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Stan About Town: Henry Moore Institute
Stan Graham
Next door to Leeds Art Gallery on The Headrow is The Henry Moore Institute. It is close to the site of the old Leeds College of Art where the eponymous sculptor studied before becoming a household name the world over.
The Institute is far more than another art gallery, although it does host a succession of exhibitions devoted to artists or themes, which change two or three times per year; it is a national, nay, international, resource for the study of sculpture and those who create it.
Currently the title of the works on display in the main ground floor gallery is The Colour of Anxiety, my review of which can be found here.
It continues until 26th February should you wish to visit. Alongside the pieces in the main show is a work called Ancestral Ascension which was created as part of a community programme brought together by Chapeltown Arts and delivered by Sandra Whyles and Zoe Eady. In addition to the main gallery there is a smaller, more intimate space.
The Institute offers so much more than this, however, and is a centre for the study of sculpture, being part of the Henry Moore Foundation. The more basic study of sculpture begins by the reception desk where Explorer Bags can be obtained containing items to stimulate interest whilst exploring the exhibitions. There is also an activity area just around the corner where you can place drawings and paper on a light desk to adjust the colours thus changing their mood and perspective.
For those at a more advanced stage of discovery a climb to the first floor will open up a whole new world as this is where the phenomenal Library and Archive is situated, which contains all manner of research tools for both formal and amateur students alike.
The range of books and other publications is immense and covers the period from the 18th Century to date. There are not only books but periodicals and electronically stored items along with my favourite part, the artists’ files. Within these boxes are newspaper cuttings, sketches, letters, photographs and all manor of memorabilia relating to a huge number of British artists operating during the 20th and 21st Centuries. I doubt the FBI and MI5 keep such comprehensive data on people of interest.
The corridor also features a resume of a figure influential in the field of art which is changed on a regular basis. When I visited it was Herbert Read, poet, essayist, novelist and anarchist.
This hidden gem of a place for researchers and browsers alike is open Monday to Friday 10.00 – 17.00 with the main exhibition hall open Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 – 17.00. Access to the archive is Tuesday to Friday by appointment only.
For more details of the Institute and forthcoming events please go to https://henry-moore.org/henry-moore-institute/
