Lincoln boasts an eclectic plethora of artistic talent and culture. You just have to take a stroll through the cobbled streets to realise just how in-grained an artistic nature is in the city. The metallic head that projects itself out of the back of the Drill Hall and imposes itself on passers by, and even the overpowering spires of the cathedral, that jut out into the sky observing the city below,
display the architectural heritage and prowess of this great city.
The Collection
The Collection is, as the name would suggest, a collection of great artifacts from suits of armour to fossil and great works of art. It also has a great playroom and kids art centre that will have your kids screaming “art is cool!” as they learn and have fun.Built to replace the city and county museum , the collections sits in the heart of the city and was built with its historic surroundings in mind. As such, the building is faced in limestone and the roof is made to look like lead to imitate that of Lincoln’s great cathedral. When building work began for the
construction of the Collection in 2003 the museums curators were delighted to uncover the largest roman mosaic to be unearthed in the city for over 100 years. It turned out to be a section of 200 year old roman pavement and now forms the centre-piece of the roman exhibition in the new museum.
The Collection has won a host of award including:
The AIA Design in excellence Award,
and the Green Organisation’s Silver Green Apple Environment Award.
The Usher Gallery
The art collection in the Usher Gallery is the finest in the county. The Gallery was born of the collections of James Ward Usher (from where the gallery derives its name) a successful jeweler in the 1800’s who was also named the Sherif of Lincoln. After his death in 1916 he left all of his collection to the City of Lincoln, and, five years later, the classically inspired building was opened to the public in 1927 by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, using a solid gold key.
The gallery is set in the beautiful grounds of the Temple Gardens and houses fine and decorative arts. As well as its permanent collection the gallery’s works is also supplemented by
generous loans and exchanges with other museums and private collections.
The
Drill Hall
The Drill Hall is another of Lincoln’s artistic bases. It plays host to many exhibitions and presents an all year long programme of jazz, theatre, literature comedy, blues, classical music, and childrens entertainment.
The Drill Hall has been around since 1890 but has only been a venue to showcase art since 2004 following a £2.6m refurbishment. It has a maximum capacity of around 500 people and has played host to big name bands such as the Buzzcocks and The Subways and comedy act Jack Dee. The venue has a fully equipped and flexible auditorium, a cafe bar and two smaller rooms all available for hire.
When you’re in Lincoln you should definitely check out the Drill Hall as there’s is bound to be something amazing on!
‘Mighty Blow for Freedom’
This Modernist Sculpture called the ‘Mighty Blow for Freedom’ stands outside the Lincoln Usher Gallery. It is by the artist Michael Sandle and is a must see for any visitor to the city.
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