Ruskin Gallery

The Ruskin Gallery in the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield contains a unique collection of minerals, paintings, drawings, ornithological prints, medieval manuscripts, books and architectural plastercasts assembled by John Ruskin. The collection is known as the Ruskin Collection. It is owned by the Guild of St George and cared for by Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust.

Items on display range from the small to the large. The jewel like colours in a single peacock feather are picked up in watercolours displayed alongside. Detailed drawings of architectural features and landscape views illustrate the skill of the craftsman and the beauty of nature. The front of Rouen Cathedral is recreated in large panels enlarged from photographs taken by Ruskin.

A focal point in the gallery is a colossal glass sculpture installed along the full length of the gallery’s exterior window. Nature Water, designed by internationally renowned glass artist Keiko Mukaide, is based on the theme of nature, which features strongly in the Guild of St George collection. This exquisite work of art incorporates the textures of the sea with misty clouds, rain and snow.

Crafts Council Photostore

The Ruskin Gallery contains the Crafts Council Photostore database. This is a computer based resource that allows you to search for contemporary British craft by maker’s name, type of object, material or technique and to obtain contact addresses, biographies of makers and images of objects through a mail order service. It is a key resource behind the Crafts Council’s commitment to raising awareness and appreciation of makers’ work and to improving economic support for makers by creating opportunities to sell and exhibit work.

History

John Ruskin was one of the most eminent figures of the Victorian Age. His writings on natural history, art, architecture, social and economic matters helped shape British cultural life and had a significant impact on a wide range of other countries. His influence is still felt today and his ideas are as relevant to the twenty-first century as they were to the nineteenth.

In 1875 John Ruskin founded the Ruskin Gallery (originally called the Museum of St George) in a small cottage in the suburbs of Sheffield. He intended it as an educational resource for the benefit of the people of the city. The collection of items that Ruskin gathered for the museum belonged to the Guild of St George, an organisation set up by Ruskin in 1871.

In 1890 the Museum of St George moved to a new Ruskin Museum in Meersbrook Hall.

This remained open until the 1950s when the collection was relocated to the University of Reading, eventually to be housed in a new museum. This never materialised and the collection was returned to Sheffield. In 1985 a new Ruskin Gallery opened on Norfolk Street in the city centre. A small Craft Gallery was added to the building in 1988. In April 2001 the Ruskin Gallery moved once more into the Millennium Galleries.

The Guild of St George, founded by Ruskin in 1871, encapsulated many of his interests. The aims of the Guild were outlined in a series of papers published as ‘Fors Clavigera’, subtitled ‘Letters to the Workmen and Labourers of Great Britain’. The first practical step taken by the Guild, under the direction of Ruskin, was to assist "the liberal education of the artisan" by establishing the St George’s Museum in Sheffield to house the collection compiled by Ruskin over many years.

Ruskin originally intended that a series of museums would be established in other industrial centres, but these never materialised and consequently the Sheffield experiment remained unique. Today the Guild is a charitable education trust which supports community projects and provides scholarships and awards in the areas of craft, agricultural science, art history, education, industry and social sciences.

Visiting Information

*Access for visitors with disabilities - The building is fully accessible to visitors with disabilities.
*Group visitors - Pre-booked groups of 10 or more can get a 10% discount on entry to the Special Exhibition Gallery. Call for more information.
*Café - Café Azure is open during gallery opening hours and serves an excellent selection of high quality meals and light refreshments.
*Shop - The gallery shop sells a wide range of cards, posters, pictures, magazines and other items related to the exhibitions.
*How to get there - The Millennium Galleries is situated in the centre of Sheffield on Arundel Gate, opposite Sheffield Hallam University and next to the Novotel. It is close to the Graves Art Gallery on Surrey Street and the Town Hall.
**By Road: From the M1 leave at junction 33 and take the A57 to Sheffield. Follow signs for the city centre and the theatres.
**Parking - There is plenty of car parking across the city. The closest is the NCP car park at the Crucible Theatre. Visitors to the Millennium Galleries are able to park here at a reduced rate of £3 for 3 hours. A voucher will be issued upon request and on production of a valid car park ticket at the Millennium Galleries reception.
**By Rail - The Gallery is 5-10 minutes walk from the railway station. Leave the station, cross the road and walk straight up Howard Street, by Sheffield Hallam University. You will be able to see the Millennium Galleries at the top of the hill.
**By Coach - There is a coach drop off point close to the entrance on Arundel Gate at the rear of the Central Library and Graves Art Gallery.
**By Bus and Tram - The Millennium Galleries is easily reached from any city centre bus and tram stop.