Entries by Gina Churchill-Straffon

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House’s new lava-topped treasure is hot property

A one-of-a-kind piece of furniture decorated with ancient lava from an Italian volcano has become part of the historic collection at a Leeds mansion. Commissioned by one of the nation’s greatest antiques collectors Charles Townley in around 1770, The Townley Commode – an elaborate cabinet – has gone on display at Temple Newsam House thanks […]

Artist brings Leeds voices to life in new exhibition

The voices, stories and songs of generations of Leeds folk have inspired a thought-provoking new exhibition at Leeds Art Gallery. Leeds-based artist Jill McKnight immersed herself in the collections of the British Library and Leeds Art Gallery for Desire Lines, which retraces the steps different people from the Leeds area have taken and how they […]

Artist’s captivating moonlit masterpiece comes home to Leeds

An atmospheric riverside scene created by one of the city’s most celebrated artists is coming home after being acquired by Leeds Art Gallery. Reflections on the Aire – on strike was painted by Leeds-born John Atkinson Grimshaw in 1879, a rare example of one of his signature ‘moonlit’ scenes combined with a social message. Showing a sombre industrial […]

Library messages reveal fascinating chapter in the story of Temple Newsam

A trove of centuries-old keepsakes, footnotes and family crests has been discovered inside the antique tomes of a Leeds mansion’s beautiful Georgian library. Staff at Temple Newsam House carrying out meticulous conservation work on the stunning room made a series of fascinating finds in a select few of the library’s 500 books, some of which […]

Life and legacy of ground-breaking artist explored in Angel of Anarchy

Image: Eileen Agar, Alice with Lewis Carroll, Oil on Canvas, 1960-62. © The Estate of Eileen Agar. All Rights Reserved 2022/ Bridgeman Images. The tumultuous life and times of a ground-breaking twentieth century female artist will be explored in a fascinating new exhibition at Leeds Art Gallery. Eileen Agar: Angel of Anarchy brings together over […]

Gallery tunes in as artist takes on TV talk show format

An innovative new performance has brought art enthusiasts of all ages together to reinvent a series of TV talk show debates at Leeds Art Gallery. Harold Offeh’s new artwork Reading the Realness has seen members of the gallery’s Youth Collective working alongside older people from its regular Meet and Make sessions to take to the small screen […]