Recently acquired contemporary artworks at Wolverhampton Art Gallery will come under the spotlight during a special talk for teachers on Wednesday (4 October).

The gallery is running a series of creative professional development workshops for art teachers across the city.

Based on the autumn and winter exhibition programme, at the Lichfield Street gallery, teachers can learn new techniques and study the work of exhibiting artists.

The workshop, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, will focus on the gallery's internationally important Black Art collection and three recent acquisitions.

The paintings are Black Female Hairstyles, a series of colourful collages by Sonia Boyce, which explore the politics of black hair and black identity;

Silver Self Portrait by US artist Glenn Ligon, made from coal dust; and Go West Young Man by Keith Piper. Piper's work was first shown at the gallery in the early 1980s when he was a member of the Wolverhampton Young Black Artists. 

Councillor John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: "The focus will be on the social and historical context of the Black Art Movement and the Blk Art Group, both of which started in Wolverhampton in the 1980s, and which went on to have a major national and global impact."

The session will include a presentation by local artist and senior lecturer at Kingston University, Nelson Douglas - a professional artist who teaches the cinematography module Visions of Light as well as supervising final dissertation projects.

Much of his work has been commissioned and exhibited by English Heritage, Arts Council of Great Britain and The National Trust.

To reserve your free place please contact Tess Radcliffe, by emailing tess.radcliffe@wolverhampton.gov.uk or calling 01902 552805/2033/2038.

  • released: Monday 2 October, 2017