WORLDWIDE EVENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND LINKS OF INTEREST Compiled by the William Morris Society in the United States. This list includes worldwide events not sponsored by the William Morris Society events sponsored by the Morris Society that take place outside the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom Until January 20, 2001 London: William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, E17. An Exhibition to Celebrate the William Morris Gallery's 50th Anniversary. On 21st October 1950, the William Morris Gallery was opened to the public by the Prime Minister, Clement Attlee. The Gallery is the world's only museum specifically devoted to the life and work of William Morris, and since its founding it has built up an internationally renowned collection of artefacts and archival material relating not only to Morris but to his associates and followers in the Arts & Crafts Movement. This commemorative exhibition consists of fifty works of art and historical documents representing the rich diversity of the William Morris Gallery's collections and telling the story of the Gallery during its first five decades. Among the items on show are original designs and textiles by William Morris and his daughter May, tiles by Edward Burne-Jones, pottery by William De Morgan and the Martin Brothers, paintings by Frank Brangwyn, sculpture by Auguste Rodin and - an important new donation - a stained-glass panel designed by Ford Madox Brown and made by Morris & Co. Open Tuesday - Saturday and the first Sunday of each month, 10.00-13.00 and 14.00-17.00. Admission is free. 020 - 8527 3782. Until January 27, 2001 Cheltenham: Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum. The Doves Press. Doves Press books have to be seen for real if one is to appreciate their use of a fine typeface on strong white paper, with the occasional letter in colour. This exhibition is chiefly drawn from the library of Emery Walker, who was the key figure behind Morris's Kelmscott Press as well as the Doves Press. Emery Walker and TJ Cobden-Sanderson were the two partners who worked so closely on the Doves Press but then spectacularly fell out, with Cobden-Sanderson throwing the type into the Thames. Only one piece survives - for a Christmas card in 1900 - and this is included in the exhibition, along with the Doves Bible, the supreme masterpiece of the Press. Closed on Sunday. Open Monday - Saturday, except bank holidays, 10.00-17.20. Admission is free. 01242 - 237 431. Until January 27, 2001 London: Wolseley Fine Arts, 12 Needham Road, Westbourne Grove, W11. Old & New: International 20th-Century Still Life Painting. Until January 27. A selling exhibition of still lifes by eight highly accomplished contemporary artists: Jenny Barron, Juana Canas, Anne Clarke, Marie Hennessy, Mark Lijftogt, Nicky Philipps, Barbara Ronay and Susannah Royle. Closed on Sunday. Open Monday - Friday, 11.00-18.00; Saturday, 11.00-16.00. Admission is free. 020 - 7792 2788 or <info@wolseleyfinearts.com>. Website: <www.wolseleyfinearts.com>. Until February 4, 2001 Harrogate: Mercer Art Gallery. At the Sign of the Rainbow: Margaret Calkin James, 1895-1985. . Margaret Calkin James was an artist who could turn her hand to almost anything. In the 1920s and '30s, she designed posters for London Transport, Shell and others in a bright Art Deco style. She also produced book jackets, textiles, botanical illustrations and fine calligraphy. This exhibition rediscovers the work of a remarkable artist. Closed on Monday. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10.00-17.00; Sunday, 14.00-17.00. Admission is free. Until February 9, 2001 London: Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture, Cat Hill Campus, Middlesex University, N11. Archibald Knox at the Silver Studio. The first temporary exhibition at this new museum examines the work of Archibald Knox (1864-1933), who was one of the most talented, yet least recognised, designers of the early twentieth century. A native of the Isle of Man, his work combined the traditions of Celtic art with shapes and forms that looked forward to the Modern Movement. Between 1897 and 1900, Knox was closely associated with the Silver Studio, a leading commercial design practice based in London. His earliest work for the Studio included large pastel designs for wallpapers and furnishing textiles, many of which can be seen in this exhibition. Although accomplished in the design of flat-patterns, Knox is better known for his silver and pewter ware. Knox's first metalwork designs for Liberty & Co. were sold through the Silver Studio. The distinctive shapes of his Cymric silver and Tudric pewter contributed to the enormous success of Liberty & Co. during this period. Liberty & Co. intended their new ranges of metalwork to offer an alternative to the more expensive Arts & Crafts objects then being produced by designers such as CR Ashbee. Knox's metalwork designs successfully combined the hand-crafted look with the demands of factory production. Through his unique and inventive designs, Archibald Knox made a lasting impact on 'Liberty Style' and on the character of British Art Nouveau. Closed on Monday. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10.00-17.00; Sunday, 14.00-17.00. Admission is free. Contact Claire Swanton for more details: telephone 020 - 8362 5244 or email <c.swanton@mdx.ac.uk>. January 13 - March 11, 2001 Cambridge: Kettle's Yard. The Language of Things. In the twentieth century, the idea of still life extended far beyond its traditional bounds. Across a range of painting, sculpture and photography, this exhibition locates certain strands of current still life practice in the context of earlier work. The Language of Things moves from the painterly illusionism of William Nicholson and the palpable photo-realism of the Spanish painter Manuel Franquelo to works which embody actual objects, others where the absence of the object is hauntingly felt, and others where the object is recreated. Far from being about safety, as John Berger recently suggested, many of these still lifes suggest a precariousness and sense of imminence which belies the apparent neutrality of their everyday and domestic subjects. Other featured artists include Hannah Collins, Tony Cragg, Tim Head, Giorgio Morandi, Ben Nicholson, Ginny Reed, William Scott, Jane Simpson, Jack Smith, Richard Wentworth and Rachel Whiteread. Closed on Monday. Open Tuesday - Sunday, 11.30-17.00. Admission is free. 01223 - 352 124 or <mail@kettlesyard.cam.ac.uk>. February 10, 2001 13.30-16.30 Cambridge: New Hall, Huntingdon Road. The Language of Things. Artists and writers will discuss issues relating to the current exhibition at Kettle's Yard (see page 13 of this Newsletter). The speakers will include Jane Simpson and Richard Wentworth. The cost, which includes refreshments, is £10; concessions £7; students free. Prior booking is essential. 01223 - 352 124 or <mail@kettlesyard.cam.ac.uk>. March 22, 2001 13.00 London: National Portrait Gallery. Jane and May Morris. A lecture by Jan Marsh, who is well known as a biographer and cultural historian. Her works include Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood: Jane and May Morris, The Legend of Elizabeth Siddal and Christina Rossetti: A Literary Biography. Admission is free. 020 - 7306 0055. London: SPAB, 37 Spital Square, E1. The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings: An Illustrated Talk and Tour. February 15, 18.00 or 19.00. The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) was founded by William Morris in 1877 to counteract the destructive "restoration" of medieval buildings. This event, organised by English Heritage, is an opportunity to visit the SPAB's offices in Spitalfields, built in the eighteenth century by a Huguenot silk merchant and rescued in 1980 by the SPAB. There will be an illustrated talk by Philip Venning, the Secretary of SPAB, about the history of this society, how it relates to English Heritage, and the issues and practices surrounding building conservation today. You can also check if your home is listed and get free technical advice from SPAB experts. The cost is £15. There are two choices of arrival time, 6 or 7 pm, with each talk and tour lasting about an hour. Light refreshments will be provided. Numbers are strictly limited and prior booking is essential. 01793 - 414 910. Admission is free to visitors to the museum. Entry to the museum costs £5.00; concessions £3.00; children free. 020 - 7600 3699. May 11 & 12, 2001 10.00-16.00 Ditchling, East Sussex: St Margaret's School. Digitising Written Forms. This two-day workshop will examine the process of taking handwritten forms and digitising them for type. It will be led by Jovica Veljovic, who teaches type design and calligraphy at the Fachhochschule, Hamburg. He has designed type for ITC, Apple, Linotype-Hell and URW. His latest design will be released by Adobe in May this year. To book a place, write to Patricia Gidney, The Old School House, Church Lane, Ditchling, East Sussex, BN6 8TB, enclosing a cheque (made out to "Ditchling Museum Trust") for the full cost of £40 and a stamped addressed envelope. 01273 - 845 777. May 11, 2001 13.00 Liverpool: Walker Art Gallery. Ruskin and Venice. A lecture by Julie Lawson from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. 0151 - 478 4178. May 12, 2001 19.30 Ditchling, East Sussex: Ditchling Museum. Public Lettering. In a rare appearance in the UK, Sumner Stone (calligrapher and legendary first type director of Adobe Systems, a pioneer of the conversion to digital typographic design) will present a lecture on the specific needs of type designed for public signage and discuss the unique archive that he has assembled for students of lettering at Ditchling. Tickets cost £2.00. 01273 - 845 777. May 13 & 14, 2001 10.30-16.00 Ditchling, East Sussex: St Margaret's School. Pen to Printer. This two-day seminar will bring together leading scholars, designers and craftspeople in discussions on type design and other related topics, including the continuing relevance of calligraphy and hand skills in the twenty-first century. The speakers will include Sumner Stone ('Reflections on the Sans'), Michael Harvey ('Drawn to Type - presentation of the major influences in my career as a type designer'), Sam Somerville ('The Handmade Book - some design considerations'), David Levy ('Between Hope and Hype - reflections on the future of written forms in a digital age') and Tom Perkins ('The Geometry of Roman Lettering'). To book a place, write to Patricia Gidney, The Old School House, Church Lane, Ditchling, East Sussex, BN6 8TB, enclosing a cheque (made out to "The Edward Johnston Foundation") for the full cost of £75 and a stamped addressed envelope. Phone 01273 - 845 777 for more details. A free minibus service to and from Hassocks station is available for people attending this seminar: phone 01273 - 844 505. May 14, 2001 14.30 Swansea: Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Edward Johnston, Calligrapher, and the Ditchling Craft Community, 1912 to the 1920s. An illustrated talk by Peter Holliday, who spoke to our Society at Kelmscott House on 25th March (see the report on pages 4-5 of this Newsletter). Admission is free and places do not have to be booked. 01792 - 655 006. May 18, 2001 13.00 Liverpool: Walker Art Gallery. Ruskin and Brantwood. A lecture by Howard Hull, Director of Brantwood (John Ruskin's home in Cumbria). Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. 0151 - 478 4178. May 26, 2001 19.30 Toronto, Canada: Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto, 140 St George Street (Room 205). An Introduction to William Morris. This event, organised by the William Morris Society of Canada, is aimed at anyone who wishes to gain a broad overview of Morris's life and work. A panel of speakers will give short presentations illustrated with slides and this will be followed by an open discussion. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free. For further information, phone 416 - 465 0696. June 2, 2001 19.30 Ditchling, East Sussex: Ditchling Museum. Twentieth-Century Carved Lettering. Tom Perkins, one of today's leading letter-cutters, will discuss the development of carved lettering from the pioneering work of Eric Gill at the beginning of the twentieth century. Tickets cost £2.00. 01273 - 845 777. June 3 & 4, 2001 10.00-16.00 Ditchling, East Sussex: St Margaret's School. Calligraphy for Typographers. This two-day workshop, led by Gerald Fleuss and Patricia Gidney, is designed to give typographers and others interested in letterform an opportunity to work with traditional tools and materials to gain an insight into how our western alphabets have been fashioned by the influence of the broad-edged pen. To book a place, write to Patricia Gidney, The Old School House, Church Lane, Ditchling, East Sussex, BN6 8TB, enclosing a cheque (made out to "Ditchling Museum Trust") for the full cost of £40 and a stamped addressed envelope. 01273 - 845 777. June 16, 2001 19.30 Swansea: Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. John Piper: English Tradition and 'Abstraction.' An illustrated talk by Karin Hiscock, senior lecturer at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. Admission is free and places do not have to be booked. 01792 - 655 006. July 2, 2001 14.30 Swansea: Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. London Transport Design and the Introduction of Modernism. An illustrated talk by Derek Butler, lecturer and art historian. Admission is free and places do not have to be booked. 01792 - 655 006. July 18-20, 2001 Lancaster: Bowland College, Lancaster University. John Ruskin: the Brantwood Years. An international symposium organised by the Ruskin Programme at Lancaster University. The speakers will include Howard Hull on Brantwood and the Lake District, Dinah Birch on Victorian Oxford, Michael Wheeler on the Guild of St George, John Rosenberg on autobiography, Brian Maidment on publishing and readership, and Van Akin Burd with James Dearden on fifty years of Ruskin studies. The precise titles of these talks have not yet been decided. There will also probably be an outing to Abbot Hall, Kendal, where a selection of works from the Tate Gallery exhibition, Ruskin, Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites, will be on show. Contact Ruth Hutchison, 01524 - 592 450 or <r.hutchison@lancaster.ac.uk>, for more details. 23 July to 2 August 2001 Iceland: Historic Saga Tour for the William Morris Society of Canada. Ten-day visit to Iceland planned by the William Morris Society of Canada. Contact: Richard Bishop, 412 Sackville Street, Toronto, Ontario Cnanda M4X 1S7, Tel. (416) 967-0529, rbishop@city.toronto.on.ca. MISCELLANEOUS LINKS NOTE: Listed below are sites related to William Morris and his world which don't fit readily into any section on The William Morris Home Page. The Mythopoeic Society, non-profit international literary and educational organization for the study, discussion, and enjoyment of fantasy and mythic literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. HOME · NEW · EVENTS · NEWSLETTER · SITE ARCHIVE · ABOUT THE SOCIETY MORRIS' LIFE AND WORKS · PRODUCTS · LINKS · SITE MAP · CONTACT US LAST UPDATE 5 FEB 2001 · PLEASE REPORT BROKEN LINKS TO WEBMASTER@MORRISSOCIETY.ORG