A National Gallery expert has branded the Isle of Wight “something really special” as a touring art exhibition has hit the streets of Newport.
The National Gallery’s Art On Your Doorstep has brought 18 life-size reproductions of famous artworks onto the traditional alleyways, historic squares and harbourside of the Island’s county town
With all of the paintings plotted on an accessible, step-free one-mile trail, the National Gallery’s Head of Exhibitions, Alex Kavanagh, said that “inclusion is central” to the exhibition
Alex said,
“Art On Your Doorstep is designed for places with a strong sense of community and a commitment to bringing culture into everyday life, and Newport stood out as a location where the trail could be delivered in a truly meaningful way
“With its strong identity, active public spaces and communities keen to engage with culture in new ways, the artworks can genuinely become part of people’s daily routines
“The Isle of Wight offered something really special, a combination of accessible public spaces, strong local partnerships, and a clear commitment to using art as a way of connecting people with their town and with each other.”
Art rooted in the community
The paintings that make up Newport’s Art On Your Doorstep trail have been selected by community groups and a local school based on place, with many of the reproductions reflecting the beauty and motifs of their physical location
Alex stressed the importance of having those who live in the area being involved with the process of setting up the exhibition.
Alex said,
“When local people help choose the artworks, the exhibition feels relevant and owned by the community and it stops being something that’s brought in and starts being something that belongs there and feels rooted in the place it’s shown.
Free, outdoors and life-size
Each artwork has been reproduced life-size, in fine detail and in its frame.
They are all visible for free and outdoors, entwining art with the every day and giving visitors the chance to look closely and discover hidden details, which Alex explained was a key objective of the exhibition.
Alex said,
“Life‑size reproductions allow people to engage with these works up close, to look at all the details closely without any physical barriers, many at eye level, often in places they wouldn’t expect to encounter art.
“That sense of surprise can make the experience feel more immediate and less intimidating than a traditional gallery visit.
“Inclusion is central to this programme. Art On Your Doorstep was designed from the outset to remove practical, financial and psychological barriers, whether that’s through free access, outdoor locations, or routes that are easy for people to navigate.”
How the trail came to Newport
The Isle of Wight Council has secured the trail through the Shaping Newport partnership.
This sees the council, Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council and the Newport Business Association work collaboratively to improve the experience for residents and visitors in Newport.
Shaping Newport aims to change the town for the better by acting on feedback from over 3000 residents about the Island’s historic county town.
Where to find the artworks
The artworks that are now on display in Newport and their locations are:
- 64 High Street – The Water-Lily Pond by Claude Monet
- Castlehold Lane – Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh
- Post Office Lane – Flowers in a Vase by Rachel Ruysch
- Independent Arts – Portrait of Giovanni(?) Arnolfini and his Wife by Jan van Eyck
- Richmonds Bakery – The Umbrellas by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Bowling Green Lane – The Courtyard of a House in Delft by Pieter de Hooch
- Lord Louis Library – Bus Station – Surprised! by Henri Rousseau
- Lord Louis Library – Church Litten – Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life by Harmen Steenwyck
- Cockram’s Yard – Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan by Hans Holbein the Younger
- The Wheatsheaf – Corner of a Café-Concert by Édouard Manet
- Newport Minster – The Presentation of the Virgin and Child by His Patron Saint John the Baptist and Saints Edward and Edmund (“The Wilton Diptych”) – English or French (?)
- St Thomas Square – Portrait of Hermine Gallia by Gustav Klimt
- Cherry Godfrey – Exhibition of a Rhinoceros at Venice by Pietro Longhi
- One Holyrood Hotel (Side Wall on Sea Street) – A Muse (Calliope?) by Cosimo Tura
- Quay Arts (Side Wall on Little London) – Men of the Docks by George Bellows
- Riverside Centre – The Skiff (La Yole) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Harbour Office, Town Quay – Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway by Joseph Mallord William Turner
- Harbour Office, Town Quay – The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to Her Last Berth to Be Broken Up by Joseph Mallord William Turner
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
