Special Christmas Opening
If you are tired of shopping and looking for a more cultural experience then you will be pleased to now that The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery will be opening its doors between the Christmas and New Year period. The museum will be open on the Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 December and here you will be able to view our new exhibition ‘Picturing the Potteries’ and see items from the world famous Staffordshire Hoard.
This is an ideal opportunity to bring family and friends to see world class collections celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the area. In the Ceramics Gallery you can see the finest collection of Staffordshire pottery in the world and the famous 17th century slipware owl discovered on the Antiques Roadshow. The Natural History, Archaeology and Social History Galleries take you on an exploration of the history and local landscape of the region with displays relating to Arnold Bennet, Reginald Mitchell and Sir Stanley Matthews.
The ‘Picturing the Potteries’ exhibition focuses on the changing landscape of the city through the eyes of artists, photographers and potters. See how the industrial nature of the city was portrayed in the 19th century and compare the photographic images from only a few years ago to what can be seen today. To compliment this exhibition the museum has produced an evocative calendar with images from local scenes painted by the artist Reginald Haggar. This can be purchased in the museum shop at the competitive price of £7.99.
On permanent display are also items from the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest and most important discovery of Anglo-Saxon gold, silver and semi-precious stones ever discovered. See the artefacts within the wider context of Anglo-Saxon society and rediscover the Dark Ages.
On Thursday 29 December there will be a special drop-in activity, ‘Make Your Mark’, where you will be able to have a go at printing and create your own monoprint to be included in a large-scale piece of artwork. The theme revolves around the idea of living in Stoke-on-Trent and what you like best about living in the ‘Potteries’ and which will feature in the upcoming exhibition ‘Artists and Printmakers’.
