Ferens Art Gallery

Ferens Art Gallery
Ferens Art Gallery is located in East Riding of Yorkshire
Ferens Art Gallery
Location within the East Riding of Yorkshire
Established1927 (1927)
LocationQueen Victoria Square, Hull
Coordinates53°44′36″N 0°20′21″W / 53.74337°N 0.33912°W / 53.74337; -0.33912
WebsiteFerens Art Gallery

The Ferens Art Gallery is an art gallery in the English city of Kingston upon Hull. The site and money for the gallery were donated to the city by Thomas Ferens, after whom it is named. The architects were S. N. Cooke and E. C. Davies.[1] Opened in 1927,[2] it was restored and extended in 1991. The gallery features an extensive array of both permanent collections and roving exhibitions.

Among the paintings in the permanent collection is a portrait of an unknown young woman by Frans Hals.

Past temporary exhibitions included features on Queen Victoria and Hull – part of the Royal Collection Trust touring show (2022–2023),[3] Ian McKeever RA (2019),[4] Francis Bacon (2017)[5] and David Remfry RA (1975 and 2005).[6] The building also houses a children's gallery and a popular cafe. The building is now a Grade II listed building.[1]

In 2009, an exhibition and live performance took place at the venue, to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the opening of The New Adelphi Club, a live music venue less than 2 miles (3 km) north.[7]

In 2013, the gallery acquired a fourteenth-century painting by Pietro Lorenzetti, depicting Christ Between Saints Paul and Peter. The acquisition was jointly funded by the Ferens Endowment Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Art Fund.[8]

In May 2015, it was announced that the gallery would get a £4.5 million makeover to enable it to host the Turner Prize in 2017 as part of the UK City of Culture programme.[9] The gallery reopened on 13 January 2017.[10][11] On 8 February 2017, Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited the gallery to view the completed refurbishment.[12]

In January 2018, Hull City Council announced that a record 519,000 visits were made to the gallery during 2017.[13]

  1. ^ a b Historic England. "Ferens Art Gallery (1218995)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Ferens Art Gallery". Hull City Council. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  3. ^ "Queen Victoria and Hull | Hull Culture and Leisure". www.hcandl.co.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Ian McKeever. Paintings: 1992 – 2017 – Exhibition at Ferens Art Gallery in Hull". ArtRabbit. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  5. ^ "CITY OF CULTURE HULL HOSTS BACON'S POPES | Francis Bacon". www.francis-bacon.com. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  6. ^ "David Remfry | Artist | Royal Academy of Arts". www.royalacademy.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  7. ^ "BBC – Humberside – Adelphi Club celebrates 25 years". BBC News. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Hull's Ferens Art Gallery acquires £1.6 million masterpiece". BBC News. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  9. ^ "Turner Prize a 'honeypot' for Hull". BBC News. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  10. ^ "Culture? In Hull? UK City of Culture 2017 aims to win over sceptics". BBC News. 30 December 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Hull's Ferens gallery to reopen after £5.2m refit backed by city council". The Guardian. 12 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visit Hull City of Culture". BBC News. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  13. ^ "Record number of visitors for Hull art gallery". BBC News. BBC. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.