New Website Launched www.spicegirlscollection.com

This year Liz West has lanuched a branbd new webvsite for her famous Spice Girls collection with a new layout and url.

Have a look at www.spicegirlscollection.com where you will find more images of the collection as well a press articles, exhibition packages and more!

 

This extraordinary collection is the work of independent curator and visual artist Liz West, who is the foremost collector of Spice Girls memorabilia and merchandise in the World with over 5,000 individual items devoted to the band and a Guinness World Record to mark her achievement.

The vast array of objects and ephemera within this impressive collection outline the success and
impact the Spice Girls had upon popular music in the 1990’s. As the first manufactured all-female chart group by music mogul Simon Fuller, the Spice Girls spawned the phrase Girl Power. Replicated through the group’s songs and also their image and merchandise, Girl Power brought a new generation of feminism.

The collection includes over 80 designer and hand-made outfits, jewellery and shoes all of which were worn by the Spice Girls in music videos, live concerts, on screen and at high profile public engagements. Alongside these rare items, the collection showcases award discs from all over the world, unique endorsement items, sponsorship merchandise, official products and worldwide releases on vinyl, CD, cassette, VHS, DVD and other formats.

'Spiceworld: The Exhibition' Open in Derry THIS WEEK

Fans of 90’s pop are in for a real treat when the much acclaimed Spiceworld Exhibition takes up residence in the Tower Museum next week, featuring memorabilia from the Spice Girls’ glittering pop career.

The exhibition, starting on August 16th, is expected to be a huge draw for young and old music fans who are interested in viewing some of the iconic items from the band’s whirlwind success story. The exhibition includes memorabilia, costumes, shoes – including Gerri Halliwell’s Union Jack boots - and other iconic items from their stage and screen performances over the years. It tells the story of how Sporty, Baby, Scary, Posh and Ginger became one of the most successful marketing engines ever and enjoyed phenomenal global success.

The objects have been collected by Spice Girls super-fan Liz West, who has amassed over 4,000 pieces associated with the girls’ phenomenal impact on the world of pop throughout the 90’s.

Tower Museum curator, Chris McGuicken, said the exhibition would appeal to pop fans of all ages. “Traditionally, museums have not been associated with exhibitions about pop music. Today museums are trying harder than ever to reach new audiences, and subject areas like the Spice Girls are likely to become increasingly popular.

“Most people remember the pop charts being dominated by the band throughout the late 90’s, and the fact the Spice Girls have gone on to forge their own successful solo careers makes it an exhibition that is still relevant to younger fans today.”

According to Liz West, the exhibition has been a labour of love since she first became a fan in 1997, as she explained: “Certainly one of the most fascinating aspects of the Spice Girls phenomenon is that they were marketed in nearly every way possible, there were even drinks with their names on. It was the idea that you could almost own a piece of the Spice Girls and consume them in every way.”

The items include shoes and clothing worn by the band, and even unique endorsement products such as Spice Girls dolls. Fans can also view gold and platinum discs awarded in recognition of their multi-million selling albums, as well as some of the front page headlines lauding their success.

The exhibition kicks off in fine style with a free kids costume design workshop on August 16. Art facilitator Louise McElhinney will be on hand with plenty of glitter and sequins between 12noon-2pm to help create some unique Brit Pop costume designs. The budding designers will be provided with special templates to draw and colour their own costume creations.Further workshops will run on September 1st and 8th.

The exhibition itself will be open to the public from August 16 until October. For more information on the Spiceworld exhibition and other pieces on show at the Tower Museum go to www.derrycity.gov.uk or www.whatsonderrylondonderry.com

Spice Girls SPICEWORLD: THE EXHIBTION coming to Derry, N. Ireland

After lots of talking, I can confirm that SPICEWORLD: THE EXHIBTION will be making its way to Londonderry's Harbour Museum from the the end of July to 31st October 2012.

This is very exciting news and I can't wait to share more information with you soon....

Watch this space

Liz x

Northampton museum tells you what it wants, what it really really wants

LINK TO ARTICLE

Published Tuesday 4th October 11

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is appealing for the loan of Spice Girls memorabilia to be part of a Spice Girls exhibition that is coming to Northampton next year.

Spiceworld: The Exhibition attracted over 50,000 wannabe fans when it opened in Leeds, Mel B's hometown, earlier this year. It tells the story of the 90s girl band's rise to super stardom and pays homage to all things 'spice', including genuine clothing worn by Sporty, Baby, Scary, Posh and Ginger.

Northampton museum is keen to give a local twist to the exhibition by including memorabilia from local fans.

Victoria Davies, Northampton Borough Council museum officer, said: "Spiceworld: The Exhibition proved a real hit in Leeds and I just know there will be some really huge Spice Girls fans closer to home. We would love to hear from them and maybe feature any memorabilia they may have in a special display that will be shown alongside the main exhibition."

Spice Girls fans who can help with the display or want to find out more about the main exhibition can call Victoria at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery on 838111.

Melanie C Memorabilia Display at Liverpool's Victoria Gallery & Museum

What:
Mixcase [Music: Memory: Traces]

Who:
Curated by Research Associates at University of Liverpool
(Collecting & Curating Popular Music Histories)

When:
22nd August - 17th December 2011

Where:
Victoria Gallery & Museum
Ashton Street
University of Liverpool
Liverpool
L69 3DR
Tel: 0151 794 2348
Email: vgm@liv.ac.uk

Chance to buy SIGNED copy of 'Spiceworld: The Exhibition' Book

Published to coincide with the touring exhibition Spiceworld: The Exhibition
SIGNED by the author, Liz West

£12.00
by Liz West
Foreword by Nicholas Oddy
Designed by Matt West & Designers Front
Paperback
102 Pages
Published by Kroma Press

Postage & Packing Options

Catalogue + UK Postage £14.95 Catalogue + EU Postage £16.50 Catalogue + Rest of the World Postage £20.50

Examples of inside pages:

HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER Article (05/07/2011)

LINK TO ARTICLE

Record news for Spice Girls fan Liz West

AN exhibition of the Spice Girls, made possible by a Huddersfield woman, is a record-breaker. Spiceworld: The Exhibition smashed visitor numbers at the Leeds City Museum, where it closed at the weekend. And that’s great news for Liz West, of Lindley, who loaned much of her amazing Spice Girls collection to the museum. Since it opened in January, nearly 50,000 people have visited the exhibit at Leeds City Museum.

Now she is planning to move the exhibition to Londonderry next summer and then on to Northampton. The items in Spiceworld: The Exhibition are owned by collector Liz and include a pair of Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell.

The event had already created a world record for the largest number of Spice Girls items together in a collection. Liz said: “It feels surreal, but obviously I’m very proud that people have come along to see all the bits and pieces I have collected over the years. I’m still adding to it all the time and there will be more when it goes to Northern Ireland next year”.

The museum said the best-attended exhibition previously was Dr Rock’s Lost Gallery – involving minerals and crystals - which attracted 3,500 visitors in 2010. Curator of exhibitions Helen Langwick said: “The Spiceworld exhibition has proved really popular and we are especially proud to have played our part in making a little bit of history with the Guinness World Record for Liz, which is well deserved for her amazing collection”.

The exhibition was the first time Ms West’s full collection had been on public display. She was just 11-years-old when Girl Power spiced up the world. She heard Wannabe on the radio and said she became hooked on the Spice Girls. Now the 25-year-old, who lives in Lindley, has amassed a collection of 4,000 pieces of Spice Girl memorabilia. The Leeds exhibition was the first time all had gone on show in the same place.

Liz was a fan first and a collector second, but the artist is now able to make a career out of her collection. She said: “I was always extremely keen for this museum to play host to my collection, mainly because of the impressive nature of the venue but also because Leeds is Mel B’s hometown. "Sadly Mel B wasn’t able to get along to see it because she is heavily pregnant”.

Melanie Brown was born in Harehills and lived in Burley. She married dancer Jimmy Gulzar in 1998. The couple later divorced, and she went on to marry movie producer Stephen Belafonte in 2007. The other members of the pop group were Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisolm, Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton.

Read More http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2011/07/05/record-news-for-spice-girls-fan-liz-west-86081-28992920/#ixzz1RsyRjzpO

BBC NEWS WEBSITE Article (03/07/2011)

LINK TO ARTICLE

Spice Girls exhibition: doors close on record-breaking display

An exhibit of a record-breaking collection of Spice Girls memorabilia in Leeds has closed. Since it opened in January, nearly 50,000 people have visited the exhibit at Leeds City Museum. The items in Spiceworld: The Exhibition are owned by collector Liz West and include a pair of Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell.

The event held a world record for the largest number of Spice Girls items together in a collection. The museum said the best-attended exhibition previously was Dr Rock's Lost Gallery - involving minerals and crystals - with 3,500 visitors in 2010.

Curator of exhibitions Helen Langwick said: "The Spiceworld exhibition has proved really popular and we are especially proud to have played our part in a making a little bit of history with the Guinness World Record for Liz, which is well deserved for her amazing collection."

The exhibition was the first time Ms West's full collection had been on public display. She said: "I was always extremely keen for this museum to play host to my collection, mainly because of the impressive nature of the venue but also because Leeds is Mel B's hometown." Melanie Brown was born in Harehills and lived in Burley. She married dancer Jimmy Gulzar in 1998. The couple later divorced, and she went on to marry movie producer Stephen Belafonte in 2007.

The other members of the pop group were Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisolm, Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton.

YORKSHIRE EVENING POST Newspaper Article: (01/07/2011)

Leeds: Spice Girls exhibition sizzles to its finish
LINK TO ARTICLE
By Jonathan Brown
Published on Friday 1 July 2011 10:32

A record-breaking exhibition to spice up your life will come to a close on Sunday.

The world’s biggest collection of Spice Girls memorabilia was recognised by Guinness World Records during Spiceworld: The Exhibition’s run at Leeds City Museum, in Millennium Square, Leeds.

Collector Liz West, 26, who lives in Huddersfield, has amassed 2,066 items related to the band, which have been on show at the free-to-enter display since January.

She said: “There are still a few days left to see it if anyone has been meaning to but has not come along yet.

“The great reaction from everyone who has seen it has made me really proud and the icing on the cake was securing the Guinness World Record.”

The exhibition is the first time Ms West’s collection has ever been on display in its entirety in public.

Among the items on show are the iconic Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell in the group’s first-ever live concert in Istanbul, Emma Bunton’s blue sequin dress from the band’s memorable performance at the 1997 Brit Awards and Leeds-born Mel B’s trademark giraffe print catsuit complete with a crystal-studded belt.

The museum’s curator of exhibitions, Helen Langwick, said: “The Spiceworld exhibition has proved really popular.

“We are especially proud to have played our part in a making a little bit of history with the Guinness World Record for Liz which is well deserved for her amazing collection.”

Spiceworld: The Exhibition also examines what it takes to be a modern celebrity.

Other items on display include outfits worn by Emma, Geri and Mel B on their Spiceworld tour as well as a gold and diamond-studded Chopard watch worn by Posh Spice, Victoria Beckham.

The director’s script of Spiceworld: The Movie and the multi-platinum CD awarded to the girls for selling over four million copies of their album, Spice, in America in 1997 are also on show.

The Spice Girls sold 80 million records worldwide following the impact of debut single, Wannabe, which topped the charts in 31 countries in 1996.

Contact: www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum for information.

FINAL PRESS RELEASE - SPICEWORLD: THE EXHIBITION (29/06/2011)

Record-breaking Spiceworld exhibition coming to a close
The world record-breaking exhibition devoted to the Spice Girls on display at Leeds City Museum comes to a close this weekend. The collection of memorabilia and merchandise from collector Liz West devoted to the most successful girl band of all time finishes this Sunday (3 July) having been seen by almost 50,000 people since it opened in January.

The exhibition also played its part in setting a new Guinness World Record as the collection of 2,066 items related to the band on display has been officially recognised as the biggest number of Spice Girls items in a collection together anywhere in the world. The special free exhibition at the Leeds City Council-managed museum off Millennium Square shows off a range of outfits worn by the group as well as accessories, platinum discs, books, magazines and dolls sourced from all over the world.
Spice Girls memorabilia collector Liz West said:
“It has been absolutely fantastic to have my collection on display in Leeds City Museum and there are still a few days left to see it if anyone has been meaning to but has not come along yet. The great reaction from everyone who has seen it has made me really proud and the icing on the cake was securing the Guinness World Record.”

The exhibition is the first time Liz’s collection has ever been on display in its entirety in public. Among the items on show are the iconic Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell in the group’s first-ever live concert in Istanbul, Emma Bunton’s blue sequin dress from the band’s memorable performance at the 1997 Brit Awards (where Geri made her show-stealing appearance in the Union Jack dress) and Leeds’-own Mel B’s trademark giraffe print catsuit complete with ‘Mel B’ crystal-studded belt. Other items include outfits worn by Emma, Geri and Mel B on their ‘Spiceworld’ tour, a gold and diamond-studded Chopard watch worn by Victoria, the director’s script from ‘Spiceworld: The Movie’ and the multi-platinum CD the band were awarded for selling over four million copies of the album ‘Spice’ in America in 1997.

Leeds City Museum curator of exhibitions Helen Langwick said:
“The Spiceworld exhibition has proved really popular and we are especially proud to have played our part in a making a little bit of history with the Guinness World Record for Liz which is well deserved for her amazing collection.”

Running until Sunday 3 July, ‘Spiceworld: The exhibition’ is free to enter and celebrates the success of the Spice Girls as well as examining what it takes to be a modern celebrity.

For further information on Leeds City Museum, visit the website at http://www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum/
Notes to editors:
The Spice Girls are Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham (née Adams) who quickly became known by the nicknames Scary, Baby, Sporty, Ginger and Posh.
Following the impact of debut single ‘Wannabe’ which topped the charts in 31 countries in 1996, the Spice Girls enjoyed phenomenal success selling over 80 million records worldwide, having nine UK number one singles, starring in their own feature film and creating the ‘girl power’ mantra which is credited with inspiring a generation of girls and women to achieve.
ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:
Roger Boyde,
Leisure media relations officer,
Tel 0113 247 5472
Email: roger.boyde@leeds.gov.uk