Behind the scenes at Sheffield’s newly-reopened Graves Gallery

And there is plenty for visitors to enjoy, with a complete changeover of a third of the artworks on display, an extensive exhibition of work by sculptor Mark Firth, the debut of Pandemic Diary – a new series of drawings by street artist and cartoonist Phlegm – a show curated by pioneering artist Keith Piper, one of the co-founders of the seminal Blk Art Group, as well as an exhibition on the theme of landscape. The improvements to the gallery spaces have been possible thanks to support from the Ampersand Foundation – and this is just the first stage in a five-year programme of change.

“It has been in the planning since we made a funding application to the Ampersand Foundation last year,” says Kirstie Hamilton, director of programmes at Sheffield Museums. “We found out we had the money a year ago and it’s been somewhat expanded in terms of reopening because of lockdown so it has taken us longer than we hoped. A major part of the work has been in recladding three of the gallery walls which haven’t been touched since the gallery first opened in 1934 – and that was quite an undertaking during Covid with social distancing restrictions in place. It’s been a huge job as we had to remove all the works from the gallery.”

One of the aims of the project longer term is to show more of the works within the city’s wide-ranging collection. “The intention is to regularly rotate the permanent display to show more of the variety of work within the collection; and for the opening we have done that in several different ways,” says Hamilton. “For example, Keith Piper, for his exhibition, has selected works from the collection, bringing them together to explore the narrative in his large-scale work The Seven Rages of Man and looking at how some of the themes within the works he has chosen chime with or counter those within that piece.”

Piper’s work imagines seven ages, or rages, through which the black dispersed population has passed, but also looks to the future. Placing that piece alongside carefully curated works from Sheffield’s collection creates a powerful exploration of alternative and outsider perspectives on accepted histories. At a time when the stories around historic objects contained within galleries and museums are, rightly, being scrutinised, it is particularly resonant. “We have had a long relationship with Keith that goes back to the 1980s and his exploration of the broad diversity of the collection is very timely,” says Hamilton. “People are interested in being more inclusive rather than being restricted to what a curator might put together – there is an interest in that process being more open and inspiring new ideas. Another one of the great things to come out of the funding we received is that it has meant we could introduce a group of students to Keith and they have been able to learn about curation from an important and established artist – that is really formative for young people to access that.”

Greater access across the board is one of the key objectives of the project going forward. “Part of what we envisage is to get more people involved in what is displayed and to explore wider themes and ideas,” says Hamilton. “Historically museums had a curator who chose objects and we would like that to be much more open and conversational, we want more people to be part of that conversation. We are trying to enable that and to create models we can replicate. There is an excitement, a buzz and energy to it – Sheffield’s visual arts collection is such a jewel, it deserves to be shown in every possible way.”

The exhibition on the theme of landscape is a case in point, showcasing many of the remarkable paintings and works on paper within the collection including favourites such as JMW Turner’s Opening of the Vintage at Macon (circa 1803) and Jessica Dismorr’s Landscape with Figures (1911-1912), on display alongside new acquisitions of work by Haroon Mirza and works from Fay Godwin’s Yorkshire photographic series Remains of Elmet (1979). “We have tried to be as broad in our thinking about how we can represent the theme,” says Hamilton. “We have made sure that we have a range of work both contemporary and historic and we have been expansive in our approach rather than adhering to a strict chronology.”

Another highlight of the reopening is the exhibition Precision as a State of Mind which celebrates the work of sculptor Mark Firth. It features 83 new and recent works which showcase his preoccupation with geometric form and includes a new series Ten Cubes for Sheffield (2019-20) made especially for the show. Firth’s work explores the meeting point between art and engineering and reflects his long family connection to Sheffield’s industrial history – his great, great grandfather (and namesake) was a 19th century steel magnate and philanthropist whose generosity helped to establish the University of Sheffield. “It is great for Mark to be showing his work in the Graves Gallery in terms of his relationship with Sheffield and his family roots here; he is so happy about it,” says Hamilton. “And for us it is such a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with someone whose work brings together art and engineering, showing the material relationship between those two things. The exhibition is great for the city.”

Also opening in the gallery is Phlegm’s Pandemic Diary (2020), a collection of 67 pen and ink drawings and one engraving, all going on public display for the first time. “Phlegm started to create drawings in lockdown last year – it was his way of reflecting on what was going on around him,” says Hamilton. “The collection of works is amazingly personal but also something everyone can relate to. There are some wry observations of what we have all lived through.” As he made the work, Phlegm began to share some of the drawings online and Hamilton and her team approached him to say they would be interested in showing the work. “The conversation continued and he decided he would love the work to come to Sheffield and then an opportunity arose through the Contemporary Art Society Rapid Response Fund and we were able to acquire one of Phlegm’s works for the collection, which is brilliant. Phlegm is an adopted son of Sheffield – he has a huge fan base here, he is very loyal to the city and his work is so relevant to what’s going on at the moment.”

Following this initial phase of the project, the funding from the Ampersand Foundation will support a range of initiatives over the next four years including further redisplays – the plan is to rehang every year – conservation of the collection to safeguard it for future generations, work with schools, collaborations with artists, experts and specialists bringing new perspectives to the displays, a series of exhibitions created with, by and for young people, and new artists commissions responding to the collection.

“There are 7,000 items within Sheffield’s collection which is a fantastic learning and health and wellbeing reserve – those artworks can be so many things to so many people, but people need to know they are here,” says Hamilton. “The collection is for them to enjoy and to provide food for their soul. That is why the arts need to be supported – there is always something that can make a significant connection with someone.”

Entrance to the Graves Gallery is free. The Mark Firth Exhibition Precision as a State of Mind runs until January 15, 2022. There is no need to book, but numbers will be restricted and measures put in place to ensure everyone is able to visit safely.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson