Tate Makes Historic First Loan of LS Lowry Painting to Salford School
In an unprecedented move, the Tate has lent a significant artwork to a school for the first time, aiming to spark a passion for the arts among young students. The painting, LS Lowry's Dwelling, Ordsall Lane, Salford, created in 1927, has been temporarily displayed at the Lowry Academy in Salford, Greater Manchester, for two days. This initiative seeks to encourage children to visit galleries and consider careers in the arts, with teachers and curators hailing the benefits as enormous.
Inspiring Close Encounters with Art
Claire Coy, the principal of the Lowry Academy, expressed her excitement about the loan, stating, "Art feels different when it is close enough to breathe the same air." She highlighted that this experience surpassed her many gallery visits, calling it a unique opportunity. The artwork, which depicts a crowd of children on a bustling residential road, reflects Lowry's belief that "a street is not a street without people," and its presence has had a positive ripple effect at the school.
Teachers reported that the painting has inspired various projects in art, history, and English literature, along with careers workshops that may guide children toward new paths. On Friday, students were completing designs for a large Lowry-inspired collage, which will be varnished and displayed at the 900-pupil school in Worsley. The loan involved months of planning, including security assessments and CCTV checks, as noted by Helen Legg, director of Tate Liverpool, who emphasized that this is not routine museum work.
Bridging the Gap to Galleries
Legg pointed out that many children have never visited an art gallery and may not realize they could enjoy such experiences. "We want young people to come to our museums. They are their museums," she said, adding that this loan makes an explicit invitation to engage with art. Heather Sturdy, head of national partnerships at Tate, stated that if the painting encourages even one child to visit a gallery or consider an arts career, it would be a success. She described the project as "very buoying," likening it to the feeling of owning a great painting at home.
Among year 7 students at the Lowry Academy, only one had been to an art gallery—Tate Liverpool—which surprised his peers. All students were familiar with Lowry, given their school's namesake, and expressed admiration for his work. Art teacher Jason Osman noted that while students might recognize artists like Picasso or Leonardo da Vinci, they may not know Tracey Emin. He called the loan a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" and observed that seeing the painting up close, rather than on a screen, made a significant difference, with some students questioning if it was real.
National Efforts to Increase Accessibility
This loan aligns with broader efforts by national museums to make collections more accessible and inspiring. For example, the National Gallery previously toured a self-portrait by Artemisia Gentileschi to venues like a high school in Newcastle, a women's prison in Surrey, and a library in Walthamstow in 2019. Tate is one of the world's largest lenders of art, with over 4.5 million people viewing Tate works on loan last year.
Culture Minister Ian Murray welcomed the school loan, saying, "There's every chance that the next iconic artist of a generation is growing up in Salford right now, and this first ever loan from the Tate to a school is the perfect chance to inspire Salford's young people and ignite the creativity that's inside each and every one of them." The loan marks the 50th anniversary of Lowry's death, adding a commemorative layer to this educational initiative.
