National Museums Liverpool is the only group of national museums in England based entirely outside London.
All of the venues and temporary exhibitions are free entry.
Please contact the press office for further information or images
0151 478 4747
Current exhibitions
Merseyside Maritime Museum
Open daily 10am-5pm
Albert Dock, Liverpool
www.merseysidemaritimemuseum.org.uk
0151 478 4499
Magical History Tour
Until September 2009
Magical History Tour is an interactive journey of historical discovery and an opportunity to look at the now and then of Liverpool life. Travel back in time to meet some of the city's inhabitants who will help you explore Liverpool's growth from a tiny fishing village to a bustling Victorian city of worldwide significance.
This exhibition is supported by the Liverpool Culture Company
Hello Sailor
Until Summer 2008
Gay culture has been a feature of seafaring life for centuries but it is still largely a hidden one even today. Hello Sailor! reveals this hidden history for the first time in a major museum. The fascinating exhibition at that looks at crew life on passenger and merchant ships between the 1950s and 1980s when being at sea was one of the few places gay men could be themselves.
National Conservation Centre
Open daily 10am-5pm
Whitechapel, Liverpool
www.nationalconservationcentre.org.uk
0151 478 4999
Metropolis: Capturing Modern Liverpool
Until 10 Aug 2008
An exhibition of images from the archives of Stewart Bale Ltd, a photographic practice based in Liverpool from c1911 to c1980. The photographs document a city embracing modernity and include beautifully composed images of landmark buildings and great events in Liverpool's history.
Upcoming exhibitions
Lady Lever Art Gallery
Open daily 10am-5pm
Port Sunlight Village, Wirral
www.ladyleverartgallery.org.uk
0151 478 4136
Masterpiece Watercolours and Drawings
28 June - 9 Nov 2008
An exhibition of around 35 drawings and watercolours from the Lady Lever Art Gallery's own extensive collection. Including works by Turner, Rossetti, Cox, de Wint and Burne-Jones the exhibition is a rare opportunity to view exquisite works too delicate for permanent display.
This exhibition is sponsored by Rathbones
Walker Art Gallery
Open daily 10am-5pm
William Brown Street, Liverpool
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
0151 478 4199
Standing Stones
26 April to 8 June 2008.
Three stunning artworks by Liverpool-born international artist Terry Duffy, represent the artist's long-term fascination with human nature and ongoing experimentation with the medium of paint
Art in the Age of Steam
18 April - 10 August 2008
Combining a number of themes such as issues of social class, Modernism, the aesthetics of the machine and environmental concerns, this exhibition captures the fear and excitement of early train travel as it explores the artist's response to the advent of steam locomotion. Artists featured include Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Edward Hopper. Liverpool plays host to the only European showing of this international art exhibition which includes over 100 paintings, drawings, prints and photographs.
The exhibition is being organised in collaboration with the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, Kansas City.
Supported by the Liverpool Culture Company and sponsored by Merseytravel.
The publication The Railway: Art in the Age of Steam accompanies the exhibition.
Ben Johnson's Liverpool Cityscape 2008 and the World Panorama Series
24 May - 2 Nov 2008
Internationally-renowned artist Ben Johnson has been commissioned by National Museums Liverpool, with the Liverpool Culture Company and Professor Phil Redmond CBE and Alexis Redmond, to produce a huge architectural portrait of Liverpool to commemorate the city becoming European Capital of Culture in 2008. Johnson has produced other detailed cityscapes including Jerusalem, Zurich and Hong Kong but this will be his largest work so far, standing at 8ft x 16ft, an area of 128 ft in total. By the artist's own admission it is the most ambitious of his panoramas to date and this is the first time the artist has worked directly with a public gallery to produce a commission on this scale. Johnson will take up residency at the Walker Art Gallery to finish the Liverpool Cityscape in front of a live audience from 28 Jan to 7 March 2008.
The exhibition Ben Johnson's Liverpool Cityscape 2008 has been sponsored by the University of Liverpool
Others who have supported the commission include:
David M Robinson, Liverpool Vision, Northwest Regional Development Agency, Ethel Austin Properties Group, Barbara A McVey and Rensburg Sheppards.
John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize
20 September 2008 - 4 Jan 2009
Now in its 50th Year, the John Moores exhibition has a long history, beginning in 1957 when local Liverpool businessman and art enthusiast John Moores (founder of Littlewoods) first sponsored the competition to showcase contemporary painters of the day. It is now a major part of the Liverpool Biennial, a city-wide festival showcasing international contemporary art. Past winners include David Hockney, Peter Doig and Richard Hamilton. This year's jury includes conceptual artists Jake and Dinos Chapman, art critic Sasha Craddock and artists Graham Crowley and Paul Morrison.
This year's competition promises to provoke debate and comment. The first prizewinner is awarded a prize of £25,000. Visitors will also be able to vote for their favourite painting in the exhibition with a Visitors' Choice prize of £2008 awarded to the winning artist.
Supported by the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition Trust and A Foundation. Official Hotel Partner, Radisson SAS Hotel, Liverpool
World Museum Liverpool
Open daily 10am-5pm
William Brown Street, Liverpool
www.worldmuseumliverpool.org.uk
0151 478 4393
The Beat Goes On
12 July 2008 - 1 Nov 2009
Inspired by Liverpool's significant contribution to popular music, The Beat Goes On showcases Merseyside's vibrant music scenes that have played a major part in the city's life over the past 60 years. From the Cavern to Creamfields, from Billy Fury to the Zutons, Liverpool has been home to a staggering range of venues, sounds, performers, fashions and followers. A product of Liverpool's edginess, energy and creativity this exhibition explores and celebrates its musical identity, its success and its continuing evolution. The first exhibition of its kind, it draws together material from record companies, institutions and private collectors.
