Missing the Whitworth
Missing the Whitworth
I'm missing the Whitworth
Missing the Whitworth
Missing the Whitworth
I'm missing the Whitworth
Although I have gone back home to London now, I spent the past six months in Manchester when the lockdown was at its peak. I was living in Withington, just off the high street, which was decidedly bleak during the few months when the vast majority of its shop windows were dark and empty. Although I assume that many have now reopened, it seemed that many were also not going to survive the economic stagnation.
So, as far as those who have taken a blow from Coronavirus, I have been doing comparatively O.K.; I did not lose my job or my livelihood, only the normality of my daily life. For my university assessments, all of the course material had to be sourced online as the library was closed, and of course I could not go into university to ask my tutors for any help. As an art history student, however, what I missed most were the art galleries. Before the pandemic I used to drop into the Whitworth on my way home a couple of times a week, so I have really felt its absence.
In London, the galleries are beginning to reopen with the necessary safety restrictions in place. I am particularly excited for the exhibition of the English Art Nouveau illustrator Aubrey Beardsley (1972-1898) at the Tate Britain opening this week, however the waiting list is so long due to the limitation on the number of visitors that I may struggle to get a slot. Another perhaps less hectic exhibition that I think sounds equally fascinating is ‘Portraying Pregnancy: from Holbein to Social Media’ at the Foundling Museum. The museum also houses a deeply moving permanent collection of the identifiers left behind by the mothers of foundling children when leaving them at the Foundling Hospital (which was active between 1741-1954) in the hopes that one day they would return for them once their financial or personal situation permitted a child.
I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such a wealth of artistic culture in London, however I can’t wait to get back to Manchester to get things started again at the Whitworth. We hope to run some student-lead events as soon as we are able, so keep an eye out on the ‘Student Friends of the Whitworth’ social media pages for any updates.
Although I have gone back home to London now, I spent the past six months in Manchester when the lockdown was at its peak. I was living in Withington, just off the high street, which was decidedly bleak during the few months when the vast majority of its shop windows were dark and empty. Although I assume that many have now reopened, it seemed that many were also not going to survive the economic stagnation.
So, as far as those who have taken a blow from Coronavirus, I have been doing comparatively O.K.; I did not lose my job or my livelihood, only the normality of my daily life. For my university assessments, all of the course material had to be sourced online as the library was closed, and of course I could not go into university to ask my tutors for any help. As an art history student, however, what I missed most were the art galleries. Before the pandemic I used to drop into the Whitworth on my way home a couple of times a week, so I have really felt its absence.
In London, the galleries are beginning to reopen with the necessary safety restrictions in place. I am particularly excited for the exhibition of the English Art Nouveau illustrator Aubrey Beardsley (1972-1898) at the Tate Britain opening this week, however the waiting list is so long due to the limitation on the number of visitors that I may struggle to get a slot. Another perhaps less hectic exhibition that I think sounds equally fascinating is ‘Portraying Pregnancy: from Holbein to Social Media’ at the Foundling Museum. The museum also houses a deeply moving permanent collection of the identifiers left behind by the mothers of foundling children when leaving them at the Foundling Hospital (which was active between 1741-1954) in the hopes that one day they would return for them once their financial or personal situation permitted a child.
I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such a wealth of artistic culture in London, however I can’t wait to get back to Manchester to get things started again at the Whitworth. We hope to run some student-lead events as soon as we are able, so keep an eye out on the ‘Student Friends of the Whitworth’ social media pages for any updates.
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