Saturday 8 June 2013

Check out Manchester’s fantastic art scene

Manchester has an excellent art scene with galleries and museums found all over the city, making a city break in Manchester a great option for any art enthusiasts out there.
One of the leading cultural institutions in the city is the Manchester Art Gallery. Located on Mosley Street near Piccadilly Gardens, you will find that its permanent collection encompasses a range of disciplines, including pre-Raphaelite paintings to modern-day multimedia installations.

Piccadilly

Pablo Picasso and David Hockney are just two of the artists whose work can be found here, while you can also see pieces from Dutch painter Willem Kalf and Hungarian Alexander von Wagner.
Open every day of the week with the exception of Mondays, the gallery hosts a number of temporary exhibits through the year. In the past these have included drawings by Leonardo da Vinci and prints by Francisco de Goya, so you can be sure of seeing something captivating with each visit.
You’ll be in good company should you choose to visit the Manchester Art Gallery as it attracts some 400,000 people each year.
Some fantastic paintings and drawings can also be seen at the Whitworth Art Gallery, which is part of the University of Manchester and is located just outside the city centre.

University

A range of 18th and 19th century art can be seen here at the Oxford Road institution, including works by Thomas, Rowlandson, Ford Madox Brown and J R Cozens, while several modern sculptures can be found in the mezzanine court exhibition room and the gallery grounds.
The Whitworth Art Gallery is also home to the country’s largest collection of flat textiles to be found outside of London, with some pieces dating as far back as the third century.
However, it is not lacking for modern art either. British surrealism and neo-romanticism are among the schools of art represented, with items from Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Michael Porter among those that can be seen.
Perhaps one of the Manchester art scene’s most famous names is LS Lowry, who was born in the nearby town of Stretford in 1887. Lowry is known the world over for his paintings of industrial 20th century England and several examples of these can be found at The Lowry, a performance and visual arts centre named after him based in Salford Quays.
In addition to having 1,610 square metres of gallery space, the venue also has several theatres and performance studios. A number of temporary exhibitions and comedic, theatrical and musical shows are held at the Lowry throughout the year but it may be the works of the eponymous artist that really capture your interest.
Should this be the case, visit Lowry Favourites, the venue’s permanent collection where some of his most well-known works, including Coming from the Mill and Seascape, can be seen.
You can also take in art exhibitions at the CUBE Gallery, the only space in the north-west dedicated to showing exhibits on architecture and the built environment, the Richard Goodall Gallery in the Northern Quarter and the Cornerhouse, an independent cinema on Oxford Road.

Piccadilly2

However, perhaps the best thing about Manchester’s art scene is that it’s free! It will not cost you a thing to enter any of the above galleries, although there may be a charge for some events and special exhibitions.
Even if you’re trying to stick to a tight budget you will have the chance to see some world-class art while on a break in Manchester so getting booking your trip now.
There are plenty of Manchester hotels to suit all budgets so you get tailor your visit to suit your needs.

No comments:

Post a Comment