Rarely-seen photos of Amy Winehouse are to go on display in Manchester to mark the late singer’s 40th birthday this month.
The exclusive images of the legendary vocalist – who was considered to be one of the voices of her generation, but sadly passed away back in 2011 at the age of 27 – will form part of an exhibition showcasing work by critically-acclaimed music photographer Richard Kelly that’s currently happening down at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in the city centre.
The exhibition, titled Richard Kelly: A Time and Place, features never-before-seen images of some of music’s most-talked-about talents – including local legend John Cooper Clarke, Arctic Monkeys, and Florence + The Machine.
Up-and-coming Manchester music talent like Anthony Szmierek and Akemi Fox also feature as part of the popular exhibition.
And now, following its unprecedented popularity, with dozens of eyes having been able to clock eyes on the photos over the last couple of weeks, the hotel has announced that the exhibition‘s stay in our city has been extended.
ADVERTISEMENT
It will now close at the end of October.
As well as the extension, two new rarely-seen framed photos of Amy Winehouse taken by Kelly are also being added to the one already on display in the exhibition as a special homage to what would have been the star’s 40th birthday – which is on 14 September.
ADVERTISEMENT
Rare Amy Winehouse photos to go on display in Manchester to mark the late singer’s 40th birthday / Credit: Richard Kelly
“When taking people’s pictures, I always try to distance myself from the celebrity and just see and capture the person,” Richard Kelly said of the two new additions to the exhibition.
“The images of Amy Winehouse I’ve added are from the time she supported the Arctic Monkeys at Old Trafford a few years back. I managed to catch her just before she went on stage, as it seemed to be a brief respite from the whirlwind that seemed around her at the time, [and] she then went on to lead the crowd in a singalong of ‘Valerie’ – it was magical.
“She was one of a kind, and is definitely missed.”
ADVERTISEMENT
As the long-standing official photographer of the Arctic Monkeys, and as a celebrated music photographer in general, Kelly has been highlighting the best in British musical talent for over 25 years now, and has captured some of the most-famous names in the industry.
He also prides himself on scouting local Mancunian talent, which makes this exhibition – and its now extension – all the more important.
The images are part of the Richard Kelly: A Time and Place exhibition at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel / Credit: Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
David Steel, who is the General Manager of Kimpton Clocktower, said the hotel is “proud” to be extending the exhibition to give people the chance to see never-before exhibited shots.
“We know Amy Winehouse made such an impact on so many people’s lives with her extraordinary talent,” he added, “So we’re hoping to help people feel connected with her art and memory, at a time that would have been a celebration for her.”
The two new Amy Winehouse photos as part of the free-to-view Richard Kelly: A Time and Place exhibition will be on the walls at The Refuge from 14 September.
The exhibition has been extended to end in October 2023.
Featured Image – Richard Kelly
Art & Culture
Morrissey claims sole credit for The Smiths’ iconic Salford Lads’ Club photo shoot idea
Danny Jones
Morrissey is once again raising the issue of credit and disputes over The Smiths’ legacy, as the controversial former frontman has now claimed that their iconic photo shoot outside of Salford Lads’ Club was entirely his idea.
The 66-year-old lead singer turned solo star from Urmston is no stranger to sparking debates and attracting controversy, and it seems his latest is to do with one of the most iconic images in British music history, let alone just Greater Manchester.
The Davyhulme-born bard and divisive artist goes on to claim that the other co-founding members of the iconic Manc band initially viewed as more of his “lunacy” – the suggestion seemingly being (as it often is with Morrissey) that they simply didn’t understand the ‘genius’ at the time.
Many of his most die-hard fans still believe that most don’t and never will.
He even jokes that, in another life, it could very well have been something entirely different and random, such as the Kellogg’s factory in Trafford, basically suggesting that other members would have simply followed suit.
In his words, he argues that “now millions of people come from all over the world to be photographed on that very spot, it is claimed as a Smiths idea. It wasn’t, it isn’t, and it never shall be.”
Once again, this is by no means the first time he’s called into question, ‘who did what’ and/or who owns what bit of intellectual property; in fact, there was apparently another one of these instances with Johnny Marr only recently.
‘Moz’ and Marr have been at loggerheads pretty much ever since the group disbanded back in 1987, and still look to be far away from seeing eye to eye on virtually anything.
Manchester Museum to close much-loved section for ‘major’ £200k redevelopment
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum has announced that it’s planning to close of its best-loved exhibitions.
Thanks to a grant of £200,000 from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, Manchester Museum is planning a major redevelopment of its much-loved Vivarium.
The Vivarium has sat at the heart of Manchester Museum for more than 60 years, and is a centre for globally-significant conservation projects, caring for around 30 different amphibian and reptile species – many of which are critically endangered – in a bid to inspire generations of visitors.
Thanks to a pioneering partnership with Panama Wildlife Conservation Charity, which is just one of many projects designed to safeguard the future of endangered species and develop learning programmes that raise awareness of threats to biodiversity, Manchester Museum houses the world’s only captive ‘back-up’ population – which is why the redevelopment of the Vivarium is so important.
The funding grant will help to ‘revitalise’ public displays, and create new state-of-the art facilities and bespoke naturalistic environments for the amphibian and reptile species cared for by the Vivarium.
It will also allow the development of dedicated facilities for schools, teaching, and visiting tour groups, which the Museum hopes will ‘further enhance’ the gallery’s potential for learning.
During the redevelopment – which has been named the ‘Habitats of Hope’ project – new permanent displays will also be created that explore the connections between its wider collections and the animals it cares for.
Manchester Museum is set to close one of its much-loved sections for ‘major’ £200k redevelopment / Credit: Supplied
“Habitats of Hope speaks to how wonderful and how vulnerable the world’s rarest amphibians are” commented Georgina Young, who is the Head of Collections and Exhibitions at Manchester Museum.
“Major investment means Manchester Museum can match the highest standards of animal care with a more accessible visitor experience, while weaving stories of research, conservation, partnership and action that stretch from thriving ponds in Manchester to hyper-biodiverse ecosystems in Costa Rica and Panama.”
Emily Sergeant -
8th September 2023 
