Laing Art Gallery to reopen with William and Evelyn De Morgan exhibition

The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle city centre will reopen to the public on Monday 10 August, with new social distancing and safety measures in place.  

Julie Milne, Chief Curator of Art Galleries at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, said: “While we’re absolutely delighted to be able to welcome visitors again, it’s our top priority to ensure the safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers, so we’ve been working hard to make sure that people feel safe and looked after when they visit the Laing.

“When people visit the gallery they will notice quite a few changes. For example, you will see new signage marking a one-way route around the gallery, we’re carrying out extra cleaning, and we will be collecting visitor information to share with NHS Test and Trace if necessary.”  

When the Laing Art Gallery reopens, visitors will be able to see the new exhibition, William and Evelyn De Morgan: Two of the Rarest Spirits of the Age, which had only been open for two days before the gallery closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.  

Julie Milne explains: “I know that so many people were looking forward to seeing this wonderful exhibition so I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to extend it until 26 September. 

“The exhibition brings together more than 120 exceptional works by William and Evelyn De Morgan who were central to the story of art of the late 19th to early 20th-century.”  

To help manage visitor numbers, people are being encouraged to book tickets for William and Evelyn De Morgan: Two of the Rarest Spirits of the Age in advance by visiting the Laing Art Gallery website.  

No booking is required to visit the Laing Art Gallery’s free displays, shop or café, and some tickets will also be available for the exhibition at the gallery for people who are not comfortable booking online.  

William and Evelyn De Morgan: ‘Two of the Rarest Spirits of the Age’ brings over 120 of works by William and Evelyn to Newcastle, including more than thirty of Evelyn’s drawings from the De Morgan Collection Archive. Many of the compositional elaborate studies are almost as large as the paintings, but have seldom been seen in public. They are complemented by other drawings, such as charming children’s portraits, and studies for figures and a knight’s armour. It will also be one of the largest ever exhibitions of the De Morgans’ work, with Our Lady of Peace (1907) by Evelyn De Morgan shown for the first time since undergoing major conservation work in 2018.   

William and Evelyn De Morgan: Two of the Rarest Spirits of the Age is on show from 10 August to 26 September 2020. Tickets are on sale from 27 July with priority booking available for Friends of the Laing and members of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums’ Must-See Museums scheme (mustseemuseums.org.uk).  

Find out more about planning your visit to the Laing Art Gallery here.