Manchester Art Gallery

In the first of our gallery spaces to be completely transformed since they were first hung in 2002, we are exploring the gallery itself. Manchester Art Gallery cares for a public collection of over 46,000 objects spanning six centuries of fine art, craft and design, costume and more. It has been collected by purchase, gift and bequest since 1827 up to the present day. It is part of Manchester City Council and funded through public and private money. The objects are collectively owned by the people of Manchester.

Manchester Art Gallery has been shaped by people: the public, artists, politicians, curators, staff, collectors, benefactors and visitors. Every object acquires different values, status and meanings over time. Every object and person has stories to tell.

The significance of a public collection is more than the accumulation of individual objects. Its core purpose is to encourage curiosity in everyone and inspire creativity in all aspects of life. Using the collection helps us better understand ourselves and others. The Gallery is part of the collective cultural soul of our city and it holds Manchester’s cultural wealth in trust for future generations.

A group of staff from across the Gallery have delved into the archives to select objects that reflect its origins as the Royal Manchester Institution, its subsequent history and a range of art and design. We have mixed up works from different times, made in a variety of materials by artists and makers from Manchester and across the world.

We have been asking ourselves the questions below about the gallery, we don’t know all the answers and we invite you to think about them too.

Get involved : People’s Choice

Over the coming months and years, we are working to re-imagine gallery displays. We will work openly and collectively to do interesting things with the collection.

Many of the works on display have traditionally been chosen by our curators. We have also worked with schools, community groups and artists to select items to display from the vast collection of objects we have in store.

This new space is a great opportunity for the people of Manchester. It is not just about the history of the institution, the gallery and its collections, but of how it is used and by whom. That’s where you come in. This is not just an art gallery; this is a public art gallery. The people of Manchester own its works. This is your collection.

Nominate an art work to display as part of the new re-displays. We want to know what art works  mean something to you. Is there an art work  that has a personal meaning? What kind of response do you have to it? Maybe there is something that hasn’t been on display for a while that you miss and would like to see back on show. Tell us why!

You may not know a specific art work but would like to be part of the re-imagining the galleries conversations.

You can let us know by filling out the form below, or look through our collection for inspiration.

Images

James Northcote Ira Aldridge as Othello, The Moor of Venice 1826

Henry Edward Tidmarsh Interior View of the Art Gallery 1894

Teapot 1740-50

Lesley Young Azar And Regina Waiting On The 10th Floor, Ancoats, No.1 1987

George Stubbs A Cheetah And A Stag With Two Indian Attendants 1865

Ikuko Iwamoto Spiky Spiky Bowl 2015

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament T-Shirt 1982-3