Shipley Art Gallery open for work and play

by The Journal

TWO new developments are to be unveiled this month at the Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead.

They are the Shipley Lounge and the Henry Rothschild Study Centre.

The former is a cafe and play area where adults can take the weight off their feet and youngsters can let off steam.

The Study Centre will capitalise on the extensive collection of 20th Century ceramics entrusted to the gallery by its owner, Henry Rothschild, in 2007.

Rothschild died in May last year at the age of 95 but he visited the Shipley in 2007 to see part of his collection on display.

Born in Frankfurt, he left Germany for Britain in 1933 when Hitler came to power and became a British subject five years later, serving in the Signal Corps during the Second World War.

After the war he became a leading collector and exhibitor of fine crafts, opening a famous shop in London called Primavera.

During his long life he amassed a fine collection of work by 20th Century ceramicists.

Amy Barker,  curator  of the Shipley, said: “The Henry Rothschild Study Centre is the culmination of a long relationship between Henry Rothschild and the Shipley Art Gallery that began in 1994 with loans and gifts to the gallery.

“Henry was attracted to the Shipley’s commitment to encouraging public engagement through contemporary craft and design.”

The Study Centre will enable the collection to be viewed for the first time in its entirety and will feature a collection database which visitors can use.