Penarth’s Town Mayor, Cllr. Ian Buckley today reopened The Turner House Gallery to the public following its redevelopment by Penarth Town Council.
The opening exhibition is The BFG in Pictures, a touring exhibition from House of Illustration, featuring reproductions of Quentin Blake’s illustrations for Roald Dahl’s much-loved story The BFG.
The show, curated by Quentin Blake, contains 40 reproductions including illustrations not used when the book was first published in 1982. They chart the development of one of the most iconic characters in children’s literature and a glimpse of a BFG that might have been. These are exhibited alongside reproductions of the final illustrations for the book, providing a fascinating insight into the collaboration between author and illustrator.
There’s also an opportunity to join Penarth-based illustrator Chris Glynn for a GREAT BIG family drawing workshop in The Turner House this half term – a chance to bring your drawings to life in new and familiar company.Participants will work together to create GIANT drawing and learn about drawing from imagination, memory, and what’s around you.
Penarth Town Council have worked closely with Amgueddfa Cymru over the last 18 months to create a unique space that celebrates the building’s history as a high-quality community arts venue.
With some fantastic exhibitions planned, The Turner House is likely to become one of the top cultural destinations in the region. Exhibitions are free, with a changing programme that showcases the best national touring shows alongside local artists and makers. The Town Council has also curated a permanent display which showcases the building’s heritage and original collection.
The Town Mayor said:
“It’s just brilliant to get The Turner House back open. The arts and culture have always been good in Penarth, so to be able to showcase not just national and international artists but local artists too, and workshops, is amazing.”
“I’m looking forward to bringing my grandkids here, especially showing them Quentin Blake’s step-by-step drawings of the BFG.”
Quentin Blake said: “Roald Dahl and I were brought together by our publisher in the 1970s. Roald was an extraordinarily interesting person and a man of action, which is why he was so good at telling stories. He liked to tell stories about things happening, rather than about what people are (were?) thinking or feeling, which was wonderful for me to draw. Roald’s The BFG was first published by Jonathan Cape in 1982 in a hardback edition for which I did black-and-white illustrations and a design in colour for the cover. Since then the BFG and Sophie have appeared in a variety of books and situations. For this exhibition I have selected images from different versions of the BFG, starting with my first illustrations which remained unpublished for thirty years.”
Turner House was opened in 1888 to exhibit the collection of Penarth flour merchant, James Pyke Thompson. Artworks in this collection included drawings, etchings, and ceramics, by artists including Rembrandt, Dante Rossetti and J. M. W. Turner, after which the gallery was named. Pyke Thompson wanted to share his art collection as he believed that having access to art improved our collective wellbeing. He also felt that people should visit galleries and museums on Sunday at a time when only churches and chapels were open. So Pyke Thompson deliberately arranged for the Turner House to open every Sunday.
Turner House Gallery was subsequently acquired by the National Museum of Wales in 1921 and used to display the museum’s secondary public art collection until 2003 when Ffotogallery took up residence as a base for contemporary photographic exhibitions until their departure in 2016
As the new custodians of the venue, Penarth Town Council are committed to continuing the legacy of The Turner House Gallery and re-establishing it as a central space in the provision of the arts for Penarth and beyond.
For updates about upcoming shows or information about the Penarth Open Show follow @tyturnerpenarth on Instagram & Facebook and visit the website at www.turnerhouse.wales.
All exhibitions are currently subject to social distancing and Coronavirus guidelines.
