What would be on the tapestry of your life? – Lakeland Arts is asking visitors to Kendal pubs to get creative.
Lakeland Arts has joined forces with five of the town’s pubs and bars to help promote the new Grayson Perry exhibition at Abbot Hall Art Gallery.
Julie Cope’s Grand Tour: The Story of A Life By Grayson Perry runs until 16 February 2019. It features two giant tapestries telling the story of fictional Essex everywoman Julie Cope.
The Essex House Tapestries: The Life of Julie Cope (2015) illustrate the key events in the heroine’s journey from her birth during the Canvey Island Floods of 1953 to her untimely death in a tragic accident on a Colchester street.
Leaflets promoting the show have been circulated to The Factory Tap, Castle Green Hotel, The Vats Bar at The Brewery Arts Centre, Slate Bar and Fell Bar.
Pub-goers are encouraged to write or draw on the reverse of the leaflets in response to the question: “What would be on the tapestry of your life?”
Usha Mistry, Marketing Manager at Lakeland Arts said: “This is the first time works by the Turner Prize winning artist Grayson Perry have been exhibited in Kendal.
“We are delighted that some of the town’s most popular pubs and bars have got behind the exhibition.
“Many of the town’s nightspots will be busy over the next few weeks. We are hoping people have fun drawing and writing the tapestry of their life on the leaflets and then come to see Grayson Perry’s stunning work for themselves.”
Julie Cope’s Grand Tour: The Story of A Life By Grayson Perry is a touring exhibition which has already been a big hit with visitors.
Crafts Council acquired the tapestries with Art Fund support (with a contribution from The Wolfson Foundation).
Abbot Hall will be open extra days around Christmas enabling visitors to see the tapestries during the festive season. The extra opportunities to view the tapestries are 27-29 December and when the gallery re-opens two weeks earlier on 2 January 2019.
Between now until 21 December Abbot Hall will stage: ‘A Very Perry Christmas’. A chance for adults and children to make wacky, colourful garlands and decorations inspired by the work of Perry to decorate our tree at Abbot Hall or take home. The activity is self-guided in the Art Studio and free with Gallery admission.
Meanwhile over at Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House three ceramics by Perry are on show until early January. One of these works is on display for the first time ever.
Grayson Perry In-Focus Display at Blackwell (until 6 January 2019) features three spotlight loans displayed in the unique Arts & Crafts setting.
Included are Melanie (2014) on loan from York Museums Trust (York Art Gallery), Mad Kid’s Bedroom Wall Pot (1996) on loan from the Crafts Council, and Christening Pot, on loan from a private collection.
Lakeland Arts is delighted that Rathbones is corporate sponsor of the exhibition Julie Cope’s Grand Tour: The Story of a Life by Grayson Perry.
https://www.abbothall.org.uk/graysonperry / https://www.blackwell.org.uk/items/graysonperry/
