“I have always loved Picasso’s work and I’ve watched documentaries and read about his life, but to see his work in all its media up close was something verging on the spiritual, and I don’t use that word lightly,” says copywriter Hazel Davis, recalling a pilgrimage she made a few years ago from Yorkshire to London to see Picasso and Paper at the Royal Academy of Arts.
“I wanted to touch it all, inhabit it,” she says. “I soaked up every single inch of the exhibition and spent the next few days thinking of little else. In the end, I returned a few days later and spent even longer exploring it.”
The power of art to promote wellbeing and stimulate creativity is, of course, well documented. Many studies show that creating art can improve brain function, reduce stress and anxiety, improve communication and boost self-esteem. Art connects us with different cultures and affords us an opportunity for thoughtful expression – and who doesn’t need that, these days?
Art Fund, a charity that supports museums, galleries, and historic places across the UK, runs a membership programme to enable more of us to connect more easily with the healing power of art. Called National Art Pass, it grants members free entry to more than 250 museums, as well as 50% off the full price of admission at major exhibitions, and special offers in museum shops and cafes. This June, the National Art Pass is offering a trial membership for three months that costs just £15, followed by full-year membership for half the usual price of £79.
Sargent and Fashion at Tate Britain is just one of the current exhibitions that National Art Pass members can see for half price, with full-price tickets costing £22. Celebrated for his iconic portrait paintings, John Singer Sargent used fashion as a powerful tool to express personality and identity. The exhibition showcases almost 60 of Sargent’s paintings, including portraits that rarely travel, and period garments alongside the portraits in which they can be seen.
“It’s a wonderful synergy of historical and cultural social media for a bygone era,” says award-winning artist Dan Ferguson. “The show invites viewers to share in the intimate and meticulous considerations Sargent made, to socially and aesthetically excite and challenge in the present. A century later and the viewers are able to reflect upon and experience a redolence, immersing themselves in a social history on a par with any Brontë adaptation.”
Traditional galleries and museums aren’t the only place to enjoy works of art that nurture wellbeing. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park in West Yorkshire is an art gallery with both open-air and indoor exhibition spaces, set in the 200-hectare parkland of Bretton Hall. Entry is free for visitors with a National Art Pass – and it’s another of Davis’s favourite spots for a cultural lift.
“It’s me and my family’s go-to place; we’ve been members for years and we treat it as our local park. My children virtually learned to walk there,” she says. “But of course it’s much more than that. It’s our park with huge benefits.”
During the Covid pandemic, Davis and her young family sought solace at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and when lockdown restrictions eased, it became the setting for reconnecting with friends and family. “When we were able, we’d bake bread and head to Yorkshire Sculpture Park to soak up culture outside – because we could. We met our nearest and dearest there, we drank coffee and gazed at the Henry Moores, and wondered whether we’d ever be able to meet inside again,” she says.
“At the truly remarkable Joana Vasconcelos exhibition, we reunited with friends we hadn’t seen for months. As the Fado music serenaded us, we dug deep into our souls. Yorkshire Sculpture Park is such a precious resource for not just Yorkshire, but the whole country, and I’m so grateful to have it virtually on our doorstep.”
With so many inspiring places to discover, Art Fund is encouraging people to explore the opportunities around them and take advantage of all the art experiences a National Art Pass opens up. The National Art Pass is all about opening doors to feeling something new and connecting you with places you’ll love.
The National Art Pass lets you see more, for less. Sign up for a three-month trial membership for just £15 at artfund.org/national-art-pass
