The School of Art Museum at Aberystwyth University is the recipient of a significant and valuable collection of some 200 artworks gifted by Derbyshire County Council Schools Library Service.
Once in a generation gift to the School of Art Museum
General News & Events
Celf o Gwmpas ‘Discovery’-exhibition, Brecon Arts Centre, until 27th January 2020
Two Aberystwyth School of Art graduates, Ruth Hogg and Suzzy Murphy, have work on show at the Celf o Gwmpas ‘Discovery’ exhibition in Brecon Arts Centre until 27th January 2020. Encompassing themes from gender, environmentalism and mental health, the work on show portrays the artists’ discovery of new things about themselves and their practice over the last year. The network was founded in 2016 and since then has gone from strength to strength and is now funded by Arts Council Wales. Jane Mason is an artist and curator of the Discovery Exhibition. Continue reading
Fjallkona – Iceland’s Lady of the Mountain
As Britannia is to Britons, Italia is to Italians, and Germania is to Germans, so too is Fjallkona – The Lady of the Mountain – to Icelanders. Yet all but a handful of scholars know that the first ever female personification of Iceland was commissioned from a German artist by a Welsh patron. Continue reading
Katie Middlehurst writes about her AberForward experience – Summer 2019
Unkindness of Ravens, Colin See-Paynton
Iracibility of Robins, Of a Feather – an Avian Alphabet, Colin See-Paynton
Zephyr of Long-tailed Titmice I, Of a Feather – An Avian Alphabet, Colin See-Paynton
Walk of Wagtails, Of a Feather – An Avian Alphabet, Colin See-Paynton
Round of Wrens, Of a Feather – An Avian Alphabet, Colin See-Paynton
(Click on images to enlarge them.)
There are few greater pleasures than spending an hour, or two, perusing and discovering works of art; gorging on colours and textures, meditating on concepts new and old. To hold, to witness the art in the form of an object, not merely a reproduction or an illusion on a screen, transforms a potentially passive experience into an intimate and engaging one. I eagerly anticipated enjoying such delights during my summer internship at the School of Art. Continue reading
ArtUK Sculpture Project – George Powell of Nanteos/Prosiect Cerfluniaeth Art UK– George Powell o Nanteos
An exciting new collaboration between Aberystwyth University, Art UK and the Penparcau Community Forum is set to explore the sculpture collection of George Powell of Nanteos. The project is the result of a grant awarded by ArtUK as part of their Sculpture Around You programme which aims to engage communities with their sculptural heritage. Continue reading
“The Take Over 2019” at the Arts Centre, 7th May 2019
An Essay and its unexpected Aftermath
“Even essays can grow if fed and watered.”
These wise words come from our very own postgraduate student Gerry McGandy who contributed his undergraduate essay Who were Edward J. Burrow and Richard Eustace Tickell and why did they record The Vale of Nantgwilt in 1893? to this blog back in 2017.
Artist Kate Green came across his text and contacted Gerry, telling him about her latest project called ‘Walking the Pipe’. She told him that the essay was helpful and led to further research by her; to the extent that she purchased a copy of the book in which the discussed prints, which we hold in the School of Art collection, were originally published.
By now, the project has at least two artists and two musicians, including Gerry, collaborating. They intend, for example, to base a song on the memoirs of a woman called Hetty Price, of life in the valley before the dams and her sorrow at its passing.
So, all you weary students who suffer from writer’s blog and/or general ‘essay fatigue’: take courage and carry on writing. You never know what might come of it!
See the poster for more information about all events Kate and her fellow artists have planned. It surely looks very interesting, and we wish her all the best with her project.
AberForward intern Emily Willis writes about her placement at the School of Art
Prior to this work placement I had no experience working in a museum or gallery and was keen to find voluntary or employment in this sector. So, when the opportunity of a four-week paid work placement in the School of Art Museum and Galleries at Aberystwyth University arose via the AberForward scheme I immediately applied. Luckily the duration of my placement as a Curatorial and Technical Support Assistant came at a most opportune time to experience the whole process of preparing, installing and uninstalling an exhibition. Continue reading
22nd – 24th March 2019: A Weekend for (not only) Silent Movie Buffs at the Old College & Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Broadcaster, composer, musician and Aber alumnus (!) Neil Brand will give two talks about silent movies, and his new score for Underground, a classic British silent film, will be played by Philomusica under conductor David Russell Hulme.
Please click on the links below for more information and to book tickets for the events at the Arts Centre. 
https://www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk/classical-music/philomusica-music-movies
https://www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk/cinema/neil-brand-presents-buster-keaton-u
For more information about Neil Brand, please visit his website: https://www.neilbrand.com
‘A Radical Tradition – Eine Radikale Tradition’ – exhibition at Manchester Central Library until 30 April 2019
The exhibition is curated by Dr. Christopher Webster van Tonder, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art and Curator of Photography here at the School of Art. It includes a great selection of images from our own museum collection of vintage photographs as well as several new darkroom prints that Dr. Webster made from our collection of negatives of Hans Saebens and Erich Retzlaff. In addition, the exhibition shows 14 digital copies of the work of Hans Retzlaff from the Ludwig-Uhland-Institut für Empirische Kulturwissenschaft, at the University of Tübingen.
