Jon Sleigh

Really special morning interviewing the brilliant artist Sunil Gupta exploring the intersection of social class, ethnicity, sexuality and belonging. Our starting point was the deeply moving Untitled #02 from the ‘London 1982’ series pictured at the Government Art Collection pictured here 🙌

2/2 at the Wallace it’s 2-4 - 30 / mins on gallery storytelling with object handing/ sensory interactions (last time studying light we used kaleidoscopes on the chandeliers) then an hour arts with breaks /tea and biscuits. Moving between galley and workshop takes 20 mins roughly but we never rush 😎

1/2 aww thanks lovely 🥰 they are wonderful and such a mix of emotions - spaces to be playful, laugh and be cheeky, but also spaces to be honest, emotional, reflective at times - mostly kind I hope

Very mindful and full of kindness - the defo ion of art working for people 🤓thankyou!

Session 3/4 of my dementia friendly storytelling residency at The Wallace Collection ❤️ such a mindful afternoon of discovery around Jan Van Huysum ‘Flowers in a Vase’ c1726 pictured here, lovingly remade in clay over tea and laughter ⭐️

This looks BRILLIANT 🤓🙌🌈

Oohh beautiful thanks so much for sharing ! 🤓🙌

LGBTQ+ magic last night with my friends at The National Gallery delivering a members talk on coded messages in art 🌈 a stand out in terms of emotion with the audience was Minerva and Mercury conduct the Duke of Buckingham to the Temple of Virtue Peter Paul Rubens before 1625

My lovely dementia friendly residency at The Wallace Collection continues - today an exploration of Rembrandt, light and emotion. Then playful use of pastels and blending. Such a nice vibe! Thanks to our lovely group for joining us in the storytelling and making ⭐️

A delightful morning interviewing Dame Kelly Holmes exploring being a sitter for the National Portrait Gallery 💖 together we spoke of becoming national art history, LQBTQ+ togetherness, a shared history of grown up working class, representation and uplifting others.

Villiers Revealed Digital Exhibition Virtual Tour

Find out more about artist Aaran Sian: www.instagram.com/aarancyan/?h...

If you are not able to visit in person, you can view every phase of the exhibition, including the previous iteration co-curated by @jonsleigh.bsky.social, in this interactive digital exhibition:
villiers.digital-exhibition.uk

Two places of worship visited this weekend - both sensational x

Heartwarming day at The Wallace Collection delivering our relaxed dementia friendly opening of the exhibition ‘Delusions of Gradure’ by Grayson Perry - delighted by how many joined us and the emotion we found in the storytelling 🥰 having the gallery to ourselves a huge luxury 🙌

Stunning 🤩

A day working in my beloved brum and chance to see ‘Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White— Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum’ at Birmingham Museums Trust - beautiful, intricate and excellent storytelling.

Lovely prep day working at The Wallace Collection and time in the exhibtion ‘Delusions of Gradure’ by Grayson Perry - fascinating and immersive. Struck a cord with me on many levels, the biggest being how I project myself onto gallery spaces. Loved it 🙌

Reading this for work and I have ‘feelings’…. Excellent read and details but the innate privilege of the authors voice keeps snagging with me, especially in some of the expressions. It’s a seemingIy unchallenged confidence that I struggle to connect with. Perhaps I’m projecting. Perhaps not.

Such a lovely review of my first book with @brisunipress.bsky.social from @gem.org.uk - massive thanks to Katya Provornaya for the immensely kind words 🙌 means so much to me and made me emosh!

I remember having my mind blown as a (dim) 16 year old when my history teacher really drilled into our heads that laws are just what enough of a powerful interest group decides is right, that the law isn't infallible, and that it can be moral to oppose certain laws

This picture is spot on and chefs kiss 🤓🙌

Double treat today at the Government Art Collection - getting to study / some detective work in the curatorial files of Margaret ‘Peg’ Hughes by William Wissing c1685 plus choccy biscuits and giggles with the wonderful Dr Laura Popoviciu - huge thanks for the time, kindness and care in having me!

Delicious two days working in London - last night at St Marylebone Parish Church delivering a ‘sense along’ talk featuring the artwork of Benjamin Robert Haydon and then this morning at the National Portrait Gallery delivering a session on actors + playwrights - very lovely audiences in both thanks!

A screenshot of Tanya from The White Lotus season 2, about to say: 'These gays are trying to murder me.'

these Museums are trying to Educate me

I feel this too hard…

A side quest of writing art gallery tours is encountering camp treats such as this book c1950’s. Less of a history resource book and more a case of being ‘sat next to an awful person on the train who won’t stop giving their opinions’… to call this florid is an understatement. Excellent side quest 🤓

a man sitting in front of a laptop with the words oh dear lord on it ALT: a man sitting in front of a laptop with the words oh dear lord on it

Managed to pull my neck and the kindly doctor has filled me with many many drugs - taking some time off to heal, apologies and normal service will resume shortly, j x

It’s gooooooddddd have a go bab x

Stunning 🤩 and this collection is magnificent if you’ve not have the pleasure of its discovery yet 👍

25 quid well spent - I sank 4 hours into this yesterday and didn’t blink 🤓deeply ironic, playful and the sarcasm oddly satisfying 🙌

Obsessed with the game Two Point Museum, can’t get enough of it. You’d think it would be a busman’s holiday for me but I love it 🥰 top highlights are the passive aggressive public announcements - chefs kiss