Primavera Gallery

Primavera Gallery.

Primavera is a fine arts and crafts gallery at 10 King's Parade in Cambridge, England. Henry Rothschild of the Rothschild family founded Primavera in 1945 in Sloane Street, London, in order to promote and retail contemporary British art and craft.[1] In 1959, Rothschild opened Primavera in Cambridge by taking over the shop formerly run by the Cambridge Society of Designer-Craftsmen on King's Parade.[2] Notable potters such as Lucie Rie and Bernard Leach came to Primavera to sell their work.

The blue-painted Gallery (left of centre) on King's Parade

Henry Rothschild (1913 - 2009) first became interested in the crafts when he encountered them in Italy in 1944 while on Army service with the Royal Corps of Signals.[3] On his return to England, he researched British crafts[1] and decided to found Primavera in Sloane Street, to showcase the best British handcrafted and decorative arts. Primavera’s blend of retail outlet and art gallery caught the imagination of both the public and the fashionable magazines of the day, including Vogue, Ideal Home and House and Garden.[1] Primavera offered stoneware by the Winchcombe and Crowan potteries, tin-glaze from the Cole brothers' Rye Pottery, tableware by Lucie Rie, textiles, furniture and basketwork being exhibited and sold. From 1953, Primavera developed an exhibition programme showing diverse crafts including continental ceramics, toys, sculpture and folk art. The reputation of the gallery enabled Rothschild to promote arts education in schools and to support museums and local authorities in putting together art and craft collections.[1]

Following the establishment of Primavera in Cambridge, the interior was refitted by Gordon and Ursula Bowyer and the basement redesigned as a textile showroom.[4] Marion Goodwin and Valerie Webb were appointed as managers and focused on sourcing local crafts. The upstairs gallery space at 10 King's Parade was once home to Charles Lamb, the poet and essayist, along with his sister Mary in 1819.[5]

In 1965, the Viewpoint 1965 exhibition held at the gallery featured East Anglian artists and makers such as Geoffrey Clarke (sculpture and stained glass), Mary Potter (paintings), and Dan Arbeid (ceramics).[1] From 1971 to 1983 Rothschild staged a series of important Primavera exhibitions in Cambridge. These centred on ceramics in particular, and were initially held in the gallery of the Kettle’s Yard Museum. In 1995 a special exhibition was held at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, entitled, "Primavera: Pioneering Craft and Design".

Rothschild became the first Secretary of the British section of UNESCO’s World Crafts Council in Geneva. In 1999, the award of an honorary Master of Arts degree by Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, recognised Rothschild’s contribution to the crafts.[6]

In 1999, the current owner, Jeremy Waller, purchased the gallery. Under his ownership, Primavera has expanded and now contains arts and crafts by over 700 artists spread over three floors, including contemporary jewellery, ceramics, furniture, glass, metal, paintings, sculpture, textiles and antiques. The gallery continues to exhibit artists such as Dame Lucie Rie, Bernard Leach, Hans Coper and Alan Caiger-Smith through its permanent displays. These exhibition pieces are shown alongside temporary exhibitions and pieces for sale by new artists. Waller actively promotes new artists by purchasing outright most of the jewellery and art on display. This enables pricing in the gallery to be kept to artist’s prices.[7] He has introduced numerous new artists to the gallery, including jewellers Diana Porter and Gill Galloway-Whitehead.

In 2001 Waller revived the connection between the Fitzwilliam Museum and Primavera by staging a joint exhibition entitled “Ceramics and Glass”. New works by Caiger-Smith and Peter Layton were shown. Primavera has received commissions from Cambridge University to design and craft pieces for colleges, including a pair of wooden candlesticks for St Catharine's College turned by Guy Ravine in 2008. Primavera displays jewellery by the late Barbara Christie.[8]

Numbers 10 and 11, King's Parade is a Grade II listed building.[9]

A second, smaller craft gallery can be found on the corner of Magdalene Street and Northampton Street in Cambridge.

Timeline[1]

In 1945 Henry Rothschild opens Primavera at 149 Sloane Street, London.

Between 1945 and 1950, Primavera exhibits British crafts including pottery, tableware, basket ware, textiles, toys and furniture.

In 1953, Primavera develops an exhibition programme starting with a selection of traditional British baskets held at the Tea Centre. Rothschild organises the show Engelse Ceramiek at the Stedelijk Museum.

In 1959, Rothschild opens Primavera at 10 King’s Parade, Cambridge with an exhibition including textiles and glass.

In 1963, Primavera holds a folk art exhibition including artwork from Peru, Mexico, Crete, Italy, India, Russia and Africa.

In 1967, London branch moves to 17 Walton Street.

In 1970, London branch closes.

In 1980, Primavera in Cambridge is sold to Ronald Pile. Continues to operate as a gallery.

During the 1980s, there are selling exhibitions staged by Primavera at Kettle's Yard Art Gallery, Cambridge.

In 1985, the Fitzwilliam Museum holds exhibition of European Ceramics and Wall Textures organized by Henry Rothschild.

In 1987, Fitzwilliam Museum holds Clear through to the Wood exhibition organized by Henry Rothschild.[1]

In 1995, Primavera holds exhibition with the Fitzwilliam Museum tracing the history of Primavera’s promotion of design and craftsmanship.

In 1999, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, recognises Rothschild’s contribution to the crafts by awarding an honorary Master of Arts degree.[10]

In 1999, Jeremy Waller purchases Primavera and continues the exhibition programme at 10 and later also 11 King’s Parade.

In 2013, Primavera displays a new collection of porcelain and ceramic vessels by Tony Laverick[11]

In 2016, painter Stuart Cain was Primavera's artist-in-residence for Cambridge Open Studios.[12]

Bibliography

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Greg, Andrew.Primavera:Pioneering Craft and Design 1945-1995. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Tyne and Wear Museums, 1995.
  2. ↑ Harrod, Tanya (1995). Primavera: Pioneering Craft and Design 1945–1995. Newcastle upon Tyne: Tyne and Wear Museums. p. 21. ISBN 0905974638.
  3. ↑ Greg, Andrew (10 June 2009). "Henry Rothschild". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Harrod, Tanya (1995). Primavera: Pioneering Craft and Design 1945–1995. Newcastle upon Tyne: Tyne and Wear Museums. ISBN 0905974638.
  5. ↑ Barlow, Adrian. "World and Time: Charles Lamb and Cambridge". University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 10/9/2016. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  6. ↑ Anglia Ruskin University
  7. ↑ Fisher, Sue. 'Gallery with a Difference', Cambridgeshire Life,July 2003, p.94-96.
  8. ↑ "Barbara Christie". Antique Trade Gazette. 2016-09-17.
  9. ↑ Historic England. "10 and 11, King's Parade (1126175)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "Biography: Henry Rothschild 1913-2009". The Fitzwilliam Museum. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 17/9/16. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  11. ↑ "A Picture in Porcelain: New work by Tony Laverick". Cambridge News. Retrieved 17/09/16. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  12. ↑ "July Open Studios". Cambridge Open Studios. Retrieved 17/9/16. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

External links

Coordinates: 52°12′15.8″N 0°7′4″E / 52.204389°N 0.11778°E / 52.204389; 0.11778

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