The Rugby Collection

We are delighted to announce that the Rugby Collection will be on permanent display on a rotational basis alongside our other exhibitions.   

Rugby is the proud owner of the Rugby Collection, which is permanently stored and cared for by Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.  The Collection was established in 1946 and its aim was to collect works by artists of ‘promise and renown’ for the borough of Rugby.  What was achieved with a relatively small budget is a testimony to the vision of the Town Council in 1946. The Collection now holds over 220 paintings, prints, drawings, photographs and video works. It includes works by many significant British artists including J D Fergusson, L S Lowry, Paula Rego, Stanley Spencer and Bridget Riley.

A small selection of the Rugby Collection is on permanent display. 

Rugby Art Gallery and Museum also hold a small but significant collection of local paintings and pieces of local historical relevance in the Social History Collection. The collections are not on permanent display but a selection is shown in an annual exhibition. The collections can be accessed in store by appointment. Please get in touch with the gallery for further details. 

A selection of works can also be seen on the Art UK website - a joint initiative between 3,000 museums, art collections and the BBC. The site gives everyone free access to the nation's art, including artworks that are not on permanent display.
 

Art in Black & White: 25 November 2023 - 4 February 2024

Along side the Rugby Open 2023 we are chosen a monochromatic selection from the Rugby Collection.  Monochromatic describes works that primarily use a single colour or various shades of one colour. All black and white images are monochrome images, but not all monochrome images are black and white. 
Artists use this approach to focus on the relationship between light and dark within that chosen colour, resulting in a balanced and visually appealing composition. It allows them to highlight the shape and texture of their subject matter while keeping things simple and emotionally evocative.  
Working with just one colour can also be a creative challenge, pushing artists to think outside the box. By limiting the palette of a work of art, the composition of the piece becomes central to the overall work. With the viewer no longer led by colour, the formation of the shapes and patterns leads the eye, guiding how the viewer experiences the artwork. 
We have selected a few examples from the Rugby Collection, which comprises of over 240 artworks. The collection was initiated in 1946 to purchase work by British artists of ‘promise and renown’ and what was achieved with a relatively small budget is a testimony to the vision of the Town Council in 1946 who made the commitment to collect art.  
 
The next large exhibition of Rugy Collection will be in February which feature alongside the Quentin Blake exhibition.