Things you didn't know FLAG had done #7

 

2011 - Water-Shed by Edmund de Waal. 

Special work commissioned for LSAG&M. Acquired for permanent collection with donation from FLAG to mark their 40^th anniversary.

 

Sometimes an acquisition comes along that captures rather more than a moment in time. Edmund de Waal's Watershed is one such example.

In 2010, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum hosted a solo exhibition of work by the internationally acclaimed ceramicist Edmund de Waal. Watershed had been specially commissioned for the gallery, and following the exhibition it was acquired for the permanent collection through a generous donation from FLAG, marking the charity's 40th anniversary.

It was a wonderful way to celebrate that milestone: helping to secure an important contemporary artwork for Leamington and ensuring that it would remain here for future generations.

A watershed moment

2010 was a particularly significant year for de Waal. His exhibition at Leamington, which ran from January to April, coincided with the publication of The Hare with Amber Eyes, his internationally bestselling account of his family's history, told through a collection of 264 Japanese netsuke.

The book brought him a much wider audience beyond the art world. It was a remarkable period of creative activity, with his reputation growing both as an artist and as a writer. The title Watershed seems particularly apt in retrospect.

More than pots in a cabinet

Edmund de Waal is internationally recognised for his delicate porcelain vessels and carefully considered installations. His work often explores memory, history, place and the passage of time.

At first glance, Watershed might appear to be a collection of white porcelain vessels arranged in a cabinet. But look a little closer. The cabinet is not simply there to display the ceramics; it is an essential part of the artwork.

De Waal designs his own vitrines, carefully considering the relationship between the objects, their spacing and the structure that contains them. The darker framework creates a rhythm, while the white porcelain forms a sequence of shapes, almost like notes on a musical score.

There is a lovely tension between the solidity of the cabinet and the delicacy of the vessels. Light, shadow and reflections add another dimension, subtly changing the way we see the work.

A perfect fit for Leamington

There is also a particularly interesting connection between Watershed and its home.

As a historic spa town, Leamington has a long association with medicinal waters, health and wellbeing. Warwick District Council has noted that the work's location in the town has made it a natural inclusion in exhibitions exploring the connections between art, water, the body and human wellbeing.

It is a fitting relationship. The work's vessels and carefully contained arrangement invite us to think about water, its significance in our lives and its associations with healing.

A gift that keeps on giving

The acquisition of Watershed is a lovely example of what FLAG has helped achieve over the years. Its donation didn't simply support an exhibition; it helped turn a specially commissioned work into a permanent part of Leamington's public collection.

As FLAG celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2027, it is worth remembering that the charity's contribution extends well beyond the exhibitions and events of any particular year. It is also about building a collection, supporting artistic ambition and making significant works accessible to everyone.

Watershed has been part of that legacy since 2010. And long after the celebrations are over, it will still be here.

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"Sustain" Exhibition at the Gallery now on

We had a very interesting talk by the Curator of the Sustain exhibition, Lilly Crowther, today. It was part of the regular Friday Focus talks that are free at the gallery on most Friday lunchtimes. The talk explained the thinking behind the new exhibition, how it started, who was involved, and some of the ideas that run through it.

The tree you can see on the middle walls was painted by Suminder Virk, a well-known local artist. She's adorned it with birds, squirrels and other small creatures. The idea is that you complete a little form in the shape of a leaf and write what you could do to help - for example walk to work or cycle, use less fast fashion, mend things - whatever you think you can do, this is the place to make a small pledge.

 

Sustain: from the Past, for the Future looks at the relationship between art, heritage and sustainability, and asks us to think about what we can learn from the past as we face the environmental challenges of the future.

One of the interesting things about the exhibition is that it isn't simply about showing us examples of sustainability. It looks at how museums, galleries and heritage organisations themselves can become part of the conversation – places where we can share ideas, learn from one another and perhaps think differently about the way we live.

The exhibition explores how people in the past often lived with much less: using fewer resources, making things last, reusing materials and living more closely alongside nature. Looking back at these ways of life isn't about suggesting that we should simply return to the past, but about seeing whether some of those attitudes and practices might offer inspiration for the present.

The project also brings together ideas from a surprisingly wide range of areas. Artists, researchers, museum and heritage professionals, local communities and other organisations are all part of the wider conversation. There is a particular interest in the ways that creative practice can help us understand difficult subjects – through art, storytelling, walking, mapping, performance, objects and exhibitions.

 

Water testing results showing low E.coli levels in the River Leam on 2nd December 2025. Water levels are higher in the winter months and more likely to contain pollutants from sewage etc. Dr John Wilkinson and Dr Harriet Sleight from the University of York are developing accessible tools for citizen scientists to analyse water quality. They helped a group of young people to test the Leam fro Chemical and biological contaminants. The river was found to be within safe limits for swimming.

Objects themselves have an important part to play. Museum collections can tell us stories about landscapes, weather, nature and the way communities have lived over generations. They can carry memories and experiences that might otherwise be lost, giving us a connection between the past and the future.

Alongside the exhibition, there will also be a one-day event at the gallery on 18 November, bringing together PhD students, early-career researchers, emerging artists and museum and heritage practitioners. The day will explore some of these ideas in more depth, looking at how cultural organisations and creative practices can contribute to more sustainable ways of thinking and living.

 

The organisers are particularly interested in collaboration between artists and researchers, museums and communities, cultural organisations and local authorities, and in finding new ways of approaching the enormous environmental and social questions we are facing.

It seems fitting, really, that a museum should be a place for this kind of conversation. Museums are all about looking backwards, preserving things and remembering how people lived. But perhaps that very act of looking back can also help us think about where we go next.

Sustain: from the Past, for the Future runs at Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum from 25 September 2026 until 10 January 2027.

 

 

The Meeting by Ronald Mather - where is it? A mystery that needs solving.

 The Meeting by Ronald Mather

In 1975 Ronald Mather, a local woodcarver, created a wood sculpture entitled The Meeting. Ronald was
President of FLAG at the time and the Friends purchased this woodcarving in that year and presented it to
the Art Gallery & Museum.

A previous FLAG secretary remembers that for many years this woodcarving hung in the Spa Centre,
above the staircase. It was removed sometime, possibly in a re-vamp of the Spa Centre, and disappeared.
The Museum staff have tried to find it but no luck so far. Do let us know if you have any information as
to its whereabouts! Unfortunately we don't have any photographs.

Ronald Mather also made FLAG a gavel/board to use at meetings. We never had to use it and it is now in
the Museum collection.

Things you didn't know FLAG had done #6 - Carved Wooden Thrush

 60 Years with FLAG: A Thrush with a Warwick pedigree

In 1984, FLAG purchased this beautifully carved wooden thrush for the collection of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum.

It is described as a wood carving of a thrush by Kendall of Warwick, with the additional note that the carver was a member of the Warwick School of Wood Carvers.

 

Although we know little about the individual carving, its attribution connects it to an important tradition in Warwickshire's craft history.

Thomas Henry Kendall (1837–1919) was one of the best known figures associated with the Warwick School of woodcarving. He established his workshop in Chapel Street, Warwick, in 1859, and his workshop became known for highly detailed carvings of birds, animals, flowers and foliage.

Birds were clearly an important part of this tradition. Surviving examples of work associated with Kendall and his workshop include finely carved birds and natural history subjects, demonstrating the extraordinary skill with which the Warwick carvers could transform a piece of wood into a remarkably lifelike creature.

Our thrush is a much quieter composition, perched amongst carved flowers and foliage, but it shows the same fascination with the natural world. The delicacy of the feathers, the shaping of the body and the detailed carving of the flowers all reward a closer look.

Kendall's reputation extended well beyond Warwickshire. Among his notable commissions were 22 carved wooden reliefs of fish, birds and fruit for the Members' Dining Room at the Houses of Parliament, made in 1874.

So, although we have only a small amount of information about this particular object, it gives us a glimpse into a distinctive local tradition of craftsmanship, one for which Warwick became particularly celebrated during the nineteenth century.

Sometimes a museum object doesn't need a long story to make us stop and look. This little thrush is a reminder of the remarkable skill of the local craftspeople who could find beauty in the natural world, and in a piece of wood.

There seems to be a connection with the National Trust too! And I need to investigate this a bit more first. 

The National Trust collection at Wallington includes a pair of limewood carvings from 1878, one showing kingfishers and the other a thrush flying from a rat as it climbs towards a nest containing three eggs. The latter is thought to have been carved by Charles Humphriss, Kendall's studio foreman

🎉 Join the Friends and Celebrate 60 Wonderful Years!

 Come and be part of our celebrations!

There’s never been a better time to become a Friend of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, because this year we’re celebrating something rather special: 60 years of the Friends supporting our wonderful gallery and museum.

And to mark the occasion, we’ve got a little extra something for you…

Join now for just £15 and you won’t need to renew until February 2028!

What do you get for your £15?

Being a Friend is a lovely way to get more from your local gallery and museum, while helping to make sure it continues to flourish.

As a Friend, you can enjoy:

• 🖼️ Talks and special events during the winter months
• 🚌 Visits and outings in the summer to places of artistic and cultural interest
• 🛍️ 20% discount in the Gallery & Museum shop
• 📚 Free exhibition catalogues when the Friends sponsor them
• 🎉 Special events and celebrations as we mark our 60th birthday
• 💙And, perhaps best of all, the satisfaction of knowing that your membership is helping to support a much-loved local institution.

You can really make a difference. 

The Friends is a charity, and the money we raise goes straight towards helping Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum do more.

Over the years, Friends’ support has helped with things such as acquiring works of art, framing and conservation, and activities for children and families.

That means your £15 is helping to care for the collections, bring new things into the museum, and make sure future generations can enjoy them too.

Download a form from the left hand sidebar straight to your computer or get in touch by leaving a comment or emailing membershipsecretary.flag@gmail.com

Photos of the trip to Abingdon and Kingston Bagpuize.

 With thanks to Cherry Rosewall for the images.

 

ABINGDON-ON-THAMES AND KINGSTON BAGPUIZE HOUSE, OXFORDSHIRE

 

Abbey Gateway, Abington 

 

Medieval painted ceiling St Helen's Church, Abingdon. 

 

 

 

Stained glass at St Helen's Church 

 

 

 

 

Long alley Almshouses, Abington 

 

 

 

 

 

Gargoyle, Abingdon  

 

 

Kingston Bagpuize House