CHESTER VISUAL ARTS STARTS A RADICAL CONVERSATION

Chester Visual Arts is pleased to announce the launch of their annual Lecture Series titled Radical Times, Radical Change and will launch this Spring!

This year’s theme is the response of the cultural sector to a world turned upside down and will cover four key topics: V&A costume exhibitions and the changing role of costume design; the impact of the pandemic on contemporary photographic practice; inclusion and programming contemporary responses to historic collections; and the impact of the pandemic on curation in at the National Gallery.

Each talk from the lecture series will be hosted by Dr Catherine Pütz, who has over 20 years’ experience working in senior management roles within the UK’s top museums and will feature internationally renowned curators as the guest speakers. Dr Pütz will run an informative Q&A session with each guest speaker and will also take questions from the audience, providing a truly special and unique experience.

Dr Pütz comments “I am thrilled to be a part of the first ever Lecture Series with CVA. After such challenging times, with ongoing personal impacts on us as individuals, and profound changes to our arts and heritage sector, now is the moment to take stock of the value of culture today and how our perceptions are shifting. Let’s come together to share our responses and learnings and see how we can help the recovery of our cities and our sector.’

The guest speakers are all experts and specialists in their fields and have worked in world renowned museums including The Victoria & Albert Museum, National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. Chester Visual Arts is excited to bring this series to Chester and each talk will be at a different venue around the city. 

Ian Short, Chester Visual Arts Chairman says: ‘This is the first of our Lecture Series where we look forward to an annual programme of talks, with different speakers and subjects. It is a privilege to be working with these guest speakers and to have the opportunity to learn more from both our specialists and our board member Dr Cathy Pütz. At Chester Visual Arts, we continue to break boundaries and highlight the importance of art and culture’s vital role in helping Chester’s recovery, not just for the tourism sector and visitor footfall, but for the individual, including residents and organisations.”

The Lecture Series, ‘Radical Times, Radical Change’ will be held on the following dates: 

31^st March, Chester Racecourse, Leverhulme Stand.

Guest Speaker: Keith Lodwick

Title: Triumph Of Design: Costume For Stage & Screen

Subject Matter: Join curator and writer Keith Lodwick who will be speaking about V&A costume exhibitions, changing views of costume design, and unsung female costume designers in Hollywood and the UK.

Book Now:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/275665040557

21^st April, Chester Racecourse, County Stand.

Guest Speaker: Colin Wiggins

Title - Back to the Future: Shaking up historic painting

Talk Subject – Join curator & lecturer Colin who will speak on the topic of inclusion and programming contemporary responses to historic collections.

Book Now:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/275674308277

5^th May, Grosvenor Museum,

Guest Speaker: Susanna Brown

Title: Close to Home: Fine Art Photography During the Pandemic  

Talk Subject: Join curator and writer Susanna Brown to discuss how contemporary photographers around the world adapted to create meaningful new work when travel was curtailed.

Book Now:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/275679734507

12^th May – The University of Chester

Guest Speaker: Christine Riding

Title - Curating in a Crisis: Covid 19 and the National Gallery  

Talk Subject – Join Curator Christine Riding who will speak on the impact of the pandemic on curation in the National Gallery.

Book Now:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/275683616117

To purchase tickets for all 4 events visit:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/chester-visual-arts-25582912539

Chester Visual Arts (CVA) is a registered charity (1180619) established to bring visual arts in all its forms to the people of Chester and the surrounding region. 

The result of 6 years of planning, CVA now works alongside Cheshire West and Chester Council to support the region’s larger heritage and visual arts strategy. 

CVA is governed by a Board of Trustees, comprising established business and arts professionals from Chester and the wider region. Through strategic partnerships CVA has presented four well-received international exhibitions in just 18 months. 

Its current partners include Grosvenor, Chester Cathedral, The University of Chester, and the V&A Museum, London. 

Chester Visual Arts was born from AielloShort, a property, regeneration & arts company, and the directors, Cynthia and Ian Short. Since its launch in 2016 the arts charity has brought world-class art exhibitions to Chester. From working closely with the Victoria & Albert Museum we have brought international exhibitions to various venues in Chester and have been supported by the Arts Council England.

CVA aims to make its work a permanent part of Chester and to enhance the city and the region as a better place to live, work and visit. To achieve this, we have established a regular programme of quality events and exhibitions which will lead to Chester becoming recognised nationally and internationally for the visual arts. CVA’s aim is to secure a permanent home within the city, as a creative visual arts centre and public art gallery of international standing.   

Chester has a proven appetite for culture, as well as an established population of practising artists of national and international standing. However, there is a clear gap access to high-quality visual arts provision in Chester & beyond the region. Chester Visual Arts is beginning to fill this gap. Building on our early successes, CVA has made swift gains in developing a local visual arts audience, and it is developing a vibrant visual arts culture for the region. 

In 2019, CVA launched its learning programme, placing long-term emphasis on providing stimulating cultural and educational experiences for the wider public and young people. This includes accessible workshops, talks, school visits and tours, as well as digital activities.