|
|
Hvis du er Norsk behage falle i staver her over for en oversettelse av denne side
Time line
History of the Site.
The Laing Art Gallery is built on land which originally lay immediately outside the north-eastern corner of the medieval defences of Newcastle which consisted of a stone Town Wall and ditch. Construction of the defences began in the second half of the thirteenth century but by the seventeenth century, the defences had become neglected. The onset of the Civil War made their repair a matter of urgent necessity and work was carried out between 1638 and 1644, when Newcastle was besieged by the Scottish Army. The use of the Carliol Tower during the siege is suggested by the discovery in 1823 of a cannon ball lodged two and a half feet deep in the wall. From the seventeenth century, the Carliol Tower was the meeting place of the Weavers' Company.
In 1878, this western part of the site, including the Carliol tower and the vacant land, which belonged to the Corporation of Newcastle, were acquired for the purposes of building a public library. The Tower was demolished in 1880 and the new Free Library was opened in September 1882.
The old Library building was demolished in 1968 to make way for the new John Dobson Street.
Tyne & Wear Museums)
In 1760 a Lying-In Hospital was established for poor, married, pregnant women in Rosemary Lane. A new Hospital (1826, Grade 11) on the south side of New Bridge Street was designed by John Dobson:
The elevations, details and specifications of the several works of the new hospital were all gratuitously supplied by Mr. Dobson, architect. It is a remarkably chaste, plain and substantial stone building in the style of English architecture that prevailed in about the end of the reign of Henry VIII.
(Source: E.Mackenzie;
History of Newcastle, 1827)
The Laing Art Gallery was the gift of Alexander Laing to the City of Newcastle and was opened on the 13 October 1904, architects Cackett and Burns Dick. It is a Grade 11 listed building of the free Baroque style with Art Nouveau elements; cherubs which carry scrolls ARS LONGA and VITA BREVIS; the arms of Newcastle; an art-nouveau frieze with high relief female figures; and interior Frosterley marble floors.
'A Guide to the Public Monuments and Sculpture of Tyne & Wear' was published in 1996. Other than early works of funereal art, the erection of these monuments was, perhaps, the first expression of public art in the modern period. They are important not only as pieces of art or as memorials to significant people or events, but also as indicators of social trends and community feelings. They have a meaning far beyond their physical presence.
The City of Newcastle upon Tyne is the administrative, commercial and cultural capital of the North East of England. The City has undergone a significant change in its economic base over the past twenty years. There has been a major decline in the traditional industries of coal, steel and ship-building, but new manufacturing industry is emerging and the service sector has become increasingly important. There are positive signs of regeneration in the City and the spirit of self-help is very evident. Strong partnerships between the private and public sectors with the involvement of the local community are seen as Newcastle's greatest asset for economic development.
The Ideas Competition is a joint partnership of The City of Newcastle upon Tyne and The Newcastle Initiative in association with Newcastle Building Society, Northern Electric, Storey Sons & Parker, Forte Posthouse Hotel, Northern Arts and Tyne & Wear Museums, (the Laing Art Gallery).
The Newcastle Initiative
The Newcastle Initiative (TNI) exists to promote the development of Newcastle upon Tyne as a vibrant and stylish European Regional Capital. It aims:
Since 1988 TNI has been instrumental in many projects which have made a significant difference to the City. These include the Grey Street Renaissance, the Cruddas Park Community Trust and the illumination of the Tyne Bridge. TNI's commitment to public art projects is demonstrated by its partnership with the City of Newcastle upon Tyne for the creation of a new public square to complement the Laing Art Gallery. Private sector support, led by TNI Director and Chairman, Bill Midgely, has enabled the project to support an open competition for artists working in the built environment.
The City of Newcastle upon Tyne
The City of Newcastle upon Tyne has a long commitment to the ethos of partnership and is known as a 'city to do business with'. The important role of the City Centre in the economic health and wellbeing of the region is reflected in the Council's strategies and policies.
Working with Northern Arts and to provide a legacy for 'Visual Arts UK, the City is developing a Public Arts Strategy to promote:
Northern Arts
Northern Arts is committed to sustaining the profile of the region and its towns and cities as 'the region of the visual arts' as it plans for the Millennium. 'Visual Arts UK in the North of England' has included an ambitious commissions programme, of major urban landmark projects such as Antony Gormley's Angel of the North' for Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council, innovative rural commissions marking parish boundaries and the Andy Goldsworthy project in Cumbria to redefine and revive '100 Sheepfolds' by the Millennium. 'Visual Arts UK has strengthened the ambition for the visual arts and won new audiences.
The Laing Art Gallery
The Laing Art Gallery was opened 92 years ago and is Newcastle's city art gallery. It houses collections of fine and applied art of great importance. Recent innovations in the display and interpretation, at the Laing have won the Gallery many awards notably for Art on Tyneside' and for the unique 'From the Vaults' programme, which has encouraged larger audiences from a wider range of social and educational backgrounds. An extension to the Laing opens in 1996 with a new fully accessible entrance, a lecture room and a 100sq.m. exhibition gallery creating an exciting modern space for exhibitions of contemporary art. Highlights of the Laing's programme for 1996 are exhibitions of contemporary art from the Tate Gallery and from international artists producing interactive works; a major show of Victorian art imported from the USA; and a once-in-a-lifetime showing of Anglo-Saxon treasures made in the North East over 1000 years ago.
The brief also includes a map and photographs of the area for the Square and photographs of architectural details.
