SHEFFIELD.- As Director of Sheffield City Art Galleries from 1964-1982 Frank Constantine (1919-2014), transformed Sheffield’s Visual Art collection into one of national significance. A new exhibition opening at the Graves Gallery in June is set to celebrate his remarkable legacy.

Born and raised in Sheffield, Frank Constantine acquired more than 500 artworks for the city, extending the range and the quality of the collections whilst developing a truly innovative exhibition and education programme.

Building on the tradition of collecting in Sheffield established by notable figures such as J.N. Mappin and J.G. Graves, Constantine skilfully acquired key works that were overlooked by his contemporaries at the time. His foresight was quickly recognised, with many of his acquisitions going on to form the core of Sheffield’s renowned Modern British collection. It was this keen eye and an ear to the ground, combined with clever negotiation and an encyclopaedic knowledge, which earned him a reputation as one of the UK’s most visionary curators.

A Cultural Legacy: Remembering Frank Constantine will provide a fitting celebration of Frank’s achievements and explore the incredible breadth and variety of his acquisitions. Amongst the works on display will be works on paper and photography by David Hockney, including John St. Clair Swimming, Peter Coker’s popular Butcher’s Shop No.1 (1955), Ivon Hitchen’s Flower Piece (1943), and David Hepher’s diptych painting No. 21 (1971), which Constantine cannily acquired in two halves. The exhibition will also feature several works by Constantine himself, a gifted artist in his own right, including A Winter Garden (Brocco Bank, Sheffield) (1953).

Liz Waring, Curator of Visual Art at Museums Sheffield said: “A Cultural Legacy: Remembering Frank Constantine is a celebration of Frank’s incredible vision for Sheffield’s collection and a heartfelt tribute to the immense contribution he made to the city. He was not only a skilled and informed collector, but an exceptionally kind and charismatic man and we hope that this exhibition not only reflects his achievements but also his tremendous passion to inspire.”

Born in Nether Green, Sheffield, Constantine studied at the Sheffield School of Art and the Courtauld Institute, initially joining the Graves Gallery as a curator in 1939 before serving in the army during WW2. Amongst his numerous achievements Constantine brought the inaugural British Art Show to Sheffield in 1979 and for many years was a director of the Guild of St George, the charity established by John Ruskin.

A Cultural Legacy: Remembering Frank Constantine opens at the Graves Gallery on Saturday 13 June and continues until 29 August – entry to the exhibition is free.