Art and Stuff
By Art Fund
Taking a closer look at some of the most fascinating stuff inside our museums. From bits of buried treasure to iconic portraits to outlandish furniture, what do these things say about us? Each episode, we hear from a range of people who share their expertise and passion, revealing the incredible stories behind the objects we collect, curate and cherish.
Art and Stuff is published by Art Fund, the UK’s national charity for art, which raises money for museums and galleries through the National Art Pass – a neat little card that gets you free or reduced-price entry to hundreds of great cultural venues and exhibitions around the country. The podcast is produced by Whistledown.
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Latest episode
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Lobster Telephone
In this episode Ben uncovers the curious history behind a defining work of 20th-century Surrealism, Salvador Dali’s Lobster Telephone, part of the collection of National Galleries Scotland. -
Spirit of the Carnival
In this episode Ben uncovers the story behind Tam Joseph’s powerful and provocative painting, Spirit of the Carnival, which offers a commentary on the ever-increasing police presence at London’s annual Notting Hill Carnival during the 70s and 80s. -
Puppet of Aloysius Parker
In this episode Ben discovers more about one of the most recognisable puppets ever to grace the screen: Aloysius Parker from Thunderbirds - crafted by master puppeteer John Blundall. -
The Galloway Hoard
In this episode Ben explores the story of one of the most significant discoveries of rare Viking-age objects ever found in Britain. The Galloway Hoard lay undisturbed for a thousand years before being unearthed by a metal detectorist in 2014. -
Sarah Stone's watercolour birds
In this episode Ben Miller uncovers an incredible collection of more than 170 watercolour illustrations of exotic birds painted by Sarah Stone and kept at the Natural History Museum in London. -
The Great Bed of Ware
In this episode Ben explores the history of one of the grandest objects of furniture in the land, the Great Bed of Ware, part of the collection at the V&A in London. -
The Spanish Armada off the Coast of England
Ben Miller explores the fascinating history behind the miniature painting ‘The Spanish Armada off the Coast of England’, part of the collection at the Ulster Museum in Belfast. -
The Wynnstay Organ
Join Ben Miller as he explores the colourful history of the Wynnstay Organ, part of the collection at National Museum Wales in Cardiff. -
World of Cats
In episode two Ben uncovers the story behind a unique collage from the Islington Museum in London. 'World of Cats' by Kenneth Halliwell was made in the mid-Sixties while Halliwell was living with his partner, the renowned playwright Joe Orton. -
The lost portrait of Charles Dickens
In the first episode presenter Ben Miller learns more about the mysterious rediscovery of a ‘lost’ portrait of Charles Dickens by Margret Gilles, now on display at the Charles Dickens Museum in London.