Ingram Collection celebrates British sculpture at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum exhibition

Beyond the Canvas - A Celebration of British Sculpture from The Ingram Collection opens on Saturday 1 March, featuring pieces from the celebrated collection of modern British art founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Chris Ingram, alongside works from The Rugby Collection, the borough's own collection of 20th century and contemporary art.

The exhibition explores the rich and varied history of British sculpture throughout the 20th century.

From figurative traditions to bold experiments in abstraction, minimalism and conceptual art, Beyond the Canvas celebrates the creativity and innovation which has defined British art over the past 100 years.

The exhibition explores four themes - animals, heads, bodies and abstract - with each sculpture loaned from The Ingram Collection displayed with complementary paintings and drawings from The Rugby Collection, encouraging audiences to look 'beyond the canvas' and engage with the connections between the 2D and 3D pieces.

Artists featured in the exhibition include leading luminaries such as Barbara Hepworth, Elisabeth Frink and Eduardo Paolozzi, together with young and emerging talent such as Yibei Liu and Lucy Gregory, both recent winners of The Ingram Prize, which supports and celebrates the work of UK art school graduates.

Jo Baring, director of The Ingram Collection, said: "Collaborating with Rugby Art Gallery and Museum and exploring the pieces in The Rugby Collection has been an extraordinary opportunity to uncover unexpected connections and fresh perspectives.

"When two collections come together, they reveal hidden dialogues and complement one another in ways which inspire and surprise."

The Ingram Collection was founded in 2002 and in 2016 the majority of the collection was donated to the Ingram Art Foundation, established and funded by Chris Ingram to fulfil his ambition of making modern British art widely available for public display.

Jo Baring visits Rugby Art Gallery and Museum on Thursday 10 April to give a talk about The Ingram Collection, revealing the stories behind the artworks and explaining how the collection has evolved.

Beyond the Canvas - A Celebration of British Sculpture from The Ingram Collection runs at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum from Saturday 1 March to Saturday 7 June.

Cllr Maggie O'Rourke, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for partnerships and wellbeing, said Beyond the Canvas was the first major sculpture exhibition ever hosted by the Little Elborow Street venue.

"In the year Rugby Art Gallery and Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary, and with next year's 80th anniversary of The Rugby Collection on the horizon, we're delighted to partner with the acclaimed Ingram Collection to stage this major exhibition," Cllr O'Rourke added.

"Featuring prized pieces from the Ingram Collection and works from our own Rugby Collection, Beyond the Canvas promises to be one of the highlights of the 25th anniversary exhibition programme and we're looking forward to welcoming visitors from the borough and beyond."

Beyond the Canvas - A Celebration of British Sculpture from the Ingram Collection was made possible as a result of the Government Indemnity Scheme. Rugby Art Gallery and Museum thanks HM Government for providing Government Indemnity and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, and Arts Council England, for arranging the indemnity.

For more information about exhibitions and events at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, visit www.ragm.co.uk