The Big Archibald Knox Event

WELCOME AND WHAT TO EXPECT

The Archibald Knox Forum (AKF) has been working with Manx National Heritage (MNH) to bring to the world the biggest Archibald Knox event ever.

The exhibition part is to be called 'Order & Beauty'. To use the full quote of Knox to his students "Aim at order, hope for beauty." It will display many rare and outstanding examples of Knox's work at the Manx Museum in Douglas, from 5th April 2025 until 1st March 2026.

Apart from the exhibition there will be:

* Talks, Films and Workshops

* The Knox Trail, launched in 2023, giving visitors the chance to visit 27 sites on the Island covering 60 of his works, designs, or details about his life.

* A series of walks allowing people to follow in Knox’s footsteps and see the scenes he sketched and painted.

VISIT

Visit the Isle of Man to gain experience and understanding of Archibald Knox the great designer and artist.

You will experience wonderful examples of his work, many currently in private collections or not on public display. You will also appreciate how this beautiful island's history, culture, spitituality and scenery inspired and motovated this great designer, artist and teacher.

BACKGROUND

In the past there have been significant exhibitions of Knox in the UK and the USA but this event will be larger, and more comprehensive. It will showcase Knox, his work and the Isle of Man to the world from the vantage point of the island's importance to his work and spirit"

AIMS

Our aim is to have the words "Archibald Knox" and "Isle of Man" linked in the same way as "Charles Rennie Mackintosh" and "Glasgow" are linked throughout the world.

For the duration of the exhibition we expect at least 5,000 worldwide “Knox enthusiast” visitors and 60,000 to 70,000 museum exhibition visitors in total.

AKF will offer expertise on Knox, source up to 60% of the exhibits and supply the bulk of the funding.

10 exhibits at the museum will be chosen from items sent in by the Manx public.

MNH will supply National Art Gallery space, negotiate with third party museums, supply exhibits, curatorial expertise and help with promotion and marketing aspects of the event.

A FEW EXAMPLES OF HIS BROAD SPECTRUM OF WORK

Please click on the small images to see more detail

Silver and enamel frame

Textile design

Photography

Garden pottery

Watercolour

Silver Jewellery

Sketches

Copper framed mirror

Pewter and enamel inkwell

Gold jewellery

Oil painting

Design for a carpet

Deer's Cry

Clock

Illuminated address for King George V

Forum Mission

Mission statement

The mission of The Archibald Knox Forum is to promote the work and legacy of Archibald Knox both nationally and internationally, thus furthering the artistic and cultural history of the Isle of Man and attributing to Knox the stature of one of the greatest decorative arts designers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Read More

Knox Flyer

Archibald Knox (1864-1933) was a pioneer of modern 20th century design and art in general. For many, Archibald Knox’s decorative art in metalware is what Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright are in furniture and architecture.  His work bridges the Arts and Crafts Movement, Celtic Revival, Art Nouveau and Modernism. He did not reject the past and could look backwards easily, yet he defined the modernist sensibility of “less is more.” As expressed by a renowned expert: Read More

Exhibitions

The Archibald Knox Forum curated ‘Archibald Knox: Artist, Designer, Teacher’ - a  free exhibition at the Manx Museum.

Read more