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The Wellcome Collection cafe and foyer
Sketch by Helen Hayhoe |
This month we're drawing the Wellcome Collection, a free museum and library near Euston Station
that aims to challenge how we all think and feel about health.
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
[ Helen Hayhoe writes ]
Through
exhibitions, collections, live programming, digital
media, broadcasting and publishing, the Wellcome Collection creates opportunities for people to think deeply about the connections
between science, medicine, life and art. There are many opportunities to draw
the fascinating objects of the collections, and to respond to the architecture
of the building and the local area.
The day is free of charge, no need to
book, just turn up with your art kit. Please use only dry media such as pencil
when drawing inside the Collection.
This day is run by Helen Hayhoe and Sasala Wickramasinghe.
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Main entrance of the Wellcome Collection
Photo by Helen Hayhoe |
If this is your first sketchwalk with us,
welcome to Urban Sketchers London!
Every sketchwalk has a leader, a meeting point at the
beginning, a gathering place in the middle and another
one at the end, when we ‘throw down’ our sketchbooks
and pose for a group photo. Sketchwalk leaders
know the area and are there to help you feel at ease
and give you some ideas about what to sketch. Please
note there is no tuition during the sketchwalks. We
all draw what we wish, following the
Urban Sketchers manifesto and sharing our drawings at the end.
We look forward to seeing you!
Key times and meeting points for the day
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The Reading Room at the Wellcome Collection
Photo by Helen Hayhoe |
11am
We will meet in the Reading Room, a hybrid of library and museum, on level 2.
1pm
Meet again in the Reading Room to look at drawings done in the
morning and take a group photo.
3.30pm
Meet again in the Reading Room to review the day’s drawings and take our final group
photograph.
Afterwards
We could continue to meet and talk in the Wellcome Collection
cafe, or if people prefer a pub, the Royal George pub in Eversholt Street NW1 1DG is convenient.
Options for drawing
The Wellcome Collection has a wide range of options for drawing,
including exhibits on current scientific issues, displays from the history
of medicine world-wide, and artworks old and new related to the
human body.
Several free exhibitions are showing at the time of our
visits, and offer a multi-sensory experience to inform our sketches.
- Genetic Automata is an ongoing body of video works by artists Larry
Achiampong and David Blandy, exploring race and identity in an age of
avatars, videogames and DNA ancestry.
- Being Human explores what it means to be human in the 21st century.
It reflects our hopes and fears about new forms of medical knowledge,
and our changing relationships with ourselves, one other and the
world.
- The Cult of Beauty explores notions of beauty across time and
cultures. Around the world, beauty is constantly seen as an ideal
worthy of going to great lengths to achieve. But what are the driving
forces that lead us to believe in a myth of universal beauty, despite
its evolving nature?
The building itself is of interest: the ceiling of the ground floor
features colour-changing lights and an upside-down Anthony Gormley
sculpture. The shiny spiral staircase reflects light. Upstairs, the
Reading Room provides sumptuous cushions to lounge on in a colourful and
welcoming space.
Do bring dry materials to draw with, so that
the collection is protected.
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| Amputation knives and saws from the 18th-19th centuries.
Sketch by James Hobbs |
The Collection may be busy when we
are there, so please find spots to tuck yourself away.
Full
details of the exhibitions and information about all aspects of the Collection can be
found on their informative website.
It may be crowded, so be mindful of others,
keep your distance, break into small groups, and use
less busy areas of the
Collection.
If anyone wants to draw out of doors, the exterior
of this 1930s neo-classical building is an interesting prospect.
Another
option is to walk down Gower Street, which has some varied University of
London buildings, or walk down Gordon Street to Gordon Square, where there
are former homes of many of the writers, philosophers and artists of the Bloomsbury Group.
The bustle of Euston station is a few minutes away.
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The spiraling staircase in the Wellcome Collection foyer
Sketch by John Trotman |
Practical information
Comprehensive information for visitors is available on the Wellcome Collection website.
Admission is free, and at the
weekend the galleries are open from 10am to 6pm.
There is a cafe and a shop, a cloakroom with free lockers, and toilets. In the galleries there are some folding stools and seating.
Access
The Wellcome Collection is committed to making their building, services and programme as accessible and
inclusive as possible. See their website for detailed accessibility information. According to the website, if you need a member of staff to meet you at a nearby station and help you make your way to the building, you can contact their Visitor Experience Team by phone or by email.
Food and drink
The Wellcome Collection cafe serves a selection of
sandwiches, cakes and hot and cold drinks. There are many other
food and drink outlets in the area, especially in and around Euston Station.
Getting to the Wellcome Collection
The street address is 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE, almost opposite Euston station. It is very easy to travel to the Collection by Tube, train, bus and bike -- for details you can use Transport for London’s journey planner.
Public transport
The nearest stations are Euston Square (three minutes on foot), Euston (seven minutes on foot), Warren Street (a seven minute walk), St Pancras (one kilometre away, the nearest step-free station) and King's Cross.
Health and safety
Urban Sketchers London follow current health and safety
guidelines, and we count on all our sketchers to do the same. As
always, we keep an eye on developments concerning Covid, and even
though restrictions have been lifted, we think it's sensible to do
everything we can to keep ourselves and fellow sketchers safe when
we're together. The risk of infection for outdoor events is low, but
basic guidance still applies:
- Please do not attend if you feel unwell
- Wear a face covering when you're close to others
- Give people space
- Practise good hand hygiene.
Hashtags
Remember to tag us when you post your sketches on social media! And
do be polite when posting online. We may be biased, but we think
kindness comes naturally to urban sketchers -- so don't be shy, show
your social media politesse at its best.
#urbansketcherslondon #usklondon
Location map
See you at the Wellcome Collection!
Let's draw London in 2023 -- Find the rest of our programme for the year here. Coming soon: the Urban Sketchers London programme for 2024 -- watch for it!
London by Urban Sketchers - Our 10 Year Anniversary
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Let's draw the Wellcome Collection on either Saturday 4 November = or = Sunday 19 November 2023
