The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery reopened in October 2016 after an extensive refurbishment – the multimillion pound project has transformed the gallery’s 1911 Grade-II listed building while conserving its original character.
The gallery is named after its founder and principal benefactor, Richard Glynn Vivian (1835-1910), part of a family of wealthy local industrialists, who left his art collection to the city of Swansea.
The Glynn Vivian now boasts two more galleries, space for lectures, a collections store, conservation studios, a dedicated library for research visitors and a cafe and shop. The collection features an eclectic mix of ceramics, watercolours, miniature portraits, glassware and prints.
I often go to Swansea, but I had never visited the Glynn Vivian before, though I had watched the redevelopment with interest from afar. Arriving there on a cold Thursday morning, excited and curious, I was greeted by a bustling community cafe and the smell of sizzling bacon – always a winning combination.
The elegance and beauty of the building took my breath away. It is light and airy, and features original moulding in great condition, as well as wooden staircases and stone pillars.
On entering the main space, visitors see a case displaying photographs from Richard Glynn Vivian’s life alongside a collection of old exhibition catalogues and newspaper articles.
These objects, setting the context of the gallery, are unfortunately overshadowed by the sheer scale of Nowhere Less Now, an installation by the contemporary artist Lindsay Seers in the adjacent space (which ended on 15 March).
In too deep?
Walking into the overturned ship that houses the main part of Seers’ installation felt somewhat intimidating, but intriguing.
I wandered straight into the darkness, stumbling as I felt my way to a seat and headphones. Nowhere Less Now traces, through images projected on large spheres hanging from the ceiling, the journey of one of the artist’s relatives who sailed in the Royal Navy more than 100 years ago.
Seers weaves into her work intimate stories of people dragged along in the currents of global history, along with tales of Glynn Vivian and Swansea’s maritime past. Though it is a powerful piece, the allusions to Glynn Vivian’s life only become clear when you walk around the rest of the gallery.
For instance, watching Seers’ piece I wondered why an image of a pug dog was featured: it turns out that Glynn Vivian – like the monarch at the time, Queen Victoria – had a love for the breed.
Heading up the stairs to the galleries I spotted a reference to the digital multimedia guide and immediately downloaded it using the free wifi. The guide is simple to navigate and offers extra information about what is in the galleries. But it is text heavy and would benefit from more object images within each section.
The mix of collections is showcased beautifully in large cases but it left me a little disengaged from what was on display. I wanted to feel a greater connection with the objects, and to know why they were important, the stories that they tell us about their times.
Public appeal
There is a sense that more could have been done with the gallery’s interpretation. It was built for the people of Swansea, and the website indicates that the local community has always been, and is still, at the heart of the institution. I would have loved to see community responses to the displays or alternative narratives.
One enjoyable aspect is anecdotes from Glynn Vivian’s life – including an allegation of an improper approach to a male servant at a high society event, which implied some interesting insights into his sexuality and the society of the time. But these stories, told on plain, unappealing text panels next to the display cases, are easy to miss.
The gallery offers an active engagement programme – free family workshops, film screenings, conservation talks, an outreach programme in partnership with the Welsh government’s Communities First poverty initiative and a roster of lectures.
On the website, past talks can be downloaded via SoundCloud; I wish more museums and galleries adopted this practice. Moving on, in Journeys and Visions: Twentieth-Century Artists, I saw work by David Jones and Barbara Hepworth alongside visual and written contributions from artists, historians and writers, celebrating artists’ studios as places where visions and ideas are shared.
Audiovisual displays are dotted around the galleries, showing short films and conversations with featured artists. While I was there, a lot of visitors were attracted to The Colour of Saying, an exhibition dedicated to the Mumbles-based Welsh artist Glenys Cour, curated by Mel Gooding. (Visitors can now see The Moon and a Smile, for which the Glynn Vivian has commissioned contemporary artists to respond to 19th-century photographs.)
Cour’s designs for stained and architectural glass and her vivid paintings and sketchbooks highlight the gallery’s commitment to local artists. Curiosity about why an artist has produced a piece of work, the message they want to send, always leaves me wanting more from exhibitions.
I would have appreciated the chance of greater engagement with a tour guide or gallery assistant who might know more; but I only saw one gallery attendant within the temporary exhibition area during my visit.
Throughout my visit, a poignant quotation about Richard Glynn Vivian, displayed in the gallery, resonated with me: “Art was at the centre of his life, and art changed his life.”
Art, museums and collections change lives; Glynn Vivian realised it back then and we need to celebrate it now.
Emma Routley is the first world war coordinator and project officer at Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales) and is a representative for Wales for the Museums Association.
While working off-site, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery team set up a base at the YMCA, Swansea, in the heart of the city centre to maintain visibility, build new audiences and relationships and work in partnership with community groups, charities, businesses and other organisations.
The gallery’s learning team delivered a diverse range of activities in a variety of spaces throughout the city and beyond, including Community Roadshows, which happened in areas of deprivation in Swansea. There was a range of craft, poetry and storytelling events with Swansea’s asylum and refugee communities, diverse ethnic groups, and older people too. There was a lively programme for school and college groups as well.
By sharing our collection, finding stories and engaging in conversations, our communities have developed an understanding and appreciation of the collection, the gallery and its founder, Richard Glynn Vivian.
Access, participation and social inclusion are at the centre of everything we do, and we aspire to provide meaningful engagement for existing and new audiences.
The next three years will be an exciting transformational period for the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Our future plans include integrated programming, which will create more synergy between our collections, exhibitions and learning programmes.
Our learning and engagement programme is integral to this, meeting the needs of diverse audiences across the city with an open, engaging and transformative approach to participation. Our programme aims to inspire people through experience, understanding and enjoyment of art, past and present, encouraging self-expression through the many creative opportunities available. We hope this will enrich and support the future regeneration of our city.
We continue to engage in outreach and audience development initiatives, steadily increasing participation for existing and new audiences from a diverse range of backgrounds. The gallery has a focus on anti- poverty initiatives in the inner city by supporting vulnerable, marginalised people to take advantage of what our gallery has to offer.
Project data
Cost £8.5m
Main funders Arts Council of Wales; Welsh Government; City and County of Swansea; Heritage Lottery Fund
Architect Powell Dobson Architects
Contractor John Weaver Contractors
Structural glazing Pilkington
Lighting Erco Lighting
Exhibition design RFK Architects
Interpretation In house
Graphic design Margot Lombaert
Display cases Florea D.Sign
Installation In house
Exhibition ends Journeys between Art & Life: Richard Glynn Vivian (1835-1910), until 15 October 2019; Journeys and Visions: Twentieth Century Artist Series, until 15 October 2018
Admission Free
The gallery is named after its founder and principal benefactor, Richard Glynn Vivian (1835-1910), part of a family of wealthy local industrialists, who left his art collection to the city of Swansea.
The Glynn Vivian now boasts two more galleries, space for lectures, a collections store, conservation studios, a dedicated library for research visitors and a cafe and shop. The collection features an eclectic mix of ceramics, watercolours, miniature portraits, glassware and prints.
I often go to Swansea, but I had never visited the Glynn Vivian before, though I had watched the redevelopment with interest from afar. Arriving there on a cold Thursday morning, excited and curious, I was greeted by a bustling community cafe and the smell of sizzling bacon – always a winning combination.
The elegance and beauty of the building took my breath away. It is light and airy, and features original moulding in great condition, as well as wooden staircases and stone pillars.
On entering the main space, visitors see a case displaying photographs from Richard Glynn Vivian’s life alongside a collection of old exhibition catalogues and newspaper articles.
These objects, setting the context of the gallery, are unfortunately overshadowed by the sheer scale of Nowhere Less Now, an installation by the contemporary artist Lindsay Seers in the adjacent space (which ended on 15 March).
In too deep?
Walking into the overturned ship that houses the main part of Seers’ installation felt somewhat intimidating, but intriguing.
I wandered straight into the darkness, stumbling as I felt my way to a seat and headphones. Nowhere Less Now traces, through images projected on large spheres hanging from the ceiling, the journey of one of the artist’s relatives who sailed in the Royal Navy more than 100 years ago.
Seers weaves into her work intimate stories of people dragged along in the currents of global history, along with tales of Glynn Vivian and Swansea’s maritime past. Though it is a powerful piece, the allusions to Glynn Vivian’s life only become clear when you walk around the rest of the gallery.
For instance, watching Seers’ piece I wondered why an image of a pug dog was featured: it turns out that Glynn Vivian – like the monarch at the time, Queen Victoria – had a love for the breed.
Heading up the stairs to the galleries I spotted a reference to the digital multimedia guide and immediately downloaded it using the free wifi. The guide is simple to navigate and offers extra information about what is in the galleries. But it is text heavy and would benefit from more object images within each section.
The mix of collections is showcased beautifully in large cases but it left me a little disengaged from what was on display. I wanted to feel a greater connection with the objects, and to know why they were important, the stories that they tell us about their times.
Public appeal
There is a sense that more could have been done with the gallery’s interpretation. It was built for the people of Swansea, and the website indicates that the local community has always been, and is still, at the heart of the institution. I would have loved to see community responses to the displays or alternative narratives.
One enjoyable aspect is anecdotes from Glynn Vivian’s life – including an allegation of an improper approach to a male servant at a high society event, which implied some interesting insights into his sexuality and the society of the time. But these stories, told on plain, unappealing text panels next to the display cases, are easy to miss.
The gallery offers an active engagement programme – free family workshops, film screenings, conservation talks, an outreach programme in partnership with the Welsh government’s Communities First poverty initiative and a roster of lectures.
On the website, past talks can be downloaded via SoundCloud; I wish more museums and galleries adopted this practice. Moving on, in Journeys and Visions: Twentieth-Century Artists, I saw work by David Jones and Barbara Hepworth alongside visual and written contributions from artists, historians and writers, celebrating artists’ studios as places where visions and ideas are shared.
Audiovisual displays are dotted around the galleries, showing short films and conversations with featured artists. While I was there, a lot of visitors were attracted to The Colour of Saying, an exhibition dedicated to the Mumbles-based Welsh artist Glenys Cour, curated by Mel Gooding. (Visitors can now see The Moon and a Smile, for which the Glynn Vivian has commissioned contemporary artists to respond to 19th-century photographs.)
Cour’s designs for stained and architectural glass and her vivid paintings and sketchbooks highlight the gallery’s commitment to local artists. Curiosity about why an artist has produced a piece of work, the message they want to send, always leaves me wanting more from exhibitions.
I would have appreciated the chance of greater engagement with a tour guide or gallery assistant who might know more; but I only saw one gallery attendant within the temporary exhibition area during my visit.
Throughout my visit, a poignant quotation about Richard Glynn Vivian, displayed in the gallery, resonated with me: “Art was at the centre of his life, and art changed his life.”
Art, museums and collections change lives; Glynn Vivian realised it back then and we need to celebrate it now.
Emma Routley is the first world war coordinator and project officer at Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales) and is a representative for Wales for the Museums Association.
Focus on Community
While working off-site, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery team set up a base at the YMCA, Swansea, in the heart of the city centre to maintain visibility, build new audiences and relationships and work in partnership with community groups, charities, businesses and other organisations.
The gallery’s learning team delivered a diverse range of activities in a variety of spaces throughout the city and beyond, including Community Roadshows, which happened in areas of deprivation in Swansea. There was a range of craft, poetry and storytelling events with Swansea’s asylum and refugee communities, diverse ethnic groups, and older people too. There was a lively programme for school and college groups as well.
By sharing our collection, finding stories and engaging in conversations, our communities have developed an understanding and appreciation of the collection, the gallery and its founder, Richard Glynn Vivian.
Access, participation and social inclusion are at the centre of everything we do, and we aspire to provide meaningful engagement for existing and new audiences.
The next three years will be an exciting transformational period for the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Our future plans include integrated programming, which will create more synergy between our collections, exhibitions and learning programmes.
Our learning and engagement programme is integral to this, meeting the needs of diverse audiences across the city with an open, engaging and transformative approach to participation. Our programme aims to inspire people through experience, understanding and enjoyment of art, past and present, encouraging self-expression through the many creative opportunities available. We hope this will enrich and support the future regeneration of our city.
We continue to engage in outreach and audience development initiatives, steadily increasing participation for existing and new audiences from a diverse range of backgrounds. The gallery has a focus on anti- poverty initiatives in the inner city by supporting vulnerable, marginalised people to take advantage of what our gallery has to offer.
Dan McCabe is the learning and participation officer at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea
Project data
Cost £8.5m
Main funders Arts Council of Wales; Welsh Government; City and County of Swansea; Heritage Lottery Fund
Architect Powell Dobson Architects
Contractor John Weaver Contractors
Structural glazing Pilkington
Lighting Erco Lighting
Exhibition design RFK Architects
Interpretation In house
Graphic design Margot Lombaert
Display cases Florea D.Sign
Installation In house
Exhibition ends Journeys between Art & Life: Richard Glynn Vivian (1835-1910), until 15 October 2019; Journeys and Visions: Twentieth Century Artist Series, until 15 October 2018
Admission Free
