William Morris Gallery News
See this space for the latest press releases and announcements from the Gallery.
March 2024
William Morris Gallery is awarded £417,990 from Arts Council England’s Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND)
William Morris Gallery is pleased to announce that it has been awarded £417,990 from Arts Council England’s Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) to address significant internal environmental issues connected to humidity and thermal performance of its Grade II* listed building. This will complement a programme of refurbishment works, planned to coincide with the 75th year of the Gallery in 2025.
A planned programme of works is scheduled to begin later this year and is designed to improve overall building performance, mitigate further degradation of the fabric of the building, safeguard the internationally significant collections, and create the conditions for everyone to comfortably visit and work in the Gallery, particularly during summer months.
This funding will allow William Morris Gallery to optimise environmental performance through installing better thermal insulation, mechanical cooling, ventilation, dehumidification units and solar film on windows – all of which are sympathetic to protecting the fabric and longevity of the significant heritage building and collections.
The project will help ensure the Gallery is more resilient to the threat of climate change whilst reducing the Gallery’s overall environmental impact. Through better insulation, using passive solutions and energy efficient technologies, equipment and materials, the interventions will reduce energy consumption.
The Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) is an open-access capital fund for non-national accredited museums and local authorities based in England to apply for funding to undertake vital infrastructure and urgent maintenance backlogs which are beyond the scope of day-to-day maintenance budgets.
Arts Council England delivers this fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
“This is fantastic news and marks a significant milestone for William Morris Gallery, playing a vital role in its renovation initiative aimed at safeguarding this significant heritage site and its integral position within the Waltham Forest community for future generations.”
Councillor Rosalind Doré, Cabinet Commissioner for Destinations, London Borough of Waltham Forest
November 2023
Art Without Heroes: Mingei – 23 March to 22 September 2024
William Morris Gallery is pleased to announce Art Without Heroes: Mingei, the largest ever exhibition in the UK dedicated to Mingei, the influential folk-craft movement that developed in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s. With more than 80 works, including ceramics, woodwork, paper, toys, textiles, photography and film, the exhibition will incorporate unseen pieces from significant private collections in the UK and Japan, along with museum loans.
Mingei, a term coined by the Japanese philosopher and critic Yanagi Sōetsu (1889-1961) to mean ‘the art of the people’, ascribed cultural value and aesthetic purity to traditional craft objects, unnamed makers and a simpler way of life. The exhibition will consider Mingei both as a historical moment and as a set of principles that remain relevant to contemporary craft, manufacturing and material consumerism worldwide. Mingei was born in response to Japan’s rapid industrialisation, anddeveloped in dialogue with the British Arts and Crafts movement within a specifically Japanese context that included the strong influence of Pure Land Buddhism. The exhibition will also introduce the significance of Korean, Okinawan and Ainu objects to the Mingei movement, showing how these independent cultures contributed to what tends to be seen as a quintessentially Japanese aesthetic.
Read the full press release: Art Without Heroes_Mingei_William Morris Gallery_March 2024_PRESS RELEASE
September 2023
William Morris Gallery launches its Archive Collection for LDF in collaboration with Liberty, spotlighting modern craft from the heart of London
William Morris Gallery and Liberty today announce the Archive Collection, a new range of limited-edition products including homewares, jewellery, accessories and clothing. The Archive Collection builds upon both parties’ longstanding connection as champions of the Arts and Crafts Movement and producers of some of Britain’s most iconic and enduring designs. Sales will support the education and community programme of William Morris Gallery.
As part of the collection, William Morris Gallery and Liberty have commissioned five UK-based contemporary designers to reimagine objects from the Gallery’s archive that were significant to the life of William Morris, pioneer of the Arts and Crafts movement. Each of these special products embodies the spirit of handmaking, working with natural materials and finding joy in labour – principles which underpinned William Morris’ own approach to design. Products include the ‘William Morris Satchel’ by Kingsley Walters, ‘Philip Webb Drinking Glass’ by Stewart Hearn, ‘Arts and Crafts Shirt’ by Blackhorse Lane Ateliers, ‘Water House Mac’ by Cawley Studio and ‘Sussex Chair’ by Wilkinson & Rivera.
Read the full press release: William Morris Gallery Archive Collection Press Release
July 2023
Radical Landscapes – 21 October 2023 – 18 February 2024
William Morris Gallery is pleased to announce Radical Landscapes, an exhibition that will explore the natural world as a space for artistic inspiration, social connection, and political and cultural protest through the lens of William Morris, one of Britain’s earliest and most influential environmental thinkers. Organised in collaboration with Tate Liverpool, the exhibition will display work spanning two centuries and feature more than 60 works by artists including JMW Turner, Claude Cahun, Hurvin Anderson, Derek Jarman, Jeremy Deller and Veronica Ryan. Delving into ideas of freedom, exploitation and trespass, the exhibition will reflect on how British landscapes have been read, accessed and used across social, class and racial lines, as well as the current global climate emergency, starting from Morris’ own relationship to and love for the land.
Through the works on display and an expansive public programme, visitors will be encouraged to engage with the Gallery’s surrounding borough of Waltham Forest, once a rural outpost and now an urban London borough, where Morris was born and which shaped his environmental and political views.
Read the full press release: Radical Landscapes_Press Release
June 2023
Dialled In returns to Walthamstow in July 2023
Dialled In returns on 22nd July 2023 with its latest offering, Dialled In: The Park – an all-day arts and music festival showcasing South Asian culture, arts and creativity. A celebration of community, it will take place across two stages in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, and at William Morris Gallery, allowing audiences to experience Dialled In outdoors for the first time. It also marks Dialled In’s return to E17 where the team has been steadily growing its community presence. Support for the festival will be provided by the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
Read the full press release: Dialled In Press Release 2023
January 2023
Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender – 1 April – 10 September 2023
William Morris Gallery is pleased to announce the first major survey of fashion designer Ashish Gupta. Ashish: Fall in Love and Be More Tender will provide an unprecedented overview of Ashish’s subversive and playful practice, showcasing over 60 designs created by his eponymous London-based fashion label over the past 20 years. Synonymous with glamour, maximalist design and painstaking craftsmanship, Ashish is a pioneering voice in the fashion industry whose work challenges stereotypes and foregrounds equitable representation, exploring the role that clothing can play in the politics of optimism and inclusion. Known for working in bold, joyful colours and creating clothes which are hand-embroidered in sequins and beads, Ashish’s designs have been worn by global icons including Beyonce, Debbie Harry, Hunter Schafer, Rihanna, Charli XCX and Taylor Swift. The exhibition will also feature a specially commissioned film and new photography by Ashish Shah, a rising star in fashion documentation.
Read the full press release: Press Release_Ashish at William Morris Gallery_1 April 2023