LAING ART GALLERY
The Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne was founded in 1901 with funds provided by Alexander Laing, a Newcastle businessman who had made his money from his wine and spirit shop and beer bottling business. Laing didn’t leave any paintings or other art to the Gallery, he said that he was confident “…that by the liberality of the inhabitants [of Newcastle] it would soon be supplied with pictures and statuary for the encouragement and development of British Art”. Today, the Gallery is home to an internationally important collection of art, focusing on British oil paintings, watercolours, ceramics, silver and glassware. The Laing Art Gallery holds continually changing exhibitions of historic, modern, and contemporary art, and events including artist and curator talks and family activities.