Treasures Revealed: From the National Arts Education ...
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15 April–3 September 2017 / Sat–Tues, 11.00–15.00 NAEA Gallery In celebration of Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s (YSP) 40th anniversary in 2017, artists, supporters and volunteers have chosen 40 inspirational objects, collections and ideas from the National Arts Education Archive (NAEA). The NAEA, established in 1985 and now managed by YSP, holds a fascinating collection of artefacts, books, artworks, papers and correspondence that documents developments in art education over the last century. The archive comprises more than 100 catalogued collections including Child Art, Basic Design, A.E.Halliwell and Franz Cizek. Key individuals connected to the Park and with an interest in art education were invited to choose objects from the NAEA that inform, inspire and delight, responding to the question ‘what is your treasure?’. The resulting exhibition, Treasures Revealed, includes selections by author Joanne Harris; artist and agitator Bob and Roberta Smith; politician Yvette Cooper; and artist Hester Reeve. Noted author Joanne Harris selected two fabric works from the Bretton Hall College Textiles Collection made by unknown students in the 1980s. Harris said: “Art has gone through many changes over the centuries, but the art of embroidery has barely changed at all: exuberant; intimate; delicate; often anonymous, humble and always essentially Treasures Revealed: From the National Arts Education Archive Media Release Courtesy the Don Pavey Collection. Photo © Jonty Wilde
Transcript of Treasures Revealed: From the National Arts Education ...
15 April–3 September 2017 / Sat–Tues, 11.00–15.00
NAEA Gallery
In celebration of Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s (YSP) 40th anniversary in 2017, artists,
supporters and volunteers have chosen 40 inspirational objects, collections and ideas
from the National Arts Education Archive (NAEA).
The NAEA, established in 1985 and now managed by YSP, holds a fascinating collection
of artefacts, books, artworks, papers and correspondence that documents developments
in art education over the last century. The archive comprises more than 100 catalogued
collections including Child Art, Basic Design, A.E.Halliwell and Franz Cizek.
Key individuals connected to the Park and with an interest in art education were invited
to choose objects from the NAEA that inform, inspire and delight, responding to the
question ‘what is your treasure?’. The resulting exhibition, Treasures Revealed, includes
selections by author Joanne Harris; artist and agitator Bob and Roberta Smith; politician
Yvette Cooper; and artist Hester Reeve.
Noted author Joanne Harris selected two fabric works from the Bretton Hall College
Textiles Collection made by unknown students in the 1980s. Harris said: “Art has gone
through many changes over the centuries, but the art of embroidery has barely changed
at all: exuberant; intimate; delicate; often anonymous, humble and always essentially
Treasures Revealed: From the National Arts Education Archive Media Release
Courtesy the Don Pavey Collection. Photo © Jonty Wilde
human, it tells the tale of the people who have come before us, speaking directly to us
from its place in history, telling its stories, which so often seem also to be our stories, in
a clear and quiet voice.”
A black and white photograph of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (1881–1931) as the Dying Swan, alongside the dancer’s necklace was chosen by YSP volunteer Lorna Sellers: “With
a passion for dance and photography, I entered the NAEA hoping to find a special image
for the exhibition. However nothing prepared me for the exciting discovery of a folder
labeled “Pavlova”. Amongst various items inside, I found this wonderful 1907 black and
white photograph of world-acclaimed Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova as the Dying Swan.
Created for her in 1905, by Russian dancer and choreographer Mikhail (Michel) Fokine,
this was to become Pavlova’s signature ballet solo and she performed it around 4,000
times. To my further delight I also discovered this beautiful necklace, which had belonged
to Pavlova. What other treasures are waiting to be discovered in the NAEA? One can only
imagine!”
Bob and Roberta Smith, pseudonym of the artist Patrick Brill who received an OBE for
services to the arts in the New Year honours list for 2017, selected Don Pavey’s Toy and Art-based Game Collection. The collection features 329 items ranging from games,
puzzles and pastimes to a Kinetic-art robot, all used as part of Pavey’s – a post-war
teacher – teaching practices.
Smith said: “The NAEA is one of the great repositories of material relating to the
development of the arts in the post war era. It’s also a place of hope! To look through the
material and understand the competing initiatives and investigations by artists and
teachers in that period is to recharge one’s batteries.”
The exhibition coincides with the introduction of a new site-specific installation, All Schools Should be Art Schools, by Smith. Echoing YSP’s and the NAEA’s continued commitment
to the case for creativity in education, the work is a bright, colourful, statement of
inspirational intent positioned next to the YSP Learning building.
YSP visitors are invited to explore these objects and more by dropping into the exhibition
in the NAEA Gallery from Saturday to Tuesday, 11am to 3pm. Visit ysp.org.uk/NAEA for
more information and follow #TreasuresRevealed to see some of the objects selected for
the exhibition and to find out who selected them and why.
Bob and Roberta Smith, All Schools Should be Art Schools, 2017. Courtesy the artist. Photo © Jonty Wilde
NOTES TO EDITORS
ABOUT THE NAEA
The National Arts Education Archive (NAEA) at Yorkshire Sculpture Park was established at Bretton Hall College in 1985. Its
inauguration was a direct response to the perceived need for key collections of materials to be brought together in one place;
to secure their future as touchstones in the development of teaching and learning; and as an archive for professional
reference and research. After 25 years as an independent charitable trust, the NAEA is now managed by YSP. The Archive’s
original aims and objectives are in line with YSP’s overall mission, to enable access to, understanding and enjoyment of art.
ysp.org.uk/NAEA
ABOUT YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK
Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is the leading international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture which celebrates
its 40th anniversary in 2017. It is an independent charitable trust and registered museum (number 1067908) situated in the
500-acre, 18th-century Bretton Hall estate in West Yorkshire. Founded in 1977 by Executive Director Peter Murray, YSP was
the first sculpture park in the UK, and is the largest of its kind in Europe, providing the only place in the world to see Barbara
Hepworth’s The Family of Man in its entirety alongside a significant collection of sculpture, including bronzes by Henry
Moore, and site-specific works by Andy Goldsworthy, David Nash and James Turrell. YSP also mounts a world-class, year-
round temporary exhibitions programme including some of the world’s leading artists across five indoor galleries and the open
air. Recent highlights include exhibitions by Not Vital, KAWS, Bill Viola, Anthony Caro, Fiona Banner, Ai Weiwei, Ursula von
Rydingsvard, Amar Kanwar, Yinka Shonibare MBE and Joan Miró. YSP’s core work is made possible by investment from Arts
Council England, Wakefield Council, Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation and Sakurako and William Fisher through the Sakana
Foundation. YSP was named Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2014. ysp.org.uk
SOCIAL MEDIA
#YSP / #TreasuresRevealed / #NAEA
Twitter and Instagram: @YSPsculpture
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Sophie Steel, SUTTON: +44 (0)20 7183 3577 / [email protected]
Kerry Chase, Yorkshire Sculpture Park: +44 (0)1924 832 515 / [email protected]
Download images at ysp.org.uk/TreasuresRevealedPress
