Biography
The New Art Gallery Walsall was a millennium project designed by Caruso St John Architects, whcih opened to the public in 1999. It houses the Garman Ryan Collection, donated to the Borough of Walsall in 1972 by Kathleen Garman (1901-1975), wife of the artist Jacob Epstein. This collection is shown alongside historic works from the Walsall Borough Art Collection, which was initiated in 1892.
The rich collection holds modernist works by Augustus John, Modigliani, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Lucian Freud, amongst others. As one of the participating galleries in the Contemporary Art Society’s Special Collection Scheme, Walsall has developed its contemporary collection, acquiring a number of important works. Works acquired through the scheme include those by Gavin Turk, Hew Locke, Mike Nelson, Richard Woods, Yinka Shonibare and Rose Finn-Kelcey.
