Manchester
& the Northwest Region of England
A Virtual
Encyclopaedia of Greater Manchester in the Third Millennium
Including
Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside,
Trafford & Wigan
NAVIGATION
Virtual
Hosting by
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Art Galleries (1)
in the City of
Manchester
The Athenaeum
- Art Gallery Annexe
Whitworth Art
Gallery, University
CornerHouse,
Oxford Road
Salford City
Art Gallery, Peel Park
Viewpoint Gallery,
Salford
Former Fletcher
Moss Art Gallery, Didsbury
Chinese Arts
Centre,
Chinatown, Manchester
The Manchester
Art Gallery
Mosley
Street, City Centre, Manchester M2 3JL.
Tel: 0161-235 8888. Fax: 0161-235 8899
Minicom: 0161-235 8893.
Website: http://www.manchestergalleries.org Formerly known as the City Art Gallery, the Manchester Art
Gallery houses what is claimed to be one of Britain's best art
collections and has recently undergone a £35m makeover.
This is the largest of Manchester's Art Galleries, and houses
an extensive collection of paintings, sculptures and ceramics,
with paintings by Turner, Stubbs and Gainsborough. The collection
includes over 2,000 oil paintings, 3,000 watercolours, 250 sculptures
and over 10,000 prints.
It also houses one of the largest collections of Pre-Raphaelite
paintings in the world, with paintings by Hunt, Rossetti, Madox
Brown, Burne-Jones, Arthur Hughes and others. The Decorative Arts
Collections include some 12,000 artefacts from various periods
and cultures including ceramics, glass and furniture. There is
an on-site café and shop. Free 30 minute guided tours every Saturday
and Sunday at 2.30pm. (Please check before setting off as times
may have changed).
The architect was Sir Charles Barry, celebrated architect of the
Houses of Parliament in Westminster. This elegant symmetrical
Greek building, begun in 1825, was built for the Royal Institution,
which had been formed in 1823 to promote "the interests of literature,
science and the arts, and the obtaining of a channel by which
the works of meritorious artists might be brought before the public".
Its powerful triangular pediment, supported by heavy Doric columns,
dominates Mosley Street, and has a hidden roof-lit entrance hall,
which has remained largely unchanged since it was first built.
In 1882 it was transferred to Manchester Corporation who began
acquiring works of art to create this large collection, which,
nowadays, spills over into the old Athenaeum Building behind -
this is also the subject of considerable refurbishment and a novel
soultion to joining two great Manchester buildings together (See
Athenaeum -next). The motto for the building reads "Nihilpulchrum
nisi utile" (Nothing beautiful unless useful). Opening: Tuesday-Sunday 10.00am-5.00pm. Closed Mondays
except Bank Holidays. Also closed 1 January, Good Friday, 24-26
and 31 December. (Times may have changed - please check before
setting off). Facilities:
Toilets, disabled toilets, Guide Dogs admitted, Restaurant,
Group Visits catered for by prior arrangement, Baby-changing facilities,
Complies with the National Code of Practice for Visitor Attractions.
Gallery Guides and audio tours available in English, Cantonese
and Urdu. Braille and large print versions available in galleries.
Large Gallery shop offering art books, prints, postcards and gifts
based on the gallery collections. The Gallery Restaurant offers
simple food all day and there is also a café on site.
Admission is free
Princess
Street, Manchester.
After 1882, The Royal Institution which had been based in the
present City Art Gallery (above) transferred its art treasures
to Manchester Corporation, conditional upon £4,000 a year being
committed from rates by the Corporation to purchase further works
of art. The original gallery soon became overcrowded, and after
many other new sites had been rejected, it was decided to build
the Athenaeum, immediately behind the City Gallery as an extension
to the gallery's facilities. Charles Barry, who had designed the
Art Gallery, was commissioned to build the Athenaeum. This time
he chose a Tuscan Italian Palazzo style, quite different from
the original, with a connecting entrance directly with the Art
Gallery, and a separate entrance in Princess Street. This now
forms a visiting or temporary art and craft exhibition space,
with frequently changing and exciting shows on offer. Both the
eminent art critic John Ruskin, and Charles Dickens gave lectures
in this building. Now part of the main Manchester City Art Gallery
- the subject of considerable refurbishment and a novel soultion
to joining two great Manchester buildings together.
70
Oxford Street, Manchester.
Tel: (Box Office) 0161-228 2463. (Admin) 0161-228 7621.
Website:
www.cornerhouse.org.
The Cornerhouse ranks as one of central Manchester's prime visual
arts centres and galleries with its three exhibition galleries,
three cinemas, bookshop, video library, café and bar. It is
a regular social venue for Manchester glitterati, alternatives
and creatives. Popular with students from the nearby Metropolitan
University Art School.
Good for midmorning coffee and people watching. Formerly a carpet
shop, occupying an oddly unique triangular site, it stood empty
for years during the 1970s when nobody knew what to do with
it, and owing to its Grade II Listed Building Status, it could
not, (fortunately), be demolished. Its regular exhibitions,
often controversial and usually fairly avante garde, include
a wide range of contemporary paintings, sculpture, photography,
media and installations. It also operates a regular programme
of events and talks on related visual arts topics - usually,
a talk will be available to accompany every exhibition.
A good bar, with regular photographic exhibitions mounted. Open
all year round except Bank Holidays. Free entry. Centrally placed
opposite the Palace Theatre and Palace Hotel on the corner of
Oxford Street and Great Bridgewater Street, alongside Oxford
Road Station, and within a few hundred yards walk of the Metrolink
stop in St Peters Square. Regular bus services stop opposite
(to Didsbury, Rusholme, University, Northenden and most destinations
southwards) from Piccadilly Bus Station.
University
of Manchester. Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER.
Tel: (General Information): 0161-275 7450.
Marketing 016- 275 7472.
Education Information & Bookings: 0161-275 7453
Fax: 0161-275 7451.
General Email: whitworth@manchester.ac.uk
Marketing : angela.conley@manchester.ac.uk
or joanne.hitchen.manchester.ac.uk.
Website: www.manchester.ac.uk/whitworth
A large and lively Art Gallery owned by the University of Manchester,
and famous for its collection of textiles and wallpapers - the
largest collection outside London - as well as a fine collection
of British watercolours, prints, drawings, sculpture and modern
art. Permanent and visiting exhibitions. Rated as one of the
UK's best art galleries, many modern artists are represented
in its collections, including Moore, Hepworth, Paolozzi, Bacon,
Blake, Hockney, Lowry and
many others. The building was originally bequeathed to the University
by Sir Joseph Whitworth,
after whom it was named, and who typified the Victorian entrepreneur.
Facilities include a cafe, shop, limited on-site parking, disabled
access, Whitworth Park is adjacent and is suitable for picnics.
Bookshop open Monday to Saturday 11.00am to 4.30pm.
Admission is free and the gallery opens 10.00am-5.00pm Monday
to Saturday and 2.00pm-5.00pm on Sundays.
Located approximately 1½ miles south of Manchester city
centre, on the main A6010 Wilmslow Road south out of the city,
opposite the Manchester Royal Infirmary. By bus, Frequent service
from city centre down Oxford Road. The nearest railway station
is Oxford Road.There is access for disabled visitors to all
galleries, and a ramp is provided at the entrance. Staff will
happily assist. Lecture Theatre is fitted with facilities for
the hard of hearing. Specially adapted toilets are available.
Peel
Park, The Crescent, Salford M5 4WU. Tel: 0161- 736 2649
The building originally housed the collection of work by local
artist L.S.Lowry, and Lark
Hill Place Museum. The former collection has now been moved
to a purpose-built gallery, The Lowry,
at Salford Quays. Lark Hill Place is a re-assemblage of old
shops, cobbled streets, street furniture and shop windows, collected
from around the city, (many saved from destruction and demolition),
all arranged in a fascinating and authentic-feeling Victorian/Edwardian
setting. There is a blacksmith's forge, pawnbroker, toy shop,
cobbler, chemists, as well as working and middle class room
settings. Opening:
Mon-Fri 10.00am - 4.45pm, and Sat & Sun 1.00pm - 5.00pm.
The Museum will be closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas
Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Please
note, the Local History Library does not open on Mondays
(These
times were correct on day of publication, but please check before
setting off as times may have changed). Admission free. Facilities:
Toilets, disabled toilets, full disabled access, Café. Location:
On the main Manchester-Bolton Road - the A6, about 1 mile from
Manchester Cathedral and adjactent from the University of Salford
campus.
Manchester
Metropolitan University, All Saints, Oxford Road,
Manchester M13. Tel: 0161-247 1708.
Free
admission to the galleries. Opening hours are Monday-Friday
from 10.00am until 5.00pm. (Please check before setting off
as times may have changed). These include the Holden, Righton
and Aytoun Galleries. Also exhibits avant garde student work
and end of year degree shows.
Market Buildings,
Thomas Streeet, Manchester M4 1EU.
Tel: 0161-832 7271. Email: info@chinese-arts-centre.org
Website: www.chinese-arts-centre.org
The
Chinese Arts Centre opened its new centre on 28th November 2003
following a grant from the Arts Council of England. It was first
established in 1986 and now acts as a national agency, which
promotes, commissions and exhibits Chinese artists. It exhibits
British born and international contemporary Chinese artists
at its gallery and develops touring exhibitions. Touring exhibitions
include the groundbreaking Representing The People (1999) which
presented a new generation of contemporary artists from mainland
China to British audiences and Made in China, an exhibition
of contemporary Chinese design (2001-2003)
Cube
Centre for
the Urban Built Environment
113 - 115 Portland Street, ManchesterM1 6DW.
Tel: 0161 295 5076
Email: info@cube.org.uk.
Website: www.cube.org.uk.
Opening Hours: Mon-Thurs 12noon - 5.30pm, Fri & Sat 12noon
- 5.00pm.
Since CUBE was set up in 1998 it set itself apart from other
Architecture Centres with its programme of innovative exhibitions
and commissions. Through Graeme Russell's unique vision CUBE
hosted shows by FAT, Will Alsop and Bruce McLean, David Adjaye
and Kisho Kurokawa. Through the determination, vision and belief
of the CUBE board, with the assistance of Manchester City Council
and RENEW, the centre's future has been secured and will continue
as an architecture and built environment venue.
With a renewed emphasis on professional development as well
as the integration of education and public engagement, CUBE
will continue to explore architecture, construction and design
in order to seek out innovation and drive good practice. The
programme of events will explore the issues and ideas surrounding
constructed environs of the city, with a larger and more accessible
series of supporting talks and seminars. CUBE's new aim is to
investigate and inform all aspects of the design, construction
and management of our built environments, seeking out innovation
and improving understanding. CUBE will evolve into a hub for
debate, demonstration, public consultation, learning, creativity
and innovation for Manchester and with the wider region.
Comme
Ça Art Gallery
Based
at:
The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf,
Salford, Greater Manchester M3 5LH.
Showroom
(by appointment) at:
1st Floor, 42 Edge Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1HN.
Tel: 0161-839 7187. Email: info@commecaart.com.
Established in 1994, Comme Ca Art is the North West’s leading
art and design agency. With over 800 artists and designers on
the books, Comme Ca Art have an abundance of art and design
disciplines to suit each individual or client’s requirements.
