimens from the Museum’s collections. Discover what Woolly Mammoths ate in Plymouth 20,000 years ago. Learn how scientists use fossils to understand environments that are millions of years old! Fun activities for the all the family and the local tea shop will be open too! Admission is free. No need to book.

On the day meet us at the Mount Wise Recreational Ground, Richmond Walk (towards James Street).

Travel: Plymouth City Bus 34

National Insect Week 2010: Big Bug Hunt

Saturday 26 June, 11am to 1pm

Efford Marsh Nature Reserve
Our old favourite is back for another year! Join our bug experts as we dip, dig and delve to see what creepy crawlies we can find in one of the city’s best nature reserves. Admission is free. No need to book.

On the day meet us at the entrance to the reserve on Deer Park Drive (this is the entrance near the top of the hill just above Taw Close).

Travel: Plymouth City Bus 46 or 47
Parking: On street

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HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS

Fun family-friendly workshops. All workshops run from 10.30am to 1pm (last admittance at 12.40pm). Admission is free and there is no need to book in advance. Drop in for as little or as long as you like but please be prepared to wait a short while if we’re busy. Trails will also be available for you to pick up and do on the days/times when our workshops aren’t on offer!

Fishing in the River

Wednesday 7 April

Create a collage of fun fish based on the fantastic paintings in our ‘River: Kurt Jackson’ exhibition.

Colour and Collect

Thursday 8 April

Be inspired by Sir John St. Aubyn, the subject of our ‘The Secret Life of a Collector’ exhibition and discover more about the Museum’s collections! Have fun drawing and colouring in pictures of some of our artefacts and create your own mini collection.

In our Nature

Wednesday 14 April

Look at and handle objects from our natural history collection and enjoy some related art activities. You can also bring in your own rocks or fossils for identification by our Natural History team!

Egg Hunt

Thursday 15 April

Hunt around the Museum for different birds’ eggs, find out lots more about birds, eggs and join in with some fun egg-themed art activities!

Dive In

Wednesday 2 June

Take the plunge with a range of art materials and create a colourful river scene that you can take home.

Down by the River

Thursday 3 June

Look and think about the animal and plant life in and around a river and help create a huge meandering waterway through our gallery!

MAKE AND TAKE SESSIONS: CREATIVE SATURDAY SESSIONS

Make something then take it home – it’s as simple as that with our new Saturday sessions held at regular intervals throughout the year! Sessions provide the ideal opportunity for you to enjoy some quality time with your kids whilst helping them develop their creative skills. They are held at 11am, 1.30pm and 3pm and last for up to an hour. They are mainly suitable for children aged 5 to 11 although younger/older

siblings are welcome too. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Admission is free but places must be booked in advance on 01752 304774.

Mothers’ Day 2010: Marvellous Mums

Saturday 6 March

Make mum feel really special this year. Come along to one of our fun workshop sessions and make a card and heart-shaped magnet to give to your mum on Mothers’ Day (14 March 2010).

Easter 2010: Chickens and Eggs

Saturday 27 March

Enjoy our chick and egg-themed craft activities as we get ready for Easter (4 April 2010).

JUNE DATES

MUSEUMS AT NIGHT 2010

Museums at Night 2010

Friday 14 May 2010

6.30pm to 8.30pm

Watch a free DVD screening of ‘Night at the Museum 2’, starring Ben Stiller (film running time approx 100 minutes). Advance booking is essential. We cannot guarantee that any places will be available on the night. Bring a cushion to help keep your seat comfy! This film is rated PG so all children must be accompanied by an adult.  Call 01752 304774 to reserve your place.

THE IMAGINATORS

Fun, free sessions for pre-school children and their parents/carers.

These weekly sessions are currently full with a waiting list of families wishing to

attend. Please call 01752 304774 if you want to add your name to the waiting

list.

Historic Sites

SMEATON’S TOWER LIGHTHOUSE

A centrepiece on Plymouth’s Hoe, Smeaton’s Tower is one of the South West’s most well known landmarks.

Winter Opening (until 30 March) 10am to 3pm (closing for lunch between 12noon and 1pm) Tuesdays to Saturdays and Bank Holiday Mondays

Summer Opening (from 30 March until 2 October) 10am to 4.30pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturday and Bank Holiday Mondays.

Admission prices Adults £2. Children/Seniors/Students £1.

Family Ticket and various concessions available.

Meet the Lighthouse Keeper, 10am to 12 noon and 1pm to 4pm

Saturday 15 May

Meet and chat to our 18^th Century lighthouse keeper, listen to his stories and find out more about this unique way of life.

JUNE DATES

ELIZABETHAN HOUSE

32 New Street, The Barbican

Open 30 March – 2 October 2009

Tuesdays to Saturday and Bank Holiday Mondays 10am to 5pm

Admission prices Adults £2. Children/Seniors/Students £1. Family Ticket and various concessions available.

Tudor Easter

Saturday 3 April

1pm to 4pm

Listen to our House Steward’s tales of Tudor food and drink, the end of lent, spring cleaning and preparations for an Easter feast. Meet our Tudor ladies and see them spinning and knitting.

Tudors and Tussie Mussies

Saturday 24 April, 10.30am to 12noon or 1.30pm to 3pm

Elizabethan House, 32 New Street, The Barbican, Plymouth.

£2 per adult / £1.50 per child / Under 5s go free

Booking Essential

Find out how and why the plants in the Courtyard and Cook’s at our historic Elizabethan House were chosen and step back in time with our hands-on activities. 2010 marks 80 years since the Elizabethan House and garden were saved from demolition by the Old Plymouth Society and opened as a museum! Booking forms are available by calling 01752 304774.

Tudor Life

Saturday 8 May

1pm to 4pm

Try on some Tudor costumes, courtesy of Buckland Abbey and find out more about Tudor Plymouth. Meet our Merchant as he talks about his trading voyages. Listen to music by our Elizabethan performers, Mock Hobby Horse.

JUNE DATES

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MERCHANT’S HOUSE

33 St. Andrew Street (behind the Magistrates’ Court), The Barbican

Open 30 March -2 October 2009

Tuesdays to Saturday and Bank Holiday Mondays 10am to 5pm

Admission prices Adults £2. Children/Seniors/Students £1. Family Ticket and

various concessions available.

Victorian Fridays

10.30am to 4.30pm

Meet and chat to our Victorian ladies and discover more about this fascinating period of Plymouth’s history.

• 16 April
• 23 April
• 30 April
• 4 June
• 18 June
• 25 June

Blitz Saturday

29 May 2010

10.30am to 4.30pm

Meet our Air Raid Warden and listen to his stories of World War Two – one of the most significant chapters in our City’s recent history.

JUNE DATES

Ends

For press enquiries and images contact Marketing and Audience Development on 01752 306228 or email jo.clarke@plymouth.gov.uk or viv.roue@plymouth.gov.uk