Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery

Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery stands in Wednesbury, a town in the West Midlands. The building was designed in 1891 by Wood and Kendrick, architects from nearby West Bromwich, and built by Henry Wilcock of Wolverhampton. Four carved panels on the front show the heads of Wren, Reynolds, Flaxman and Newton to represent different arts. Two busts above the entrance honour former mayors who led the gallery’s committee. After the Second World War the museum became council offices before reopening in 1972 following modernisation. The Ruskin Pottery collection is one of the gallery’s chief attractions. Ruskin Pottery was made locally in Sandwell and is highly prized by collectors worldwide. The displays show a wide range of glazes, from Bleu Soufflé to Crystalline finishes. The Richards Gallery displays fifty-four paintings once owned by Edwin and Mary Richards, who collected mainly landscapes. During the Second World War the collection was stored in caves at Kinver to protect it. Some works were sold after the war, but the remaining pieces form the core of the gallery today. Visitors also find the Old Toys and Games gallery, which holds items from Victorian times to the 20th century. Handling sessions for young children are arranged regularly. The museum owns a notable portrait of Mary Ann Richards by local artist Joseph Gibbs. Two Crimean War medals belonging to Alderman John Ashley Kilvert are on display, having been recovered after being stolen in 1974. Temporary exhibitions change every six months, including shows by the Stuckism movement and works by Bill Viola.