New Exhibition to open 4 May 2018 Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Friends of York Art Gallery

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22 February 2018

The Friends of York Art Gallery (FOYAG) will mark their 70th anniversary with an exhibition of some favourite works this spring.

Since it was founded in 1948, the charity has pledged more than £600,000 which has aided the purchase of over 150 works for the gallery’s collections, including pieces by Albert Moore, David Hockney, Barbara Hepworth and Grayson Perry.

To celebrate their 70th year, members of the Friends have chosen some favourite works from the gallery’s collections which have been acquired or restored thanks to their financial support.

These will go on show in a special exhibition which will be supplemented by a series of talks about the artists, the subjects of their works and the benefit of this collection to the public.

Peter Gibbard, chairman of FOYAG, said:

“This exhibition also honours the Friends, many of whom have been or were active for decades, who have given freely of their time to enhance the appeal of this collection in the community and nationally”.

Vera Pavlova, senior curator of art at York Art Gallery said:

“For 70 years FOYAG have been extremely generous in their support of York Art Gallery. Their financial contributions have made a significant impact on the gallery’s collections, helping us to acquire internationally known artists as well as those which have a strong connection to the city. Their lively programme of events and talks as well as their enthusiasm and knowledge have been vital to the gallery’s success.

“We are deeply grateful for their continued support and are delighted to be working with them on an exhibition which offers a glimpse of the scale and breadth of the works they have helped us to buy.”

The exhibition will take place in Madsen Three, and entry is included in the admission price.

Works in the exhibition include ‘A Face in the Audience’ by Albert Moore, ‘Flickering Grid II’ by Oliver Bevan, ‘The Trail of War’ by Carline Sydney and the first work the Friend’s helped to buy, ‘Samson and Delilah’, by Pieter Claesz Soutman.

Visit the York Art Gallery website here to find out more.