Countdown to major Henry Moore exhibition begins in Leeds

Caption: One of the Henry Moore works on display will be 'Atom Piece (Working Model for Nuclear Energy) 1964-5, Bronze, Tate'(If used full credit is required)

The countdown to the biggest exhibition seen at Leeds Art Gallery in over 20 years begins in earnest this week.

Installation work is now underway for the free exhibition devoted to the works of world-famous sculptor Henry Moore which opens to the public on Friday 4 March.

Over 100 items of work by the Castleford-born artist will be on display until June as Moore’s work comes home to the city where he studied at Leeds School of Art (now Leeds College of Art), and to the art gallery where he laid the first foundation stone when it was extended in 1982.

As part of the installation process, much of the ground floor of the gallery is now closed to the public as items begin arriving from the Tate Britain, the Henry Moore Foundation, private collections from around the country and as far afield as the Art Gallery of Ontario in Canada where the exhibition has been since leaving Tate Britain.

The exhibition has been organised by Tate Britain, London in collaboration with Leeds Art Gallery, and will cover both the pre-war and post-war era concentrating on British loans as it challenges the familiar image of Moore as an artist.

Among the items on display will be two large elmwood ‘Reclining Figure’ sculptures, as well as Moore’s ‘Shelter Drawings’ from the Blitz on London and ‘The Helmet’ which he sculpted shortly before the Second World War began reflecting the mood of anxiety in the nation.

Items of Moore’s work from Leeds Art Gallery’s own collection will also be on display, while Moore’s local links are also further reinforced by his drawings of coalmining in his native Castleford.

Leeds City Council, which manages the art gallery on The Headrow, has confirmed the exhibition is the largest to be held at the venue since the British Art Show in 1990.

Leeds City Council executive member for leisure Councillor Adam Ogilvie said:

“It is really exciting that we are now only a couple of weeks away from this fantastic exhibition opening. We apologise to anyone who may be inconvenienced by elements of the art gallery being closed for the installation but we are sure it will be well worth it when people see this wonderful free exhibition when it opens.”

The Henry Moore exhibition at Leeds Art Gallery is organised by Tate Britain, London in collaboration with Leeds City Council and supported by the Henry Moore Foundation, Renaissance Yorkshire, Leeds Art Collections Fund, Welcome To Yorkshire and Arts Council England with sponsorship from Abstract Group of Companies and Stewarts Law LLP.

The free exhibition runs from Friday 4 March to Sunday 12 June 2011. For more information on Leeds Art Gallery visit www.leeds.gov.uk/artgallery

Henry Moore in Leeds is part of Art in Yorkshire, supported by Tate – a year-long celebration of the visual arts in 19 galleries throughout Yorkshire. Works from Tate’s collection of historic, modern and contemporary art will be showcased through a programme of exhibitions and events. For more information visit www.yorkshire.com/artinyorkshire

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For media enquiries please contact:
Roger Boyde, Leisure media relations officer,
Tel 0113 247 5472, Email: roger.boyde@leeds.gov.uk

Council asks public to report potholes

Council highways staff are asking the public to report potholes following the end of the severe cold snap.

Leeds City Council’s highways inspectors are out and about identifying a large number of potholes but due to the size of the city’s road network, they are also relying on the public to provide reports.

Roads that have been resurfaced in recent years have held up well but the severe cold weather last year set back progress causing some serious damage to the city’s 2,000 mile road network.

Any deep and dangerous potholes reported to the council will normally be made safe within 24 hours, less urgent potholes are given a target time of 14 days.

Councillor, Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council executive member responsible for city development, said:

"Our goal is to remove the danger posted by potholes and we would like to reassure the public that we have the systems, workmen and funding in place to deal with this problem.

“Similar to last year, the bad weather has left us with a real problem with the amount of damage to city’s road surfaces. We have to deal with the most dangerous potholes as a matter of urgency, and it is important that we respond speedily to reports from the general public.”

People can report potholes by calling Leeds City Council’s highways team on telephone number: 0113 2224407 or e-mailing: highways@leeds.gov.uk

Notes to editors:

Potholes are caused when water gets into the tarmac which then freezes and expands, pushing the tarmac up from underneath and causing the potholes to develop.

The pothole to can develop long after snow has disappeared as traffic causes the loosened tarmac to break up.

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For media enquiries please contact:
Sara Hyman, Leeds City Council press office tel: (0113) 224 3602
Email sara.hyman@leeds.gov.uk