Showing posts with label Horniman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horniman. Show all posts

15 July 2022

Horniman wins Museum of the Year

 We are so proud of and grateful for the Horniman Museum - 2022 winner of Museum of the Year.

 


 

The Horniman Museum and Gardens was announced as Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 yesterday (14 July 2022). The £100,000 award – the largest museum prize in the world – was presented by DJ and broadcaster Huw Stephens at a ceremony in the spectacular setting of the Design Museum, London. 

The Horniman Museum and Gardens was recognised for its transformational programme in 2021, re-orientating its activity to reach diverse audiences more representative of London and engaging people in addressing the climate emergency.

Nick Merriman, Chief Executive of the Horniman Museum and Gardens, says: ‘To be awarded Art Fund Museum of the Year, when the other finalists have such wonderful achievements to share, is an incredible honour. Thank you to the judges and to Art Fund. I particularly want to pay tribute to everyone involved in the Horniman, in whatever capacity, in 2021. It takes a community of people to create a museum that truly serves its local area. People love museums – we hear “I love the Horniman” a lot – and this award is a great endorsement of love as a motivation for the work that we do here; love for our communities and love for the world we all share.’

18 September 2020

Could the Horniman Gardens bee any more friendly?

By Quetta Kaye

The new installation in front of the Horniman Museum has a variety of bee ‘hotels’ sited around raised beds of insect-attracting flowers in hexagonal (bee cell) frames, surrounded by a wildflower meadow. The centrepiece is a sculpture with nitrogen-dioxide absorbing properties, ‘Flower Girl’, created by Jasmine Pradissitto, a painter and physicist, who has been pioneering pollution-absorbing sculptures to address an increasingly Anthropocene world.

In the main part of the Gardens, the dry Prairie area continues to dazzle with its colourful display and frame of fluttering grasses.



24 March 2020

How Clean is Your Air?

The Forest Hill Society’s “Clean Air for SE23” campaign began last year aiming to raise awareness about the dangers of air pollution and improve air quality.

You may have met us at the Horniman Farmers’ Market where we encouraged people to plant a tree for SE23. We asked you to take away an acorn or conker seed and come back in the spring to plant the sprigs at the Horniman Triangle, to create a green screen next to the playground. At the same time, we raised £120 to plant 120 trees in developing countries through “Just One Tree”, so thank you for your donations. We realised the sprigs would be too small to plant in March (we’re still learning about trees!) and are asking people to keep your plants until November when we will have set up a planting event alongside Street Trees for Living who will be planting six large oak trees and other saplings. The best place for oak and horse chestnut trees is actually at the opposite end of the park to the playground, because of ground conditions, but we hope to get funding to fill in the gaps in the hedge and plant some more suitable saplings in this area. We hope the plants will help to screen the traffic fumes from the busy road to some extent. Watch this space or the Facebook group for news of the November planting event.

Last year we also set up an air quality monitoring programme to look at the levels of pollution in our area and measure particulate matter in the air. Lewisham Council and Kings College Air Quality Network have a useful map of air quality, but their maps are made by modelling data from just a few actual monitors across Lewisham. Their data gives an average across the day and does not account for peaks during rush hour traffic, when children are walking to school.

We are working with Jennifer Gabrys from Cambridge University and Goldsmiths to develop an enhanced monitoring programme. Jennifer has designed a small monitor called a dustbox, which is designed to look like a particle of air pollution. She has already run a successful citizen science research project in Deptford. We identified sites that we think will have bad air quality (mainly along the A205, especially where traffic idles).

We will have monitors at about 10 sites including Horniman Gardens (one by the road and one by the bandstand), Dalmain school, along Brockley Rise and Honor Oak Park, and near Forest Hill station. The monitors will collect data for 2-3 months. Jennifer will calibrate the data against the existing monitoring stations at New Cross and Honor Oak, to identify what pollution is caused by local sources (traffic) and external sources (e.g. pollution that can be blown here from European factories and from Saharan dust).

We hope to use the data to lobby for things like the London Mayor’s Healthy Neighbourhoods scheme, cycle lanes, school streets, air filters in classrooms and more green spaces and trees. We also hope it will strengthen our campaign to reduce car use, something which is also key to Lewisham Council’s climate action plan.

If you would like to find out more or have a little time to spare to help with future campaigning please email cleanairSE23@hotmail.com or see our Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/cleanairSE23.

15 March 2020

The Monsters are Coming … to the Horniman

The Horniman Museum’s temporary exhibition space is going back to a time BEFORE the dinosaurs to showcase fossil skeletons as well as full-size models and animatronics which bring the Permian back to life after 250 million years!

Visitors to the Permian Monsters exhibition can sift through interactive dig pits, get creative in an art area, and see a collection of artwork offering a glimpse back in time through the eyes of award-winning palaeoartist Julius Csotonyi.

The exhibition lasts until the end of October and is free for members (tickets required for non-members).

For more information visit www.horniman.ac.uk

01 July 2019

Future Framework for the Horniman

Horniman Museum are consulting on an ambitious plan to develop Horniman Gardens including:

  •     New Garden Arrival Square
  •     Spacious Reception with Improved Facilities
  •     Reorganised and Reimagined Museum Spaces
  •     Nature Zone and Kindercafé
  •     Stepping Gardens
  •     Horticultural Hub and Winter Garden

To find out more about their plans view the exhibition in Gallery Square or view online here.


18 September 2018

Horniman’s New World Gallery

By John Firmin

Successive generations of families from Forest Hill and beyond have enjoyed the Horniman Museum’s collections and gardens. The museum has now brought together in its new World Gallery over 3,000 objects from around the world that explore the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

The World Gallery continues Frederick Horniman’s ambition “to bring the world to Forest Hill”. At the entrance to the gallery is a series of audio-visual digital installations that show people from the Horniman’s community groups, volunteers, collectors and anthropologists talking about objects that have personal meaning to them. Next to the displays are objects selected for their emotional resonances — can you connect with them? Just imagine what it was like 2,000 years ago using the black obsidian mirror on show, and peering at your image in its dark depths.

Next, you find yourself in the first of the five Encounters areas, each corresponding to a continent. Check out the head-hunter ornaments in the Asian area. Before the arrival of Christianity, hunting heads was essential if a man wanted to gain the respect of his community. Each would try to outdo the other in the extravagance of the ornaments they attached to their garments.

Across the aisle in the African area are fascinating objects from across the continent. Check out the monkey crossbow belonging to the Mbendjele people or the life-size camel with its carefully crafted saddle — do you think it would have been comfortable to ride? Have a browse around the Nigerian market.

In the Oceanian area, children will be fascinated by the projection of the ocean onto the floor showing fish swimming. Imagine travelling from island to Pacific island in the small canoe on show — it must have felt tiny to be in it at sea.

The focus of the American area is on native Americans and people of the Arctic. Listen to stories and touch the material used to keep polar hunters warm while they stalked their prey.

In the European area is to be found the Horniman’s own cloutie tree. In Britain in ancient times, scraps of fabric were tied to trees growing near sacred wells or springs as part of a healing ritual. You are invited to write down your wish and attach it to the tree — maybe it will come true! From Eastern Europe there are quirky Turon masks embodying the dark forces of nature — objects I associate with Africa rather than Europe.

   

The gallery culminates with the Perspectives area, which presents objects in a variety of categories such as Textiles and Curiosities. It poses questions about how we classify the world around us, who decides what a thing is and whose knowledge is important. You are invited to add your perspective on what you have just seen.

Flying above all these wonderful objects is a beautiful display of kites and banners hanging from the newly renovated ceiling vault. Collected and commissioned from Guatemala, China, London and beyond, these emblems signify our human instinct to come together in celebration, play or protest.

If you haven’t already done so, take yourself and your family to the Horniman to see the new World Gallery. It’s well worth the experience!

01 March 2018

Horniman Museum — One of the Coolest Museums in the World!

We always suspected as much, but this year the New York Times has named the Horniman Museum and Gardens as one of the ten coolest museums in the world.

Out of the top ten, the Horniman is the only museum from the UK and one of only three from Europe — the others are in Germany and Denmark.
We are very lucky in Forest Hill to have the Horniman on our doorstep, and the New York Times article is likely to entice more people to discover the wonders of the Horniman and hopefully venture further into Forest Hill.

The Forest Hill Society are working with the Horniman to look at ways to link the Horniman into the town centre — to encourage people in Forest Hill to visit the Horniman, and for visitors to the Horniman to explore our delightful local shops.

The latest exhibition at the Horniman is
Colour: The Rainbow Revealed. Pop along to be dazzled by how colour is made and perceived, to discover how animals use colour to attract and hide, and to learn how different colours mean different things for people around our planet (charges apply.)

Later this year the Centenary Gallery will be re-opened after a major make-over and this will help keep Horniman’s place as one of the best museums in the world.

18 August 2017

09 February 2017

Horniman announces new Butterfly House attraction

The Horniman Museum and Gardens will open a Butterfly House in summer 2017, it announced today, following a successful planning application to Lewisham Council.

The new attraction will offer visitors an immersive experience, in a specially-planted indoor garden that will be home to a colourful range of free-flying, exotic butterfly species. The Butterfly House complements the Horniman’s current Living Collections, including alpacas, jellyfish and bees in its Animal Walk, Aquarium and Nature Base.

Victoria Pinnington, Director of Communications and Income Generation at the Horniman, says: ‘We’re thrilled to receive planning permission to create this wonderful new experience for our visitors. Butterflies are beautiful and fascinating creatures which play an important role in ecosystems around the world, and we can’t wait for our visitors to enjoy and learn about them close up. The Butterfly House will be an additional attraction in an underused part of the Gardens, making a day at the Horniman even more memorable.’

Work will begin with the demolition of an existing, unused building to make way for the glasshouse and surrounding landscaping. Tickets to the Butterfly House will go on sale later in the year, in advance of the summer opening. Horniman Members will enjoy free, unlimited visits.

See www.horniman.ac.uk for more information.

16 October 2016

Halloween in Forest Hill

Kids Lantern Making Workshops
Tuesday 25th Oct - 2-3pm - The Archie Parker
Wed 26th Oct - 2-3pm - Sugar Mountain
Thurs 27th Oct - 2-3pm - The Archie Parker
Fri 28th Oct - 2-3pm - Sugar Mountain


Fearsome Philosophy Tales
29th October, 5pm-6pm: the Philosophy Foundation will be running Fearsome Philosophy Tales for young people (7-12) at the Library.

Come and see some scary stories at Forest Hill Library, run by The Philosophy Foundation team.
They will tell some ghoulish tales and frightening fables, teasing out some thoughts from the children’s brains around questions like: what is courage? what is fear? how do we know things … and what is that knocking under the floorboards?
(Parents welcome, but must stay as silent as the grave)


Pumpkin Carving
 at All Inn One - Saturday 29th - 12pm-2.30pm
Ideal for entry in the Sylvan Post Pumpkin Competition at 3:30pm (see below)


Halloween at Devonshire Road Nature Reserve31st October, 5pm-9pm
A mix of activities for families


Horniman Halloween Fair
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October

    'Curse of the Mummy’ performances by Tea Dance for Little People
    Wild Fangs Creepy Creatures Cave
    Spooky Halloween Trail
    Halloween Face Painting
    Family Art Fun: Halloween Pumpkin Masks
    Arts and Crafts Market
    Farmers Market (Saturday only)

More details on the Horniman web site.


Sylvan Post


25 February 2016

Dinosaurs at The Horniman

From February the Horniman Museum has a special exhibition entitled Dinosaurs: Monster Families.

This exhibition reveals the fascinating family life of dinosaurs through interactive exhibits, authentic specimens from around the world and life-size models.

The exhibition examines how dinosaurs cared for their eggs, nests and babies. Visitors can step back in time and meet ‘Baby Louie’, the near-complete skeleton of a dinosaur embryo; dig in the discovery pit; touch a real dinosaur leg bone; view an amazing collection of fossils including the longest dinosaur eggs ever discovered; and come face-to-face with T-Rex’s relative – a life-size Tarbosaurus skeleton cast. Dinosaurs will ‘fill’ the exhibition in vivid illustrations by artist Luis V Rey, and stunning photographs show some of the world’s renowned dinosaur hunters and their discoveries.

Jo Hatton, Keeper of Natural History at the Horniman says: ‘We may think of dinosaurs as “monsters” but this exhibition reveals they were actually excellent parents who cared for their young. By studying fossils of dinosaur nests, eggs and babies, and comparing them to their living descendants such as birds and crocodiles, we can gain a new insight to the family lives of these creatures which continue to fascinate and enthral us.’

Alongside bird and crocodile specimens from the Horniman’s collection, visitors can also see a fossilised egg of the extinct Elephant Bird, on loan from Sir David Attenborough’s private collection.

An exciting programme of dinosaur-themed events and activities will also run throughout the year to complement the exhibition.

Dinosaurs: Monster Families is open at the Horniman Museum and Gardens from Saturday 13 February to Sunday 30 October 2016.
See www.horniman.ac.uk/dinosaurs for more information. Horniman Members enjoy free, unlimited visits to the exhibition.
For information on how to become a Member see www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/membership.

24 September 2015

Let There Be Light — in the Horniman!



By Michael Abrahams (Chair, Forest Hill Society). Michael reports on a public consultation meeting that was hosted by the Horniman Museum in August regarding the redevelopment of two of its main galleries.

When the Horniman Museum was first opened to the public in 1901, its roof had large windows to let daylight flood into its galleries. Unfortunately, all of this direct sunlight eventually damaged many exhibits and it was not until the early 1980s that a decision was taken to permanently cover over the windows. Since then the South Gallery (which today contains African Worlds exhibits) has been one of the darker areas of the museum with no natural light.

The Centenary Gallery — containing the torture chair, merman and lots of puppets — is even darker. This area used to be a lecture room, with plenty of light coming in from the windows, but as it became a gallery all light was blocked out to protect the exhibits.

However, the Horniman Museum now plans to reintroduce natural light into these galleries in order to improve the general quality of the interior spaces, and to especially encourage more people to visit the exhibits on display in the South Gallery. The plan for the South Gallery is to install a daylight reflector below its roof light to deflect daylight onto the gallery’s barrel-vaulted ceiling and, therefore, prevent sunlight from directly hitting any displays. This would be augmented with electric lighting to enhance the visitors’ feeling of light and space, but without subjecting the exhibits to too much of the degrading effects of UV light.

The architectural design work for these improvements has been carried out by Rick Mather Architects, who have previously brought new life to Greenwich Maritime Museum and Dulwich Picture Gallery through their design expertise with exhibition spaces and in enhancing the use of listed buildings.

The South Gallery would be curated to include more of its objects from its internationally renowned Anthropology collection alongside many of the items currently on display in the Centenary Gallery. It would also include more interactive exhibits as well as places to sit to contemplate the collection. Meanwhile, the Centenary Gallery would be transformed into a studio space — part exhibition space, part interactive design space — in which artists and community members would create new, temporary exhibits.

Sadly, all of this work will involve the closure of these two areas of the museum for a period of 18 months, if funding is secured. The Horniman is currently finalising their Stage 2 bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (having already received some initial funding) — to be submitted in December — and a decision is expected to be reached by March 2016. If successful, the museum would then plan to close the two affected galleries from September 2016 until March 2018.

This seems like a great scheme to bring further improvements to our wonderful local museum, and we wish the Horniman Museum every success in this project.
For more info, visit www.horniman.ac.uk.

30 November 2014

£4.4m Redevelopment Planned for Horniman Museum

The Horniman Museum and Gardens has announced initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) with a £3.1m grant for a major redevelopment of two of its galleries and an innovative community engagement programme.

The gallery redevelopment, which will take three years to complete, will transform the way the Horniman displays its Anthropology collection – a Designated collection of national and international importance comprising 80,000 items – by putting more than 3,000 of the collection’s artefacts on public view, many for the first time. It follows a three-year review project that revealed the strength and depth of the collection.

The project will also include:
• restoration of some of the original architectural features of the historic building
• a flexible, creative studio space for cutting-edge displays and artistic collaborations
• a new display exploring the history of founder Frederick Horniman and his family, and the origins of the collections and Museum.

Janet Vitmayer, Director of the Horniman Museum and Gardens, said: “This is wonderful news and the start of an incredibly exciting new phase in the Horniman’s history. With this redevelopment of our galleries, our public can look forward to seeing and interacting with world-class displays from many more countries and cultures. We want our visitors to be able to stand in our galleries, surrounded by objects and stories from around the world that will move, enlighten, fascinate, and inspire them.”

Alongside the HLF grant, the Horniman will need to raise an additional £1.3m from other sources including individual donors, corporate support, Trusts, and Foundations. The redevelopment is scheduled for completion in 2018.

For more info: www.horniman.ac.uk

12 September 2014

News from the Horniman

By Janet Vitmayer, Director of the Horniman Museum and Gardens


I often hear from local people how much they value the Horniman and how important it is to the local community. This cuts both ways – our visitors, and especially our local visitors who come here time and again, are the lifeblood of the Museum.

Over the last year, Forest Hill residents have been keen supporters of our Farmers’ Market – which celebrates its first anniversary this autumn – snapping up the array of produce each Saturday from our fantastic traders, many of whom are local themselves.

Our Horniman Members scheme has also been embraced by the local community, with 40% of our current members living in the Borough of Lewisham. The benefits to members include a discount in our shop, exclusive events and offers and of course, free unlimited entry to the Aquarium and temporary exhibition (Extremes closes in November, for anyone yet to enjoy it). Our core supporters group, the Friends of the Horniman – made up of many Forest Hill residents – continues to fundraise actively on our behalf, most recently through the annual summer Art Exhibition which attracted larger crowds and more revenue than ever before.

Local people have been out in force to support recent events here at the Horniman, including our new series of Jazz Picnics on Wednesdays in July, and the Curious Tea Party, attended by more than 10,000 people over a wonderful weekend. Our new Lates programme offering adults a creative mix of art, music, dance and film has also been warmly received, attracting as many as 800 visitors to each evening event.

Not everyone in our community is able to visit and enjoy the Horniman so easily, however. A significant part of our work is to make the Museum and Gardens more accessible to everyone. We work in partnership with numerous community groups, for instance with older people affected by dementia and people with long term mental health issues.

Our recent good news – funding of £2.9m over three years from Arts Council England – recognises our popularity with a diverse audience, and will allow us to attract more visitors from the local community in south east London, as well as further afield.

I hope many of our neighbours in Forest Hill will continue to enjoy themselves at the Horniman in the months ahead. There’s plenty going on, from our Halloween and Christmas fairs to our new exhibitions, Revisiting Romania: Dress and Identity, and Kurt Jackson: River, not to mention the many educational visits we host each term by local schoolchildren and of course all of our family-friendly activities. We look forward to seeing you all soon.

To find out more about events and activities at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, or to become a Horniman Member, visit www.horniman.ac.uk


01 September 2014

Give a name to an Alpaca

03 July 2014

Summer at the Horniman


Horniman’s Curious Tea Party

Sat 12 to Sun 13 July 2014

An eccentric weekend of Edwardian inspired dance, music, frivolity and food in our Gardens. See specially-commissioned dance and music performances inspired by the Horniman and its eclectic collections, take part in tea dances, go on a singing treasure hunt, experience immersive fantastical art installations, enjoy ragtime jazz, discover a cabinet of curiosities, meet a giant explorer, see dazzling circus acts and more.


Summer Holidays

Mon 28 Jul to Sun 31 Aug
This summer is packed full of exciting new and regular activities from Big Wednesdays to Nature Explorers. See the full summer programme for families.

Jazz Picnics

Wed 16, 23, 30 Jul, 7-8.30pm
Chill out to three special evening Bandstand concerts set against a stunning London skyline. We start the series with Albert Ball’s Flying Acesthe UK's only fully-professional ragtime band.






The Great Animal Orchestra

Sun 27 Jul – Sun 31 Aug
Explore nature's music and the fascinating sounds of animals, birds and insects in this sound installation designed by Bernie Krause. Come along to The Great Animal Orchestra Party on the opening day, featuring Bandstand concerts and family activities.  




Behind the Scenes: A Tour of the Natural History Collection

Thurs 14 Aug, 7pm
Take a behind the scenes tour of our celebrated Natural History Collection and see some rarely displayed specimens, such as Frederick Horniman’s insects collection.
Tickets: £5. Book online.


Extremes Garden
Until Mon 1 September
A special display of cacti and succulents which explores the amazing adaptations plants have made to survive the most extreme conditions on Earth. This display is near the Animal Walk in the Gardens.


20 May 2014

The 23rd Annual Friends of the Horniman Art Exhibition



14-15 June will see the 23rd Friends of the Horniman Art Exhibition in the Conservatory of the Horniman Museum and Gardens.

More than 30 Artists will be showing work over the weekend, in a wide variety of styles both contemporary and traditional. We will have oils, acrylics and watercolours but also drawings, prints, textile art and sculpture. Many artists will be familiar to previous visitors but we will also have a number of new artists this year. This is a great opportunity to purchase a unique, original art work while also supporting the museum. Even if you feel that you don’t currently have the wall space many of the artists will also be selling greeting cards.


The Sunday is Father’s Day so we are hoping that many people will incorporate a trip to the Museum and the Art exhibition into the weekend, perhaps including a trip to the Extremes exhibition, the Aquarium or your old favourites. 

Where: The conservatory, Horniman Museum and Gardens
When: Saturday 14 June 10am-5pm and Sunday 15 June 10am-4.30pm

29 April 2014

The History and Collections of the Horniman Museum

A Talk by Finbarr Whooley, Assistant Director, Curatorial and Public Engagement at the Horniman Museum
7.45pm on Tuesday April 29 at the Golden Lion
116 Sydenham Road SE26 5JX
Admission £3
 

There are over 350,000 objects in the Horniman Collection.
Founded in 1901 by Frederick John Horniman, heir to the world's biggest tea-trading business, the museum first housed Frederick's eclectic collection of objects from around the world.
But the collection slowly grew adding to the museum's core focus on  Anthropology, Musical Instruments and Natural History, making it a local favourite and an institution of world renown.  


Organised by the Sydenham Society

02 November 2013

Day of the Dead Late, at the Horniman

Thursday 7th November, 6-9pm 

The Horniman’s next after-hours party for adults, Day of the Dead Late, is inspired by the annual Mexican festival. Follow a procession of fluorescent skeletons and Mexican musicians through the galleries, dance with a giant skeleton, experience a magical puppet performance with Theatre of Dolls, join in a Day of the Dead party with DJ Stylus in the Conservatory, discover fascinating skeleton facts, and enjoy short films. Food and bar open including Mexican street food and Day of the Dead cocktails.

Find out more about Day of the Dead Late at http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/day-of-the-dead-late. Tickets are £3. Over-18s only due to the nature of the events.

Hat  Tip: Brockley Central