Turner Contemporary has welcomed over 9000 visits during the first weekend of its new exhibition Every Day is a New Day .
The figures follow a successful preview event on May 24, where poet Lemn Sissay MBE opened the Summer exhibition to a gallery filled with residents, families, school children and art-lovers of all ages. Addressing the audience Sissay said: “ Art helps us to breathe, to grow wings and fly.”
Sites to be revealed
Ahead of the opening, Lemn spent the afternoon with Turner Contemporary’s Young Art Leaders (aged 5 – 11) who have been working with the gallery to transform four neglected sites in Margate with art and creativity. Sissay and the Young Art Leaders met to swap ideas, stories and jokes before enjoying a tour of the galleries. The sites will be unveiled on July 8.
Change
Every Day is a New Day celebrates the capacity of arts to pioneer change, challenge perceptions and embolden society. It includes work by Phyllida Barlow, who has just represented Britain at the Venice Biennale, Michael Armitage and JMW Turner shown alongside teachers and pupils from Kent and Kenya. With a ‘making area’ at the centre of the gallery, everyone is invited to explore their own creativity.
Business circle
This is also the second year of Turner Contemporary’s Summer Business Circle who came together for the first time at the gallery’s opening events. The 2017 Business Circle is made up of five Kent businesses, Miles & Barr, Boys & Maughan Solicitors, McCabe Ford Williams, del Renzio & del Renzio and the Canterbury Auction Galleries, who are supporting Every Day is a New Day.
Victoria Pomery OBE, Director of Turner Contemporary said: “We are delighted to have welcomed so many visitors to our opening weekend and to see the galleries buzzing with activity. Our new exhibition season brings together a rich array of work – reflecting the importance and vibrancy of creativity across generations and continents . We look forward to a busy summer ahead.”
Every Day is a New Day in numbers
9,000 visitors during the first weekend
15 large Lubugo canvas by Michael Armitage
5 sketches by Michael Armitage
4 watercolours by Turner
2 notebooks by Turner
3 films about Phyllida and Micheal’s work
9 sculptures by Phyllida Barlow
24 sketches / paintings by Phyllida Barlow
The Three Graces by Chaudry
Over 50 pieces of art from school children from two continents (Kent and Africa)
80 art works by pupils from four Margate primary schools – Holy Trinity and St John’s Primary, Northdown Primary, Palm Bay Primary, Salmestone Primary
Since opening in 2011, Turner Contemporary has had over 2,390,000 visits, and the gallery hopes to welcome its 2.4 millionth visitor in the coming weeks.
The gallery will be open every day in August.