Discover a new exhibition of work by women artists from the Unilever Contemporary Art Collection in Port Sunlight, the iconic Wirral model village and historic home of the global company.
‘Women at Work: the Unilever Contemporary Art Collection’ is a unique opportunity for the general public to see work from a collection which is normally displayed in Unilever’s offices across the UK. It includes paintings and prints by Bridget Riley, Lisa Milroy and Margaret Calvert.
The exhibition is open Wednesday–Saturday from 22 November until 22 March at the historic Bridge Cottage, which was briefly home to Port Sunlight’s founder William Lever, and is now a gallery space. Entry is free, with donations welcome to Port Sunlight Village Trust, the independent charity responsible for looking after the village.
The history of art is full of work by men, and it is only in recent decades that women artists have begun to be equally acknowledged, outside of the production of artworks which may be considered ‘domestic’. The Unilever Contemporary Art Collection redresses this by displaying work by female artists to show the breadths of their interests, subject matter and media.
Unilever has been associated with the arts since it was founded. William Lever was an avid collector and the business often used fine art in its advertising. Unilever has been collecting contemporary art since the late 1970s, with the aim of creating a more enjoyable working environment for employees and visitors, as well as supporting young artists in the UK.