Enchanted Worlds - Art of Fairy Stories & Mermaid Tales exhibition

Illustrators and lovers of fairy tales won't want to miss this fantastic new exhibition coming to the Harris Museum & Art Gallery in Preston, Lancashire, this summer.
Enchanted Worlds offers the chance to see artworks from the Harris' own collection alongside work from other major collections such as the Tate and the V&A.
The exhibition looks at the fairy phenomenon in British art from the early influence of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to the popularisation of fairy stories throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. Other highlights include art work inspired by the classic fairytales Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.
Amongst the featured artists are Richard Dadd, Jean Cocteau, Lotte Reininger, David Hockney, Quentin Blake, Paula Rego, Jan Pienkowski, William Heath Robinson and Mabel Lucie Attwell. You can also examine the enigmatic Cottingley Fairy photographs up close and decide for yourself whether they are real or not.
There's also a not-to-be-missed opportunity to see a display of some of the most beautiful illustrated fairy tales from The Spencer Collection of Early Children’s Books of the Harris Libraries Special Collections. Amongst the rare first-editions are volumes illustrated by famous artists of the genre such as Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac and Mervyn Peake.

Running throughout the summer, there will be plenty for family members of all ages to enjoy. For children there will be dressing-up, games, a dedicated activity space and a lively programme of workshops and events. For adults there will be guided tours and talks, all scheduled for quieter times later in the day.
You’ll find painting, sculpture, photography, film, animation, puppetry, print and illustration from some of the world's most revered artists of the genre.
There is a special family friendly opening on Saturday June 13th at noon until 4pm. The exhibition then runs until September 5th 2009.
For more details please visit www.harrismuseum.org.uk

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