Fun-filled destinations

THE World’s Most Fun-filled #Destinations explored a range of metrics from the number of amusement parks to the number of bars and restaurants, whilst taking into consideration the square km of these destinations. The Top 5 countries that should be on your bucket list include: 

The Netherlands – While also the number one for culture, the Netherlands boasts a huge array of museums and concert halls. 

Cyprus – With 188 national attractions, 31 casinos and 32 museums, Cyprus was not overlooked in terms of its flow of culture and entertainment. 

Belgium – Despite its small size, Belgium ranks third with 295 national attractions, 50 museums and 45 amusement, animal and water parks. 

United Kingdom – From concert halls and art galleries to Michelin Star restaurants and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, there’s a lot of culture to explore across the UK. 

Germany– With the second highest number of Amusement, Animal and Water Parks, Germany has plenty of fun to throw yourself into.

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Art in the Arab world

LOUVRE Abu Dhabi opened its doors to the public on 11 November 2017. It is the first museum of its kind in the Arab world: a universal museum that focuses on shared human stories across civilisations and cultures.

Located in #AbuDhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pritzker Prize winning French architect Jean Nouvel has designed a museum city (Arab medina) under a vast silvery dome. Visitors can walk through the promenades overlooking the sea beneath the museum’s 180-metre dome, comprised of almost 8,000 unique metal stars set in a complex geometric pattern. When sunlight filters through, it creates a moving ‘rain of light’ beneath the dome, reminiscent of the overlapping palm trees in the UAE’s oases.

On display will be the museum’s important collection of artworks, artefacts and loans from France’s top museums. These span the entirety of human existence: from prehistorical objects to commissioned contemporary artworks, highlighting universal themes and ideas and marking a departure from traditional museography that often separates according to origin. In addition to the galleries, the museum will include exhibitions, a Children’s Museum, a restaurant, a boutique and a café.

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Australian art comes to Tate Modern

WORKS by renowned Australian artists Gordon Bennett and Susan Norrie have gone on display at Tate Modern for the first time. They are among ten works of art which have now been jointly acquired by Tate and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) in Sydney. The partnership, launched in 2015, is made possible through a $2.75 million corporate gift from Qantas and enables both museums to expand their collections each year, bringing the work of Australian artists to new global audiences.

Visitors to Tate Modern can find the works by Gordon Bennett and Susan Norrie on Level 2 of the Boiler House as part of the ‘Artist and Society’ display. This free collection display explores how artists respond to political contexts, raise awareness of social issues and argue for change in the world.

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Holland America Lines Million Dollar art collection

HOLLAND America Line newest vessel, ms Koningsdam, which launched in April 2016 has a collection of art on board worth USD $4.1 million. The result is a floating art gallery with 1,920 pieces ranging in value from USD $500 to USD $600,000 that spans the decks, public rooms and staterooms. 

More than 21 nationalities are represented by Koningsdam’s artists, with the greatest number of contributors coming from the Netherlands, the United States and the United Kingdom. Artists also hail from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, the Philippines, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland. Koningsdam features artworks in many media, including photography, painting, mixed media, illustration, prints and sculpture.

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Polka dot pumpkins

A Yayoi Kusama Museum is set to open in Tokyo’s Shinjuku on 1st October 2017.  Yayoi Kusama is one of Japan’s most famous and prolific artists. Even when people don’t recognise the name, mention her spotted pumpkins and everybody lets out an ‘aaah’ of acknowledgement.

So it’s very exciting news for one and all that the internationally famed artist will have an entire museum dedicated to her polka-dot works from this autumn onwards, located in one of Tokyo’s most central and well-trodden districts.

The five storey Yayoi Kusama Museum will house a gift shop on the first floor, with floors two and three dedicated to exhibition spaces. On the fourth floor, the artist will create Instagram-friendly immersive installations. On floor five, visitors can expect to find a reading room with documents and material relating to Kusama’s works.

Each year, Kusama will run two rotating exhibitions, the first of which will be titled: “Creation is a Solitary Pursuit, Love is What Brings You Closer to Art”. This exhibition will run from 1st October 2017 until 25th February 2018. Tickets will go on sale from 28th August, and will cost around 1000 yen (£6.40) for adults, and 600 yen (£4.20) for children.

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Marvel, Learn and Engage in Prague

AT the intersection of art and literature, past and future, the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art’s newest installation, the Gulliver Airship, invites visitors to enter and ponder all of the above. 

Looming above the gallery, this creation, envisioned by DOX’s founder Leoš Válka and created by architect Martin Rajniš, is constructed in the iconic shape of a 42 meter (~46 yard) zeppelin out of steel and wood. Although the Airship’s exterior is both a permanent complement to DOX’s rotation of provocative exhibitions and contrast to its stark design, its interior provides a unique space for visitors to pause and reflect.

As a work of art and architecture, Gulliver is notable in the Holešovice district skyline for its modern arched shape and construction of wood and steel, and is breathtaking from both inside and out. the cavernous Gulliver Airship, capable of seating 120 people, will provide a space for a rich program of events, speakers, and workshops for tourists and the #Prague community to discuss works of writing thematically tied to DOX’s exhibitions.

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British Museum holds on to top tourism spot

BRITAIN’S Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) has published its members’ visitor figures for 2015. More than 65. 2 million people visited attractions in London, which meant that all of the top ten most visited attractions are in the capital.

The British Museum continued to be the most popular visitor attraction overall for the ninth consecutive year, with 6,820,686 visitors. In second place was the National Gallery, with 5,908,254, which was followed by the Natural History Museum, with 5,284,023 visitors.

Temporary exhibitions played a crucial part in this year’s figures throughout the UK. The largest increase in visitor numbers in the top ten attractions was reported by Somerset House, which saw an increase of 31 per cent (3,235,104 and eighth place) – mainly as a result of its temporary exhibitions and public programmes.

Bernard Donoghue, director of ALVA, commented: ‘2015 continued to be a record year, mainly due to our members continuing to show how diverse the UK is to both domestic and overseas visitors.

‘More people visited the V&A, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum, combined, than visited Venice. More people visited the British Museum and the National Gallery, combined, than visited Barcelona and more people visited the Southbank Centre, Tate Modern, and Tate Britain, combined, than visited Hong Kong.’

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Trees ’r Us

Annie Ovenden - Lightning Bolt, oil on canvas

THE ARBOREALISTS, an exhibition at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, Lymington, Hampshire, will showcase works by 36 contemporary artists on the theme of trees. The exhibition opens on April 23 and runs until June 3. 

In 2013, the gallery mounted a successful two-part exhibition Under the Greenwood – Picturing the British Tree; the second exhibition featured contemporary artists’ responses to the subject. Such was the impact of this show, and the spirit of camaraderie engendered in a diverse group of artists, that they took on a more permanent identity as the Arborealists.

Their artworks are at turns dramatic and contemplative, demonstrating that trees still have relevance in contemporary art and are a vital element in the British landscape and sense of national identity.

Simon Dorrell - An Alder in Winter,
Stapleton Parish, ink & gouache

Tickets, which include entry into the museum, cost £6 for adults, £5 for senior citizens and students, £3 for children aged 5-15 years and £12 for a family of two adults and up to four children (including a voluntary gift aid donation). Under fives are admitted free of charge.

www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk

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Culture vultures flock to NSW

WITH #Sydney playing host to major exhibitions, theatre, and festivals, Destination NSW has confirmed that #culturaltourism is on the rise with the state attracting almost 6.5 million overnight cultural visitors in the year ending March 2015, up by 5.6% on the previous year. 

During the year ending March 2015, #NewSouthWales welcomed 4.5 million domestic and almost two million international travellers who attended a theatre performance or concert, visited a museum, art gallery or festival, a historical or heritage building, site or monument.

Internationally, the five strongest markets for cultural visitors travelling to Sydney are China, UK, USA, Korea, and New Zealand.

Upcoming highlights of Sydney and NSW's calendar for culture-vultures include the 2015-16 Sydney International Art Series … Masterpieces of Western art from the National Galleries of Scotland presented at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (October 24-February 8) which includes works by Botticelli, Leonardo, Titian, Rubens, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Monet, Degas, Gauguin, and Cézanne.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53484592@N05/11610016754">IMG_1335</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Dublin ‘best value’ for culture

#DUBLIN has leapfrogged the eastern European capitals of Warsaw, Budapest, and Prague to become the best value #destination for cultural break, according to research by Post Office Travel Money. 

Visits to six cultural attractions in Dublin – including Ireland’s National Museum, National Gallery and Trinity College and nights out – works out at just over £76, more than 25% cheaper than a year ago. 

London remains Europe’s most expensive city for culture after registering a 12.5% rise to £287.50 compared with last year, followed by Paris at £247.64.

But prices in both cities are far lower than in New York, where travellers can expect to pay £491.73. A category 2 ticket for the Metropolitan Opera will set UK visitors back £212 while the New York City Ballet costs more than £177.

Budapest has retained its position as second cheapest in the survey at £91.31 for the six cultural highlights, although prices are up 13.6% compared with a year ago. Lisbon scored with the third cheapest cost of £94.41. Warsaw, last year’s best bargain, has fallen to fourth place because prices have risen by 51%. Fifth-placed Prague has seen a 20% increase to £111.52.

Andrew Brown at Post Office Travel Money, said: ‘Last year we were advising holidaymakers to head east to Warsaw, Budapest, and Prague for the lowest-priced highbrow break.  Now Dublin has leapfrogged all three and looks a great bargain, especially as flights to the Irish capital are shorter and such good value, too.

‘Every city we surveyed boasts world-class cultural attractions, but the prices for these vary dramatically. This means culture vultures looking for good value can save hundreds of pounds by doing their homework before booking and swap expensive cities for cheaper ones.’

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Picture Credit: Flag of Dublin by Setanta Saki - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -

Take a break in Liverpool

CITYBASE APARTMENTS has updated its online guide to Liverpool, the English city on the north-west coast that’s famous for its maritime and musical history. 

The guide covers culture, attractions, shopping, eating out, and entertainment in a city that claims to have the second-largest collection of museums and art galleries in England, after London.

www.citybaseapartments.com/blog/an-easy-guide-to-liverpools-fantastic-culture

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Capital attractions for US visitors, as London leads in Google arts searches

LONDON’S leading museums and galleries had 2.4 million visits by Americans in 2014/15, up by nine percent on the previous year, according to figures published by London & Partners, the official promotional company for the capital to mark the launch of the city’s Autumn Season of Culture.

It means the US now ties with France as London’s top tourism market by volume, followed by Italy, Spain, and Germany.

Separate statistics released by Google flags up #London as the most Googled city on the planet for art galleries, the performing arts, and innovative art and design. London’s theatres generate more searches than those in any other city, while international searches for globally renowned museums rank the #ScienceMuseum in London as the world’s most Googled museum. The #NaturalHistoryMuseum and the British Museum rank second and third according to Google, followed by The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

The number of international visitors coming to London continues to rise, reaching 17.4 million last year.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7310714@N06/3450133806">The National Gallery</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)

Prints for sale!

THE Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers is holding a selling exhibition at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, Lymington, Hampshire, from August 1 to September 12, showcasing some of the very best contemporary printmaking by today’s artists.

Among the many of the society’s members exhibiting at St Barbe are Angie Lewin, whose work focuses on intricate interlocking plant forms; figurative artist Trevor Price; and Karen Keogh, for whom colour is the most interesting part of the printmaking process.

Other artists showing their work include John Duffin, whose recent etchings have focused on London, rendering the city in a personal cinematic style, and Jeremy Blighton, a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy and Mall Galleries in London.

Open Monday to Saturday (10am-4pm), the exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to acquire affordable original art by some of Britain's best printmakers.

Tickets, which include entry into the museum, cost £6 for adults, £5 for senior citizens and students, £3 for children aged 5-15 years, and £12 for a family of two adults and up to four children. Under-fives are admitted free of charge.

www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk

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Picture Credit: Moorings at Lymington - geograph.org.uk - 1657885" by Steve Daniels. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Join the dance in Bath

VISITORS to the Jane Austen's Bath exhibition (to October 4) at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath will be able to see a display of Georgian and Regency dancing – and learn a few steps themselves – this August. 

The Bath Minuet and Jane Austen Dancers will be dancing in period costume at late openings of the exhibition on Thursdays during August. They will also be talking to visitors about the dances, music, and their Georgian and Regency costumes. The Thursday evening openings have been made possible by funding from Arts Council England to the Bath Museums Partnership.

The Bath Minuet Dancers will be in the gallery from 5-7pm on August 6 and 13; and the Jane Austen Dancers on August 20 and 27, also 5-7pm. The groups will perform twice each evening.

The standard entry charge is £3.50 with concessions available, and no booking is required.

The Jane Austen's Bath exhibition features some of the gallery's best watercolours and prints, so visitors can see the city as she saw it on her visits, and as she depicted it in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.

There is also a programme of talks, tours, and walks.

www.victoriagal.org.uk

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Artists on the coast

Shorelines – Artists on the South Coast at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, Lymington, Hampshire, will explore how artists have drawn inspiration from the cliffs, beaches, and harbours of the Channel #coast. Showcasing works by some of the most important names in British art over the last few centuries – including Constable and Turner – it also reveals work by lesser known artists. 

Shorelines runs from September 19 to January 9.

As an island state, #Britain has literally been defined by its coast, its identity bound up with a seafaring heritage and maritime history. The south coast has often been the first line of defence against the threat of invasion, but it’s also been a gateway for trade and a popular destination for those seeking fun, sun, and sea air. 

This exhibition looks at the contrasting approaches taken by resident and visiting artists who drew inspiration from the shoreline. Early marine painters such as Charles Brooking depicted the naval and merchant fleets, which were busy establishing Britain's global empire. The fashion for the picturesque, popularized by William Gilpin, also encouraged artists such as JMW Turner to visit the south coast, while Pre-Raphaelite landscape painter John Brett revealed the grandeur of the Cornish coast. 

The south coast’s changing moods are demonstrated, with the terror of storms captured in wreck paintings by George Morland and Richard Eurich, contrasted by the serene calm of Sussex ports portrayed by Eric Ravilious. Its function as a defence frontier is depicted by Thomas Rowlandson, who drew Henry VIII's Hurst Castle during the Napoleonic Wars, and JD Fergusson and Christopher Nevinson’s paintings of the docks at Portsmouth and Southampton in the Great War. WW2 brought Eric Ravilious, Richard Eurich, and Norman Wilkinson to portray air battles and convoys under attack.

www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46781500@N00/1116720953">The Needles at Alum Bay.</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license), Eric Ravilious-Newhaven Harbour (V&A)