Impressionist & Post-Impressionist Paintings

The Lightbox is delighted to be welcoming Christopher Lloyd CVO, for a Celebrity Fundraising Lecture on 12 January 2012. Join Christopher, president of NADFAS (National Association of the Decorative & Fine Art Societies) and trustee of the Art Fund for his talk and discover all about ‘The Collecting of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Paintings in Britain’, whilst raising funds for a very worthy cause; The Lightbox education programme.

Christopher’s principal areas of expertise are the Italian Renaissance and French Impressionism, the latter of which he will be discussing in his forthcoming lecture at The Lightbox. The work of French Impressionist artists is well represented in British public collections, but the story of how that came about is a dramatic one. The Impressionist movement included a diverse group of painters, rejected by the art establishment, who defiantly set up their own exhibition and included Monet, Renoir, Pissarro and Degas. This new way of painting rapid and broken brushstrokes, was not well received by critics in their native France, not to mention Britain, but this situation was reversed by a few remarkable individuals who formed important collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.

Celebrity Fundraising Lecture, Thursday 12 January 2012, 7.00pm. £25 adults, £20 concessions. All proceeds will support The Lightbox Education Programme. Advance booking is required (01483 737837). Talk will last for approximately 45 minutes with a short time for questions. Doors open 30 minutes before the event, a glass of wine is included.

Ode To The Lighbox!

We, at The Lightbox have received a wonderful email from one of our visitors, Elizabeth Wyatt who has not only been kind enough to share her feedback with us, but has done so in the form of a poem!

We enjoyed the poem so much that we would like to share it with you also:

Ode To The Lighbox!
By Elizabeth Wyatt

The Lightbox Museum & Gallery opened in 2007,
In Woking on the 15th September, it’s a little taste of Heaven,
Along the Chobham Road, at home it makes me feel,
To each and every visitor, it has such wide appeal!

History or art, whichever is your pleasure,
The Lightbox is a place, that you will come to treasure,
Then perhaps a cup of coffee, or maybe a bite of lunch,
The Lightbox Canalside Bistro, is a delightful place to munch!

Designed by Marks Barfield, The Lightbox is a delight,
When I visit Woking, it’s always a welcoming sight,
Both Galleries are so spacious, believe me that’s no lie,
Built with the visitor in mind, plenty space for you and I!

Before you end your trip, the shop is worth a visit,
I like to buy a gift, I wouldn’t want to miss it,
No Gallery or Museum’s complete, without warm & friendly staff,
Which the Lightbox has in abundance, I hope this poem has made you laugh!

Landscapes of the Mind

Following the success of ‘Ways of Seeing’, ‘Landscapes of the Mind’ is a new FREE project at The Lightbox, for mental health service provision users

At The Lightbox there is a wonderful collection of landscape paintings and drawings, as part of the Ingram Collection. There is the opportunity to learn about these and to get involved in a unique project that offers the opportunity to, with guidance from a tutor, create an exhibition.  Participants will not only be making key decisions such as choosing the artworks to be included, but also will be creating responses to them by producing their own artwork, also to be included in the exhibition.

Participants don’t need to be tremendously skilled as an artist; all that is required is the enthusiasm in taking part!

If this is of interest to you or perhaps you have someone in mind, this is what The Lightbox is offering:

•  A project where as far as possible, all the decisions about will be made by the participants.  
• There is no charge to take part; in fact transport costs will be paid.  
• Priority will be given to those who did not take part in our previous project, ‘Ways of Seeing’, but if there are places left then participants in that project can be involved in this one.

How to get involved

If you are at all interested please come along to the Education Studio at The Lightbox at 11.00am on Friday 16 December. 

If you are interested but can’t make it to the meeting please contact Rib Davis, Special Projects Manager at The Lightbox, to say you would like to take part (rib.davis@thelightbox.og.uk    01483 737817).

‘Landscapes of the Mind’ is funded by the Happy Museum Project, which is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Breakthrough Fund. To find out more about the project and The Happy Museum please click here.

Festive Fun at The Lightbox this Christmas

Woking Informer Column

On Saturday 26 November The Lightbox will be holding its annual Arts and Crafts Fair, your perfect opportunity to find unique gifts for all the family. Visitors will be able to browse traditional handmade gifts, bespoke contemporary crafts, and original local artworks. Whether you’re searching for a distinctive seasonal shopping experience, would like to find original and creative gifts for your friends and family or perhaps looking for a special treat for yourself, you’ll find them all here. Furthermore, when legs get weary, you can settle down to some festive cheer, with a cup of warm mulled wine and a delicious mince pie in our café, Palette, whilst enjoying live music. What a wonderful way to welcome this year’s festive Season!

We’ve got plenty more to help you get into the holiday season and Father Christmas will even be paying us a visit! Make sure to pop down to our grotto on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December to see him, you’ll also get to meet his helpful Elf and the magical Snowflake Fairy.

If you feel like getting creative and adding your personal touch to Christmas this year why not get involved with our Christmas decoration workshops. For families and children we have some free drop- in family workshops (Saturday 3 December and Wednesday 21 December) where you can make your own Christmas decorations.

Woking Dance Festival will be presenting a weekend of live and digital dance at The Lightbox on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 December and will also be performing their take on ‘A Christmas Carol’ with a twist.

Our in house café and restaurant; Palette will also be hosting some festive evening events including a Christmas Dinner Dance  (also including a Christmas quiz) on Thursday 15 December and a festive themed murder mystery evening of entertainment and dining; Who Sleighed Santa on Saturday 17 December.

For more information about ‘Festive Fun’ at The Lightbox, please click here.

The Lightbox Annual Arts and Crafts Fair

Start your Christmas shopping at our Arts and Crafts Fair on the 26 November and find unique gifts for all the family. Visitors will be able to browse traditional handmade gifts, bespoke contemporary crafts, and original local artworks. Whether you’re searching for a distinctive seasonal shopping experience, would like to find original and creative gifts for your friends and family or perhaps looking for a special treat for yourself, you’ll find them all at The Lightbox’s Arts and Crafts Fair.

Joe Szabo is a designer maker who creates contemporary ‘Glass Art’ and will be selling his unique and beautiful pieces at the Arts and Craft Fair. Joe creates contemporary glass art and experiments with new ideas constantly developing new technical solutions. His works contain sharp contrasts and often steps away from glass as the primary medium and combines it with other media, such as metal and ceramic.

Caroline Thomson is another artist who will also be at the fair and will be selling her contemporary silver jewellery. Caroline designs and hand makes all of her jewellery which is often inspired by shapes and forms found in nature. Caroline creates interesting surface details and finishes to her jewellery using techniques such as:  gold fusing, hammering, granulation and oxidising.  Caroline also likes to use fresh water pearls or copper to add interest and colour and is always experimenting and looking for inspiration to create new designs.

Joe Szabo and Caroline Thomson are just two of the many designer makers and artists who will be attending this year’s craft fair, so there will be plenty of shopping opportunities!

Furthermore, when legs get weary, you can settle down to some festive cheer, with a cup of warm mulled wine and a delicious mince pie or roasted chestnuts in our café, Palette, whilst enjoying live music. What a wonderful way to welcome this year’s festive Season!

The Arts and Craft Fair will be taking place throughout The Lightbox on 26 November 2011, 10.30am – 5pm. Entrance is FREE (donations welcome). For further information please visit www.thelightbox.org.uk or 01483 737800.

The Ancient History of the Silk Routes

WOKING INFORMER COLUMN

In conjunction with the current exhibition; ‘From the Realm of the Dragon: The Ceramic Heritage of Zibo, China’ Carol Michaelson who was formally ‘Curator China’ at the British Museum will be hosting a fascinating talk at The Lightbox; ‘The Silk Route: Chinese Trade Revealed in the British Museum Collections’.

Carol will be providing a fascinating account of the historic trade route between the East and West. Bringing the talk to life, Carol will be showing a selection of objects from the collection at the British Museum. 

The Silk Routes, collectively known as the Silk Road developed circa 2^nd Century BC, consisting of routes both on land and through the seas. The development of the Silk Road enabled the travel of goods from Asia to Africa, the Mediterranean and across Europe and vice versa. The Silk Road got its name from the significant Chinese silk trade and although silk remained for many centuries as a primary export for China, many other goods were traded across the lands by other countries from spices and medicines to slaves and jewels.

The advancement of the Silk Road led not only to the beginning of a long trading history but also a huge cultural exchange.  The sharing of many knowledge related aspects including philosophies, ideas, technologies and religion was now able to take place as well as benefiting from the wealth of products previously inaccessible from other regions of the world.

This talk will be taking place at The Lightbox on Wednesday 9 November 2011 at 1pm. Tickets cost £6 for adults and £5 for concessions, numbers are limited so advance booking is required (01483 737837). The talk will last approximately 45 minutes with a short time for questions at the end.

For more information about The Lightbox or ‘From the Realm of the Dragon: The Ceramic Heritage of Zibo, China’ please visit www.thelightbox.org.uk

The Lightbox – ‘Celebrating China’

WOKING INFORMER COLUMN

In celebration of the new Chinese ceramics exhibition; ‘From the Realm of the Dragon: The Ceramic Heritage of Zibo, China’, The Lightbox hosted a fun-filled Chinese themed day. ‘Celebrating China’ took place on Saturday 29 October 2011.

People came and joined in with the festivities of the day; enjoyed the dazzling performances performed by the Chinese Association of Woking, from a Lion dance and martial arts demonstrations to traditional Chinese dance. It proved to be a feast for the eyes and captivating for all.

There was also a free drop-in family workshop in the Education Studio where families took part in hands-on activities including paper dragon making!

It was the perfect opportunity to explore our new exhibition where you can discover the fascinating history of Chinese ceramics from ancient times to the present day and how the traditional techniques are kept alive by the work of the highly respected Chinese ceramicists known as ‘Modern Masters’.

There were also art and crafts stalls that were present throughout the day where a wide range of beautiful hand crafted ceramics made by local artists were for sale.

All of this coupled with Chinese inspired food available at The Lightbox’s in-house café and restaurant; Palette, you could truly immerse yourself in the spirit of China.

To find out more visit www.thelightbox.org.uk or call 01483 737800.

Woking Society of Arts returns to The Lightbox

WEEKLY COLUMN – WOKING INFORMER

 Running from 22 – 23 October and back by popular demand, The Lightbox gallery and museum will be playing host to the Woking Society of Arts, featuring works by Woking’s largest and prestigious group of artists. After a great success of last year’s exhibition, there will once again be a wide range of styles and medias on display, a large proportion of which will be for sale.

 The Woking Society of Arts made the decision to start exhibiting at The Lightbox as a means to enhance their reputation and attract new members.  Having been in the town for over 60 years, the Society meets on the first Saturday of every month and is a chance for artists to demonstrate and discuss their techniques and mediums including oils, mixed media, acrylics and watercolours. Throughout the year, the Society organizes a range of exhibitions and competitions for its members, increasing exposure of the Society, as well as encouraging its members to build on and develop upon their artistic range and capabilities.

 The Society provides a meeting ground for those interested in the arts, in either a practical sense, or in an appreciation and visual sense. In an effort to encourage people’s involvement with the arts, and in turn expand the cultural life of the town, the Woking Society of Arts plans artist days out and exhibitions to drum up interest.

 See www.wokingartssociety.org for more information about joining the Society, a small member’s fee applies, but those in full time education may be reduced. Contact The Lightbox Reception on 01483 737800 for more information on the exhibition.  Entrance is free of charge; The Lightbox is open Tuesday – Saturday 10.30am – 5.00pm, Sundays 11.00am – 5.00pm, closed on Mondays and Bank Holidays.

The Ingram Collection: The Art of William Roberts

WOKING INFORMER COLUMN

From the 24 September, a display of works by artist William Roberts (1895 -1980) will be on show at The Lightbox until 18 December.  William Roberts was one of the 20^th Century’s most remarkable British artists, the series of paintings and works on paper on display highlights some of the works that define Robert’s as a unique figure in the history of Modern British Art.

The display is drawn from The Ingram Collection of Modern British Art which is on loan to The Lightbox from business entrepreneur, Chris Ingram and is also supported by The William Roberts Society. This special showcase provides a mini-retrospective of the work of one of the UK’s most celebrated and individual visual artists whose career spanned the first three quarters of the 20th Century.

For Sixty years, Robert’s drew and painted the everyday life of English people, he became an important social commentator, charting the way life in England changed dramatically during the Twentieth Century. Robert’s captured in his work observations from his time as an official war artist in 1917 through to the metropolitan leisure activities of the times by visiting cafes, cinemas, parks, pubs and the races. He also captured holiday makers and rural activities when he moved to Oxford between 1939 and 1945.

Both his early design experiences with a commercial poster firm, and his fascination with post-Impression and Cubism whilst studying at the Slade school of Fine Art, defined Robert’s unique style of group compositions. Whilst the grouping of figures are often elaborate and complex, Robert’s focus on the gestures of the human is achieved by an ability to remove all surplus detail from the scene and by using strong outlines, bold colours and a sense rhythm in his geometric patterns.

‘The Ingram Collection: The Art of William Roberts’ will be on show from the 24 September – 18 December 2011 in the Ambassador Room at The Lightbox. Please note that opening times are subject to availability of the Ambassador Room. To avoid disappointment please call 01483 737837 on day of visit to confirm if the exhibition is open.

Entry to exhibitions at The Lightbox is FREE (donations welcome) and is open Tuesday – Saturday 10.30am – 5pm and Sunday 11.00am – 5pm.

Join The Lightbox for a parliamentary tour at Westminster

WOKING INFORMER COLUMN

The Rt. Hon. Jonathan Lord, local MP and keen supporter of The Lightbox has kindly agreed to act as host on a private tour of the House of Commons at Westminster on 28 October. The event, which is being organised by The Lightbox will help to raise funds for their education programme.

There is an open invitation for people to book themselves on to this exclusive excursion, where guests will enjoy afternoon tea in the Terrace Dining Room at 4.00pm followed by a tour at 6.00pm.

The private tour, led by Jonathan Lord, will include a tour of the House of Commons, the Prince’s Chamber, St Stephens Hall and Westminster Hall. The tour will unveil a behind the scenes glimpse into parliament and give you an insight into the workings of one of the key institutions in the country.

This tour is being run especially for The Lightbox and is a fantastic opportunity for budding historians, those with an interest in politics, and those who are interested to see the architecture of this magnificent institution. The architecture of the Palace of Westminster is typically from the mid 19^th Century, built after a devastating fire destroyed many buildings. The tour will also uncover some earlier buildings including Westminster Hall which was built in 1097 under William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror.

Tickets cost £50 per head + £5 for return coach journey from Woking, numbers are limited so advance booking is required (01483 737837). If you choose to come on the coach, it will leave Woking at 2.30pm and return at 8.30pm. Guests are welcome to make their own way to London and meet at Westminster.