Galleries & Museums
From the UK’s leading university museum, to contemporary art and end of year degree shows in purpose-built gallery spaces; Oxford Road Corridor provides a diverse programme for all cultural enthusiasts.
Both the Whitworth and Manchester Museum are part of the University of Manchester. With over six million items from across the world, spanning over four floors of displays and exhibitions in 15 galleries, the museum is an extraordinary space with a vast collection dating back as far as the early 1800’s. South of the museum and transformed by a £15 million development is the Whitworth, the first English gallery in a park, providing contemporary exhibition programmes that have gained global attention.
At the opposite end of the Oxford Road Corridor, presenting the most diverse, contemporary and challenging visual art in the region is HOME Manchester, who have specialisms in artist film, performance and participation.
The Holden Gallery is situated at the centre of Manchester School of Art, and housed in the original building which was built in 1880. They explore thematic ideas through the work of key established and mid-career artists with a programme that focuses exclusively on recent developments in international contemporary visual art.
On the fringe of the Corridor boundary is Castlefield Gallery. Established by artists in 1984, the arrival of the gallery in the city was to become an important catalyst for rapid cultural growth and an increased presence of visual artists in the city. Supporting artistic and career development for artists is a key driver for the gallery, as well as enabling audiences to fully connect with contemporary art.
Current and upcoming exhibitions
The transformation of the Pankhurst Centre exhibition space is incredible thanks to its new permanent exhibition, At Home with the Pankhurst Family.
(Un)Defining Queer delves into the Whitworth’s collection to examine how we can use a queer lens to define what the term ‘queer’ means.
Golden Mummies of Egypt is Manchester Museum’s re-opening exhibition. This one-of-a-kind cultural experience opens in February 2023.
Dab Hands is an exhibition that celebrates the extraordinary relationship that we have with our hands and the value of the skills that can be acquired
A new exhibition exploring how Elizabeth Gaskell presented Manchester and its people through her novels and short stories, and the impact she had through her writing.
CIPHER makes voyeurs of its viewers; cryptic domestic narratives frame subjects in private states of exchange, isolation, and contemplation.
Traces of Displacement uses the Whitworth’s collection to address one of the major humanitarian concerns – forced displacement.
A fascinating retrospective of photographer Jill Furmanovsky featuring some of the most famous works from 50 years of rock photography
Manchester School of Art’s Degree Show is an unmissable event in the summer calendar with a wide array of exhibitions in every art discipline
The Poetics of Water asks visitors to look at landscapes, borders and centuries and think deeply about soil and water’s fundamental elements.
Economics the Blockbuster is a research and exhibition project, developed in collaboration with Alliance Manchester Business School and MIF.
Albrecht Dürer’s Material World is the first major exhibition of the Whitworth’s outstanding Dürer collection in over half a century.
SEEN Magazine and Manchester Museum shine a spotlight on the sounds of the South Asian diaspora for Manchester International Festival.
A movement for youth-led mental health. Balmy Army is art and activism rolled into one show – expect the unexpected.
Tino Sehgal presents a playful exchange between different masters of their craft. Premieres at the National Football Museum and the Whitworth.
Museums & Galleries
