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VISITOR INFORMATION The Cooper GalleryAddress: Church Street, Barnsley S70 2AHwww.cooper-gallery.com, www.bmht.orgOpen: Monday to Saturday, 10am–4pmAdmission: FreeFacilities: Shop, café. There is pay and display parking outside.Above: Displays in the newly transformed Cooper Gallery Top right: Items from the Malcolm Whittaker studio ceramics collectionBelow: Henri Charles Antoine Baron (1816–1885), Girl with a Lambin memory of local businessman and art collector James Fox and his wife Jane. Among the highlights in the Fox Collection is a stunning view titled The DogeÕs Palace, Venice (1848) by the French painter Louis Thienon, while a bequest by Roland Addy included two watercolours of Salisbury by JMW Turner, and a beautifully detailed view of Melrose Abbey by Turner’s friend, Thomas Girtin.The second largest group in the collection was donated by Barnsley-born Sir Michael Sadler, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds from 1911 to 1923 and a keen promoter of the arts. His donation included key English artists such as Peter de Wint and Edward Lear, and moved the collection forward into the 20th century with works by Edward Wadsworth, Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and Christopher Nevinson.There is a small collection of modern art, from a donation by the Sutherland brothers, Charles and Thomas, including artists such as Prunella Clough and Jack Smith. The most recent donation is from Barnsley artist Malcolm Whittaker, who has generously bequeathed his collection of studio ceramics, collected personally by Malcolm over many decades.The Cooper Gallery is a place for local people to be proud of. It is a much-loved part of the town’s cultural landscape, offering an exciting programme of contemporary exhibitions, that feature work by international, national and local artists. The new spaces not only allow more of the collection to be viewed, but will also enable the gallery to host more events and reach out to more people. In a busy world, the gallery offers a place of calm, a peaceful atmosphere and an insight into a world of treasured art. ■Images: courtesy of the Cooper Gallery.THE COOPER GALLERYAt the heart of Barnsley town centre for over 100 years, the historic Cooper Gallery has recently undergone a truly remarkable transformation. Over the last year, major construction work has been quietly taking place, which has seen the vibrant art space double in size. The new spacious galleries, which have been made possible by the support of the gallery’s dedicated Trustees and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, offer visitors the opportunity to see much more of the incredible art collection – and they help the gallery become a true centre of the community.Constructed in 1769, the building was originally the home of Barnsley Grammar School. The building was later purchased by Samuel Joshua Cooper, the son of a wealthy Barnsley industrialist, who left the gallery to the people of the town, along with a collection of more than 200 paintings. These paintings, which he had collected on his journeys throughout Europe, form the heart of the permanent collection. It was after this generous donation that the gallery fi rst opened its doors to visitors in 1914. Since then, the building and the collection have expanded, mainly through generous gifts by local residents. In 1934, the Fox wing was added to the back of the gallery, 28 NADFAS REVIEW / AUTUMN 2016 www.nadfas.org.ukREGIONAL GALLERIES