Art gallery looking to build into the future

Exciting exhibitions in the coming months are just the start as council-owned museum cements it position in the cultural landscape, writes Alison Stephenson

- Alison Stephenson

THIS year has been described as “phenomenal” for The Box in Plymouth as it celebrated its first five years and one millionth visitor.

The Plymouth City Council-owned art gallery and museum, which opened its door during the Covid pandemic, is said to have generated nearly a quarter of a billion pounds in economic impact and delivered over £100 million in health benefits since then.

This year saw world-class exhibitions such as Forbidden Territories - 100 years of Surrealism, John Lyons’ Carnivalesque and Jyll Bradley's Running and Returning alongside temporary displays like Remember Respond Resist featuring Grayson Perry's tapestries.

The Triumph of Art by Jeremy Deller, a celebration of art in all its forms, rounded off the National Gallery’s bicentenary celebrations with Plymouth as the host, featuring events over five months including the final spectacular - Hello Sailor, a major commissioned event at Tinside Lido.

More than 60 exhibitions in five years, including many high profile, have helped cement the city as a cultural powerhouse, but at the heart of the Box is the ethos that art is for everyone. And that’s why people can see all these wonderful things for free.

Cllr Jemima Laing (Lab, Stoke), acting leader of Plymouth City Council and cabinet member for culture, says it’s the people who are being introduced to art through The Box that makes her most proud.

“We have a higher percentage of people making their first visit to a cultural institution than lots of other cities,” she said. “It's not just the exhibitions but the activity around them. We've had an established events programme called Super Saturday which happens at some point during every exhibition where we have a day absolutely packed with activities.