NML unveils new season exhibitions programme

A celebration of Liverpool jewellers Boodles, epic mythical legends and the art and culture of the football terraces are among the subjects of new shows being staged by National Museums Liverpool during the forthcoming season.

The Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight continues its centenary celebrations with Pure Brilliance: The Boodles Story, opening on October 22.

The exhibition will chart the 225-year history of the Liverpool jewellers and how it has been shaped by the city as well as showcasing the skill and craftsmanship of its designers and makers through the pieces on display which will include historic and contemporary jewellery pieces and racing trophies.

There will also be a chance to peep behind the scenes and see how precious stones and metals are sourced and fashioned into the high-end pieces for which the company is renowned.

Above: Boodles' Raindance rings. Top: 80s Casual by Jamie Pike

Meanwhile Fashion, football and art combine to create As Told From the Terraces which comes to the Walker Art Gallery from November 5 to March 12, 2023.

The show is the first major exhibition to tell the story of a movement which defined sport culture from the 1970s to the 1990s, exploring the work of a generation of contemporary artists and designers who have been influenced by the movement over the last four decades and celebrating a cultural scene overlooked by the mainstream art world.

Expect works from artists like Turner Prize winners Mark Leckey and Mark Wallinger, Leo Fitzmaurice and Lucy McKenzie.

World Museum enters a mythical world next February with the unveiling of Return of the Gods: Zeus, Athena, Hercules.

Above: River God. Credit National Museums Liverpool

The exhibition, opening on February 10, will include an amazing collection of sculptures and antiquities as it immerses visitors in the ancient world through the words of poets, music and drama.

Exploring the legends of the gods, goddesses and mortals from Ancient Greece and Rome, and including some of the most well-known characters such as the king of the gods Zeus, Athena the goddess of wisdom and war and the hero, Hercules, the exhibition will draw you into a fascinating world where the ancient gods were an important part of everyday life.

In addition to these three major new shows, the Walker Art Gallery will stage an exhibition of drawings and oil paintings by 2020 John Moores Painting Prize winner Kathryn Maple which will open on February 11 and will coincide with a call out for the 2023 competition.

And at the International Slavery Museum’s Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building, Khaleb Brooks will confront the Transatlantic trade in enslaved African people with a new pop-up exhibition Jupiter’s Song, running from July 15 to October 30.

Above: Khaleb Brooks

NML Director Laura Pye say: “We’re really excited to present this programme bursting with beauty, passion and pride.

“It’s a very special year for the Lady Lever Art Gallery as we mark 100 years since the gallery opened with an exquisite exhibition, developed in partnership with a legendary local jewellery brand. Pure Brilliance.

“William Brown Street is, as always, the place for fascinating new exhibitions, with Art of the Terraces opening at the Walker Art Gallery in November and Return of the Gods: Zeus, Athena, Hercules launching at World Museum in February. 

“And don’t miss the Freedom Quilt at the International Slavery Museum from October. Produced in partnership with Sophie Hayes Foundation and Liberty Fabrics, the quilt represents powerful messages of strength and unity and reflects our vision for the development of the museum within the Waterfront Transformation Project.”

For more details on the programme visit the NML website HERE