Williamson Art Gallery

Pete Hoida
2024-02-16 08:00 - 2024-12-21 17:00 UTC | Williamson Art Gallery, Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UE, United Kingdom
Gallery 11 is currently home to an exhibition of work by Birkenhead-born artist Pete Hoida (1944-2023).
The paintings of Birkenhead-born Hoida are known for strong colour relationships alongside tonal subtlety and a unique approach to textures. Hoida studied Landscape Architecture followed by Art School at Hammersmith, priory to graduating from the extended diploma course at Goldsmiths. His work has been authoritatively endorsed in essays by Mel Gooding and Chris Stephens, and is well regarded by his peers. Hoida lived and worked in Stroud, for over 40 years in the same hillside studio.
The Williamson has acquired his painting ‘Uisghe’ for our collections, but all other paintings currently on display are for sale (however, please note that the are not eligible for the Own Art Scheme).
Please note this exhibition may not be accessible when meetings are in progress.
Own Art

The KD Club Exhibition
2024-08-02 10:00 - 2024-09-14 17:00 | Williamson Art Gallery, Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UE, United Kingdom
An exhibition and participation space to inspire design enthusiasts this summer.
The KD Club, established by Liverpool-based designer Kirsty Doyle, has recently been working with hundreds of school pupils from across Merseyside. Children and young people have been applying their creativity to the world of design, and creating their very own outfits for mini mannequins.
Over 350 of these creations will be on display at the Williamson this summer. Visit to find a particular piece, or to admire and celebrate the talented and original visions of local young people.
If you feel inspired to flex your own creative muscles, there are dedicated spaces for activity in the exhibition. The gallery will be transformed into an atelier of artistry, as visitors contribute their own works to the walls.
Suitable for ages, this celebration of design and young people’s ingenuity is not to be missed.

About The KD Club
Kirsty Doyle has over 20 years of experience in the fashion industry, from winning Project Catwalk UK in the 2nd year of university to owning a store in Liverpool One aged 22. She has created ranges for children, women and now luxury bridal pieces.
She believes that fostering a creative mindset can profoundly impact the confidence and self-belief of young individuals, The KD Club is designed as a place where children and thrive and grow securely.

Into The Wyld
2024-08-02 10:00 - 2024-12-21 17:00 | Williamson Art Gallery, Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UE, United Kingdom
Material Matters presents Into the Wyld: a festival of contemporary art exploring the continuing legacy of the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and its unique connection to the Wirral.
Into The Wyld will feature a residency by the Material Matters Collective, and work from over 20 invited artists across the region. There is also an associated programme of performance art, poetry readings, children’s workshops, film screenings and a symposium.
Material Matters’ artists will respond to key themes in the Gawain poem across three exhibitions:

Nature curated by Patric Rogers from 2nd August – 13th September
Chivalry curated by John Elcock from 19th September – 25th October
Spirituality curated by Angelo Madonna from 7th November – 21st December
Weavers a parallel programme of performance, talks, workshops and readings will be curated by Silvia Battista.

Gawain is a masterpiece text of the Middle Ages. The poem tells the story of King Arthur’s headstrong young nephew who after a dramatic bargain with a mysterious figure faces a long journey in which he must, quite literally, keep his head. Sir Gawain’s quest ‘into the wilderness of the Wirral’ is a fourteenth century narrative that will be given a radical 21st century interpretation by the artists.
Featured artists for Into the Wyld include: Angelo Madonna – Silvia Battista – John Elcock and Patric Rogers in collaboration with Amodali – Abbie Bradshaw – Nick Ball – Alice Colquhoun – Kris Darby – Will Dickie – Ryan Gauge – Anna Jane Houghton – Adrian Jeans – Oak Luca – Brendan Lyons – Izzie Major – Piotr Marchewka – Paul Mellor – Margaret O’Brien – Attila Olah – Nicky Perrin – Eleanor Rees – Sarah Jane Richards – Andrew Shaw – Craig Sinclair – Camille Smithwick – Pierce Starre – Angela Stringer – Serah Stringer – Catherine Swire and Niamh Tam.
Professor Sarah Peverley (Liverpool University) will open the programme on the 3rd August with a talk on the poem’s history and textual brilliance and the real and imaginary landscapes that Sir Gawain passes through. Each exhibition will offer a family workshop led respectively by artists Madeleine Smart and Alexandra Hales. Associate Professor Catherine Morris (Liverpool Hope University) will moderate artists’ conversations with the public at the end of each exhibition.
The symposium Spirits of Place will take place as part of the programme on 12th October – find out more and book via the link below.
Material Matters is an artists’ collective and co-operative engaged in artistic and curatorial practices that explore the inter-relationship between materiality, aesthetics and performativity under a collaborative praxis the artists call ’emotional minimalism’.
Into the Wyld is supported by Wirral Borough of Culture 2024 and Liverpool Hope University.
Weavers Events: Spirituality
More about Material Matters
More about Wirral Borough of Culture 2024

Into The Wyld: Weavers Events
2024-08-03 08:00 - 2024-09-13 17:00 | Williamson Art Gallery, Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UE, United Kingdom
Weavers is a programme of performances, talks, workshops and readings curated by Dr Silvia Battista. It’s part of Into The Wyld, a festival of contemporary art exploring the legacy of the medieval poem Sir Gawain And The Green Knight.
Find out more about Into The Wyld
The festival is divided into three themes: Nature, Chivalry and Spirituality. The events below are all connected to the theme of NATURE.
All events are FREE to attend but must be booked in advance via the link below (except the first half of Alice Colquhoun’s performance 2-3:30pm, which is drop-in)
Saturday 3rd August, 3 – 4:30pm Talk by Sarah Peverley on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Join Professor Sarah Peverley for some quality time with one of the most famous pieces of literature produced in medieval England.
Info & Booking

Friday 9th August, 6:30 – 8pm Reimagining The Wirral: Poetry reading by Eleanor Rees.
Internationally-recognised poet Eleanor Rees will read two long, immersive poems which seek to take you into another world, alongside several short new poems written with the evocative landscapes of Bidston Hill and Birkenhead.
Info & Booking

Saturday 24th August 10am – 12pm Children’s Workshops led by Madeleine Smart
A storytelling performance and creative workshop for children and families. Follow Gawain’s journey from King Arthur’s court, through the wildness of the Wirral and onwards. Will Gawain keep his oath to the fearsome Green Knight and submit to his deadly axe or will he lose his head?!
Info & Booking

Friday 6th September 5 – 8:30pm (slots available for 1:1 performances) Kissing Booth: performance by Izzie Major
Immerse yourself in this interactive, one-to-one, appointment-only performance from Izzie Major, accompanied by a seductive soundscape mixed by artist Craig Sinclair.
Info & Booking

Saturday 7th September 2 – 5pm Her Alchemy Matters: Performance by Alice Colquhoun (2-3:30 drop-in performance no booking required, 4-5pm 1:1 performance slots available to book)
In this walkabout performance Colquhoun draw upon representations of the wild feminine in the Williamson, interacting with the public and the heritage exhibition on display. The performance walkabout will finish with ‘prophetic offerings’ towards the end of the day, where audience members can book in for 1.1 for a session with the character.
Info & Booking

Friday 13th September 6:30 – 8pm Conversations With The Artists moderated by Dr Catherine Morris
At the end of the exhibition the public is invited to participate in a round table conversation with the artists and the curators of the exhibition together with Dr Catherine Morris, who will moderate it. This will offer the opportunity to both the public and the artists to share ideas and explore further the cultural relevance that the tale of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight have for our complex times.
Info & Booking

Guest Craftsperson: Alison Bailey Smith
2024-08-09 08:00 - 2024-12-21 17:00 | Merseyside
Our current Guest Supplier is Alison Bailey Smith.
Born in Scotland to thrifty post-war parents, Alison was taught not to waste anything and to see the potential in everything. Alison was a huge fan of the section on Blue Peter where the presenters showed viewers the astonishing range of things that could be made from toilet rolls and yogurt pots. She was always keen to have a go and was not deterred when she didn’t have the same supplies shown on TV. She discovered a talent for creative thinking to turn materials found around the house into her own version of what she saw on screen.
Alison initially trained in jewellery at the Edinburgh College of Art, before diversifying into textiles, costume and fashion. Much of Alison’s work incorporates wire salvaged from inside old televisions, leading her to be described as a ‘techno cannibal’ by BBC journalist Clare English. Alison has found over a hundred different colours of copper and aluminium wire inside old TVs, although unfortunately it is becoming harder to find the vintage sets. Other materials used in Alison’s work include charity shop finds, scrap paper and sweet wrappers. Alison continues to develop her skills, most recently learning how to weld so that she can create larger scale pieces that are integrated into the summer displays for children at Eureka! Science & Discovery in Seacombe in Wirral.
Her recent challenge has been working with ball chains from roman blinds to create the capsule collection currently on display in the gallery foyer, with theme’s that relate to our current exhibition Into The Wyld.
Alison has seen recognition for her work, including winning Scottish Fashion Designer of the Year, being a finalist in the Environmental Art Awards in Liverpool, and receiving an award for Nurturing Community Talent from Wirral Met College. She has a dedicated studio in Oxton in Birkenhead and will be returning for Oxton Art Fair at the Williamson at the end of November.
To purchase pieces from Alison’s collection please speak to staff at the gallery. Purchases may qualify for the Own Art scheme, where you can spread the payment interest-free over 12 months. Speak to gallery staff to find out more.

Tabitha Jussa: Match Day
2024-08-16 10:00 - 2024-12-21 17:00 | Williamson Art Gallery, Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UE, United Kingdom
To continue the legacy of Going To The Match On Tour, we are delighted to exhibit a selection of works from the photographic series Match Day, by Tabitha Jussa.
Match Day documents the journeys of fans around the home fixtures of Liverpool FC, Everton FC and Tranmere Rovers. Jussa’s interest is in capturing the ritualistic behaviour of large crowds, exploring the habitual and sometimes essential narratives and relationships that exist between people and place.
Although Jussa started out as a documentary photographer, her interest in fusing together traditional and contemporary approaches to photography has brought about her own distinctive style. An observer’s distance has been adopted, taking in the scene as a whole, resulting in all-encompassing large-scale landscapes.
Match Day will be exhibited in Gallery 4, taking the place of works by LS Lowry which had been on loan through Going To The Match On Tour. The works from our own collections will remain in place, inviting new connections between subjects and themes.

Absolute Beginners Upholstery Workshop: August course
2024-08-17 09:30 - 2024-08-24 13:30 | Williamson Art Gallery, Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UE, United Kingdom
A two-session course on Saturday mornings, includes all materials and a footstool.
Ever wanted to try out some upholstery but not been sure where to start? This is the perfect course for you!
This is a comprehensive course with a balance of both theory and practical instruction ensuring you have the confidence to repeat at home and/or progress to the next level.
At the end of the two-session course you will have your own footstool ready to be taken home!
Book Now
