Kirsten Simister: Gallery excels at the art of raising profile of Hull

Access to art and culture for all is vital. It can provide inspiration to everyone but to young people in particular. Life without art and museums would be static and sterile with no creative arguments or research about the past, no diverse and stimulating present and no dreams of the future.

When we talk about the value of art and museums we have a tendency to be drawn into talking about the economic impact, especially at a time when council budgets nationwide are facing unprecedented cuts and we have seen galleries forced to close.

With the recent extensive refurbishment of the Ferens, Hull has demonstrated a firm commitment to investing in art and culture but we should not lose sight of how it enriches people’s lives and emotional wellbeing, providing a forum for social cohesion and improving physical and mental health.

Art galleries are a powerful resource, providing intellectual stimulation and opportunities for public involvement and a way to express freedom and flexibility as well as creating a debate about art.

From the start, our curatorial team had aspirations to deliver a hugely ambitious programme and it is already paying off with visitor numbers exceeding the entire footfall of 2015 in the first 10 weeks of 2017 alone.

We are seeing more people visit the gallery for the first time, too, with exceptional loans which include five of Francis Bacon’s so-called screaming popes and Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Ship Builder and his Wife, which is the first ever painting by the artist to visit the city, generously lent by the Queen from the Royal Collection Trust.

Our priority since reopening in January, following our £5.2m refurbishment, has been to ensure children and young people in the city have access to art.

The Explore Art initiative, aimed at families and the under fives, provides an area for youngsters to play and create their own masterpieces.

Galleries can connect young people to things that would not normally be seen outside of London and our exciting loans showcase the ambition and vision of the painter.

Art may inspire them to pick up a paintbrush, a camera, or just try something they would not normally do, unlocking their creativity and allowing them to encounter new people and things; they may be inspired to become future artists by such exposure.

Our education programme has brought many young people and local schools into the gallery, offering some the opportunity to experience the Ferens for the very first time and to see what art can offer them in relation to life opportunities, learning and increasing their confidence. Working with local artists they can also see, experience and learn from practitioners directly which is vitally important and can often be a powerful inspiration.

The visual arts have played a huge part in the success of the UK City of Culture year so far. What has happened within the gallery has definitely been complemented and enhanced by exciting installations like Made in Hull, the impressive Blade installation and the Weeping Window ceramic poppy installation which are key reasons why there are more people visiting Hull.

Perhaps the most hotly anticipated exhibition at the Ferens during Hull’s tenure as the UK City of Culture 2017 is SKIN, which has just opened revealing for the first time the body of work by the American artist Spencer Tunick, commissioned by the Ferens.

This was an ambitious project but we firmly believed it would raise the gallery’s game, reputation and collection, again with the bold aim of inspiring people locally and beyond. This powerful installation has evidenced that art can change lives and gave people the opportunity to take part. The display of Tunick’s photographs marks the culmination of a spectacular event held in July 2016 which made world headlines and saw the artist photograph over 3,200 participants nude and painted blue around city centre landmarks.

Another major highlight comes in September when Hull is to host the Turner Prize, one of the best known prizes for visual arts in the world and one of the UK’s most exciting and high profile awards.

As a city, Hull has embraced the first four months of the UK City of Culture celebrations in a way that has astounded all predictions and the Ferens will continue to play its important part in raising Hull’s profile as a really good place to live, work and invest.

Kirsten Simister is curator of art at the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull.