Swansea's Glynn Vivian Art Gallery to open after renovation
A Swansea art gallery is preparing to reopen following a multi-million pound refurbishment.
By Huw ThomasBBC Wales arts and media correspondent Work by Turner, Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci will be on show at the Glynn Vivian Gallery from Saturday. The gallery closed in 2011 for a £6m renovation, but construction delays mean it is opening two years later than planned. A parade through Swansea city centre will mark the reopening of the gallery, which was originally built in 1911. It will include a new space for exhibitions, a new cafe and a shop, with about 90,000 visitors expected every year. An extension now links the 1970s and 1911 sections of the gallery, with a new entrance making the building fully wheelchair accessible for the first time. A Welshman, a Frenchman and a Scot - how legacies shaped the Glynn Vivian collection There will also be a display dedicated to its founder, Richard Glynn Vivian, known as Glynn, who travelled the world collecting art. The gallery also houses his own early photography, diaries and sketchbooks from his tours as far afield as China and Australia. Curator Jenni Spencer-Davies said: "It's a gallery, metaphorically without walls. "Physically, people will be able to watch conservationists working in their studios or visit our storage rooms. "We will be reaching out to visitors to Swansea and people will be able to engage with us in different ways - you can pop in for 10 minutes or spend an hour browsing, or come in to learn or take part in a workshop." For the opening, there will be the chance to see Turner's Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour's Mouth and a Picasso - both loaned by the Tate. But the highlight from Saturday until 6 January will be 10 drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, which are being shown in Swansea as the final venue of a tour of four galleries in the UK and Ireland. "Who doesn't love Leonardo? He fascinates all ages," said Ms Spencer-Davies. "We're very, very lucky the Royal Collection has agreed to let us show these drawings, it is so exciting to see this work." The renovation was funded by the Arts Council of Wales, Swansea council, the Welsh Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund.