Weaving Warhol into World Heritage

It’s always a great time to visit a UNESCO World Heritage site. Now there is even more reason to visit one of Scotland’s six UNESCO sites. We’re talking about glorious New Lanark. A fascinating built environment that offers a unique window into Scotland’s industrial past. It also enjoys a striking setting on the banks of the River Clyde that makes it ideal for a relaxed day trip.

From January 26 until 29 April 2018 there is even more reason to visit thanks to the sparkling new ARTIST TEXTILES – Picasso to Warhol exhibition. A colourful display of idiosyncratic art that adds a massive injection of style and colour to this deeply historic oasis.

ARTIST TEXTILES – Picasso to Warhol

The London Fashion and Textiles Museum’s travelling exhibition has been touring since 2014, and New Lanark is thrilled to kick-off 2018 as its first Scottish host. Scott McCauley, New Lanark Trust Chief Executive, is quite rightly a happy man: “we are very proud that ARTIST TEXTILES – Picasso to Warhol will make its Scottish debut at New Lanark in 2018.” The event also marks the official launch of New Lanark’s new Temporary Exhibition Gallery – a specially designed gallery space housed in one of 18th-century mill buildings.

The exhibition is curated to show how ordinary people used textiles during the 20th century to engage with modern art and of express their individuality. The collection of clothing and fabrics captures some of the key European and American art movements of the time. These include Cubism, Surrealism and Pop Art. There are more than 200 pieces on display, with the woks of Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol among the highlights. This rare and absorbing display also features the creations of leading fashion designers and manufacturers. These include articles that have not previously been on public display, like items from the personal collection of British designer Zandra Rhodes.

An Apposite Setting

New Lanark itself is an 18th-century heritage village founded by enlightened industrialists and mill owners David Dale and Richard Arkwright. If you’ve never been you must go. If you have then we reckon you should head back soon, as there is always so much going on. A location that was pivotal to Scotland’s cotton spinning industry, it is apposite for an exhibition that highlights how textiles helped make modern art accessible. Curator Dennis Nothdruft from the Fashion and Textile Museum London sums this up: “Manufacturers and mills had the foresight to work with painters and sculptors to develop beautiful fabrics that democratised modern art for the masses.”

A Model Industrial Community

Beyond the exhibition visitors to New Lanark have the chance to explore one of Scotland’s half dozen UNESCO World Heritage sites. Here a striking collection of Georgian buildings, including workers houses and a school, and the cotton mills and machinery themselves illuminate how its progressive manager and philanthropist Robert Owen married the needs of industrial production with the welfare of the workers. ‘The Story of New Lanark’ guided tours (these take around 45 minutes) are a great way to learn more about what life would have been like working and living in the village. They also give an insight into the preservation work of the New Lanark Trust.

Great Location and Facilities

New Lanark’s idyllic riverside setting – next to the Falls of Clyde – is enough to attract visitors alone. It also boasts a well-stocked gift shop and an excellent café. For those who fancy a night or two in a truly unique location, it also has a superb hotel. First-rate amenities, including an excellent restaurant, swimming pool, a fitness studio and spa treatments ensure that The New Lanark Mill Hotel gets rave reviews on the likes of TripAdvisor. New Lanark even has eight self-catering riverside cottages and a 62-bed ‘Wee Row’ hostel!

Further Information and Booking

ARTIST TEXTILES – Picasso to Warhol
26 January – 29 April 2018.
Open 10am-4pm (January – March); 10am-5pm (April).
www.newlanark.org/visitorcentre/artist-textiles.shtml

Tickets:
Adult (16+): £9.00; Concession (Senior & Student): £7.00; Child (10-15): £4.00; Child under 10: Free; Family (2 adults + 2 children 11-15): £22.00; Family (2 adults + 3 children 11-15): £22.00.

Opening week offer: Book online for the opening week (26 January – 4 February 2018) and get £3 off individual tickets. Enter the code ‘website’ at the checkout page.
Click here to book.

Textile Print Competition
To commemorate this event New Lanark has launched a Textile Print Competition, to which entries must be received by 11 February 2018. Click here for details.

*This blog comes in association with New Lanark Trust

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