25 years | 25 objects | 25 artists
Join us as we celebrate 25 years of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum at the Royal Pump Rooms.
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Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Made by AG Spalding & Bros, 1951
Purchased in 2017
Leamington has a rich sporting history and one of its most famous sports stars is the boxer Randolph Turpin. Over the years we have built a strong collection that tells the story of his career. Because boxing and Randolph Turpin are popular with collectors, items tend to be sold at auction. Because our budgets are small, we are often outbid. Therefore, there was great excitement when we were successful in our bid to buy these boxing gloves. They were worn by Turpin when preparing for his World Middleweight title fight with Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951.
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Made in 2015
Given by Ashley Woolley-Khan in 2023
Our collection represents Leamington’s present as well as its past. The video games sector is one of the town’s largest employers, with more than 50 companies active locally, from independent developers to multinationals. Ashley Woolley-Khan was given this controller when he was working on the development of Guitar Hero Live at local studio FreeStyleGames.
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Made about 1814
Purchased in 2018
This medallion was worn by Leamington’s Master of Ceremonies, also known as the Arbiter Elegantiarum (judge of elegance). Their role was to manage the social calendar of balls and concerts in the town. The history of the medallion tells us more about Leamington as a spa resort. We applied to external bodies to help us to raise the funds to buy it. It was purchased with support from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum.
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Made by Brenda Barnes, 2020
Given by Judith Watkin, Croft Medical Centre in 2021
We collect objects that represent the local impact of major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Brenda Barnes made and distributed about 130 masks to local residents in 2020. In the future, museum staff will use
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Tuesday Oct 01, 2024
Sketches Taken in Warwickshire During Holiday Trip, 1867
Pencil and ink on paper
Purchased in 2008
The drawings were made by William Colliss, an amateur artist, when he was staying in Royal Leamington Spa during a holiday in August 1867. Made at a time before photography was widely accessible, they offer a rare personal record of excursions in mid-Victorian Warwickshire. Colleting objects that tell us more about the history of Leamington as a tourist destination is one aim in LSAG&M’s Collections Development Policy.
Friday Sep 27, 2024
25 years | 25 objects | 25 artists
Join us as we celebrate 25 years of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum at the Royal Pump Rooms. Since opening the doors in summer 1999, the displays, temporary exhibitions and collections have been used to reflect the rich history and vibrant artistic culture of the town. Three distinct areas in the exhibition will delve deeper into these themes.
The almost 2,800 objects and artworks that have been collected since 1999 have been whittled down to a group of 25 items that reflect the strengths of the collection. They include a sculpture by Sir Terry Frost, training gloves worn by Randolph Turpin, a painting by camouflage artist Dorothy Anan and memorabilia from the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The display will ask questions about what we collect and why, and who is represented within our collections.
25 artists, including recent winners of the OPEN 2024 have been invited to display and sell artworks that will form part of a pop-up shop within the exhibition space. The OPEN exhibitions, which have been running since the 1930s, are one of the ways in which Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum supports local artists. The exhibition will also feature a display by OPEN 2022 winner Mark Elsmore.