24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage
Gateway to Over 3,000 UK museums, galleries and heritage attractions
Skip to navigation
The Football Art Prize Comes To Manchester's Lowry
By Graham Spicer
06/11/2006
Image: painting of a subbuteo player in a red and white strip
Maestro by Robert White. © The Lowry
The worlds of art and football are set to collide for a new arts prize in Manchester.
One Love: The Football Art Prize has been organised by The Lowry arts centre on Salford Quays and football equipment manufacturers UMBRO. More than 800 professional and amateur artists have entered the competition, with a total £25,000 of prize money up for grabs.
A panel of judges including figures from the arts world like Lindsay Brooks, Head of Galleries at The Lowry, and Greg Dyke, former Director General of the BBC were joined by David James, former England goalkeeper and keen amateur artist, to choose 81 of the entrants to be exhibited at The Lowry from December 2 to March 25 2007.
Contenders for the prize include a DVD installation of chanting isolated football fans by Natasha Morris, a framed football shirt entitled Who Flocked Over Rover? By Robert Grose and a 3.5metre high painting of a Subbuteo player by Robert White.
Image: painting of a queue of football fans
Cup Fever by Gerald Cains. Cains also exhibited in the 1953 show that inspired the current competition. © The Lowry
The winning artworks will be announced by art critic Sacha Craddock, along with Professional Footballers’ Association Chief Executive Gordon Taylor, at an awards ceremony at The Lowry on November 30 2006.
David James will also be at the ceremony along with former England teammate and Newcastle striker Michael Owen.
Lindsay Brooks explained the inspiration for the competition came from the LS Lowry paining Going To The Match, which won a similar competition in 1953 and has been on loan to The Lowry since 1999.
“Ever since the Professional Footballers’ Association generously loaned us their painting Going To The Match, we have seen visitors make a special visit – almost a pilgrimage – to The Lowry to see it,” said Lindsay.
Team II by Mark I’Anson. © The Lowry
“It’s become known as one of the most famous paintings of football, written about by art historians and sports journalists alike.”
Although the Lowry painting won the competition in 1953 it did not put off another artist who had entered – 21-year-old Gerald Cains. Cains has entered the current competition again with a new work which pictures a scene from the 1976 Southampton versus Crystal Palace FA Cup semi-final.
“I think I was the youngest exhibitor in 1953 and I was delighted to be in the exhibition with LS Lowry,” he explained. “I am thrilled to be exhibiting my oil painting Cup Fever in 2006, 53 years on.”
The Lowry
Pier 8, Salford Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ, Greater Manchester, England
Open: The galleries open: Sunday - Friday 11.00-17.00
Saturday 10.00 - 17.00
Related Articles
News In Brief - Week Ending October 12 2008
MGM 2008 - Top Ten Events For The May Bank Holiday Weekend
North-South Divide Finally Defined At New Exhibition
News In Brief - Week Ending August 5 2007
Winner Of Football Art Prize Announced
News In Brief - Week Ending December 10 2006
News In Brief - Week Ending September 10 2006
E-news registration
E-mail story to a friend
Tell us what you think
Sheffield Metal Master Wins Museum's Inaugural Design Award
DCMS Launches Consultation Into The Future Of World Heritage Sites
Royal Society Announces Plans For 350th Anniversary
Art Website ArtisanCam Wins Children's BAFTA
Former Floorboards Of Founding Father Franklin Facilitate Funny Four
Mark Leckey Wins The 2008 Turner Prize And Scoops £25,000
Library Thief Update: Sentencing Adjourned Until January 16, 2009
Fund Aims To Realise Long-Standing Campaign For Cardiff City Museum
Culture Secretary Slaps Export Ban On George I Chandelier
Shakespeare's Globe Costumes Go On Show In Nottingham
Britglyph Art Campaign Uses Web To Make Mass Geoglyph
Inaugural Awards Ceremony Honours UK Arts Philanthropists
Rare Silver Cup Commemorating Coronation Of Charles II Is Saved For The Nation
London Fire Brigade Museum Escapes Closure - For Now
Another Busy Year For Archaeology On Orkney In 2008
Severndroog Castle To Be Restored Thanks To Lottery Grant
Campaign To Save Captain Scott's Hut Needs Another £65,000
Open Air Lab Project Launches At The Natural History Museum
Search this site
Home Page
News Page
Exhibition Page
What's On
Trails Page
Website of the Week
Letters Page
Welsh Home
Graphical Version
Copyright © 24 Hour Museum
Information published here was believed to be correct at the time it was prepared. Welsh language pages developed with CYMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.