As part of the Arthur Berry 100 centenary celebrations, Barewall Art Gallery in Burslem has launched a major public appeal to help trace and rediscover a number of Berry’s ‘lost’ artworks.

The appeal forms part of a year-long programme of exhibitions, performances, workshops and archival projects delivered in partnership with the New Vic Theatre, Arthur Wood Estate, Victoria Theatre Archive, Claybody Theatre, Keele University, Three Counties Open Art Exhibition, Staffordshire Film Archive and Appetite Stoke.

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players, the Arthur Berry 100 project has already safeguarded Berry’s legacy through cataloguing and the creation of a digital archive. But as the work unfolds, it’s become clear that many of Berry’s paintings remain undocumented, or hidden away in private hands.

Now, Barewall Art Gallery is calling on the public to come forward with any original Arthur Berry paintings, particularly works created before 1985 or sold or gifted before 2012, to help complete the picture of one of Britain’s most distinctive working-class artists.

When the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery staged a retrospective of Berry’s work in 1984, the exhibition featured 113 pieces and produced an illustrated booklet in support. Today, the whereabouts of only a small proportion of these is known. Slides discovered in Berry’s studio after his death in 1994 also suggest further artworks are yet to be located. Artworks photographed within the booklet, but currently ‘missing’ from the catalogue raisonné include Asbestos Garage, the still life Apples and Mugs and The Lovers. Additionally, slides discovered in Berry’s studio document works that have not been seen in their original form for many years, contributing further missing artworks.

This vital work of rediscovery will enable works to be catalogued and potentially inputted into the digital archive, adding to our understanding of Berry’s output and legacy.

Amanda Bromley, Director of Barewall Art Gallery, said:
“The discovery of any ‘lost’ artworks would be hugely significant. Having grown up alongside Stoke-on-Trent, Berry’s work across painting, poetry, plays and beyond has traced the changing face of the city across a century of its life. His art stands as a vital chronicle of working-class experience, and uncovering further pieces will broaden our insight into his practice and strengthen his legacy.”

Anyone with a Berry painting is invited to bring it to Barewall Gallery in October, where the work will be sensitively unframed, photographed, and reframed. Each piece will be recorded as part of the official Arthur Berry catalogue raisonné, and owners will receive a certificate of authentication.

This rediscovery project forms a vital part of Arthur Berry 100, ensuring that works can be catalogued, preserved and potentially included in the new digital archive - adding to our collective understanding of Berry’s extraordinary contribution to 20th-century art and culture.

Anyone who can provide more information about Berry’s artworks are asked to contact Amanda Bromley at Barewall Art Gallery at shop@barewall.co.uk or call 07932 717718 to arrange an appointment.