The Manchester Art Gallery isn't massive but has an interesting collection of pieces. It's also free to enter, so not much to lose by stopping in. My partner and I were in the area and checked it out because they had an exhibition on drinkware and the historical context of its supply and consumption. Lots of cool pieces and good insights on the exploitation involved with coffee, tea, and chocolate. Other than that, it's not unlike most museum visits. Wander around, stop by the gift shop perhaps, and then you're off! read more

Free to the public during the week! We stopped here because we couldn't check into your Airbnb yet. We stopped by and walked around. It's big, pretty and they have clean and nice bathrooms. They also have a cafe, and plenty of chairs so you can rest and sit. The gift shop is also very cute and they have free wifi! Definitely check it out if you need to kill some time! read more

Free to the public. Nice cafe to relax and clean restrooms. Tours are done on daily basis. A nice place to stop by while touring Manchester!

I visited to see the Leonardo Da Vinci Drawings. An impressive collection of other Art. Compact and easy to get around quickly. Free entry (£3 recommended by gallery as a gesture) read more

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This is a fantastic art gallery, offering great collections of paintings of Manchester, Manchester artists and Lowry. I visited to see the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition, but also stumbled upon the Fashion & Freedom; a collection inspired by the women of the First World War, which is a mix of social commentary and contemporary design, and seems to be from local artists who are from or study in Manchester. The Vogue 100 exhibition is from the National Portrait Gallery London, and displaying popular photographs from throughout the 100 years of British Vogue publications. The gallery also displays a collection of paintings from LS Lowry and Pierre Adolphe Valette, who was an inspiration to Lowry, and really captures part of Manchester's culture and history. My favourite pieces were the paintings that depicted the streets of Manchester City Centre, as it is a forever changing place, there are some aspects that will always remain timeless. The architecture of the gallery is fantastic, and rooms and exhibitions flow from one to the other over two storeys. Not only is the gallery a great attraction for art lovers, but it also puts on activities for children, which is worth a visit, read more

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London might have Tate Modern. Manchester however, has Manchester Art Gallery. Easier to access than Tate Modern, it's smack in the middle of the city centre and is twice as big following extensive building work in 2002. The main entrance is still through the original Grade 1 listed building on Mosley Street but the gallery now extends over three floors and three buildings including the old Athenaeum next door. Spread throughout 21 different rooms, there's a wealth of historical and contemporary art including everything from 17th and 18th century portraits and landscapes to French impressionists. Alongside incredible pieces by Cezanne, Valette, Rosetti, Goya, Goyen, Picasso, Etty and Pieter de Hooch, there's rare work by Turner, Blake, Gainesborough, Lowry and Francis Bacon. If classic art isn't your thing, there's a special Manchester gallery with work by established and emerging artists, a room devoted to glass, silverware and furniture and various special exhibitions. Jake and Dinos Chapman recently showed their Disasters of War sculpture and there was a wonderful exhibition of work by 32 influential women artists including Frida Kahlo, Jane Graverol and Lee Miller (Angels of Anarchy - Women Artists and Surrealism). If you're planning to visit the gallery this spring, make sure you don't miss Ron Mueck's hyper-real sculptures of sleeping humans. They are unforgettable. read more

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Over the years I've visited Manchester Art Gallery only a handful of times, yet each exhibition has been interesting and thought-provoking. I'd class myself as more of a fan of contemporary art, though there are some truly impressive and beautiful 19th century paintings hung here (The Sirens and Ulysses is a personal favourite - a macabre fact: the decaying remains of the dead sailors were modelled after real bodies from a morgue). It's hung next to an original Banksy from 2000, which at first I thought was an audacious stunt but it turns out it's on loan. The latest exhibition 'The Sensory War 1914-2014' which runs until February 2015 explores how artists over the years have communicated the impact of conflict on the body, mind and environment. Some of the pieces are certainly hard-hitting, so be prepared. It's definitely something to consider going to see, given it's the centenary of the First World War. The two storey building is logically laid out - it's difficult to get lost and you find yourself meandering around the rooms at your own pace. It's never felt too busy inside, even with free entry. Alas it isn't the biggest of galleries, so you wouldn't need more than an hour or so to get round, but there is plenty to see and it's ever-changing (they have 30,000 items in the collection apparently). So whether you like Gainsborough or Grayson Perry, L.S. Lowry or Roy Lichtenstein, there's bound to be a painting or ceramic, a room, or an entire floor that you'll love. read more

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I have visited my fair share of art galleries and this one was one I will remember. Free entry. There were some really good things to see here, from 18th century to contemporary art that you wouldn't of expected from a gallery. I really enjoyed the post 19th century art, mainly that of the nature landscapes. With 3 floors you can get a good variety of art from clearly talented artists. My only issue was there wasn't enough to see, nor was there enough contemporary art pieces, as in picture based. My eyes, however, have been opened up to a different style of art through objects and modern, very easily acquirable items. read more

Manchester Art Gallery - Bead inspired so much by this one. My favourite piece in the whole gallery. - Art Galleries Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Only got in here for 5 mins before they closed at 5:( but what I did get to see was so Fab! I feel there's a lot more to be explored here and will definitely be coming back. Their 'lost gardens of Manchester' exhibition looked amazing so look out for that! Staff were very helpful and informative about,the displays read more

Manchester Art Gallery - Part of the 'Lost gardens of Manchester' exhibition - Art Galleries Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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I make an effort to visit a couple of times a year to see the changing exhibits as well as revisit the collections. There's a good range of styles and the current Joana Vasconcelos exhibition is ace as well as the permanent pre raphaellite collection. They miss a trick a little on the shop, just not enough high quality items related to the current changing exhibition. read more

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Manchester is lucky to have such an incredible art gallery in the middle of the city. The museum's collection and touring exhibitions are of an international standard and there's always something interesting on display. The weekly Thursday lates, day time talks, and exhibition opens are definitely worth checking out. It is great that you can just pop in for a few minutes on your lunch break and check out some art. The Tuesday lunch time meditation sessions are also a great way to get a moment of zen in your busy day. read more

Manchester Art Gallery - Antony Gormley statue - Art Galleries Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Manchester Art Gallery is a beautiful building with an equally attractive modern annex accessed via a cool walkway. Quite a lot of the older collection is not that beautiful or high quality, in my humble opinion, so you may have to wander around it before you find something you like, but the exhibitions are generally very good and the modern art collection is great too. The third floor art, craft and design gallery is easily missed but has some lovely furniture and ceramics. Overall, well worth a visit if you're in Manchester and like many of our museums it's free which really is one of the great privileges of living in this country. Late night opening on Thursday nights is good for those who work, although one time I was visiting during the Grayson Perry exhibition (which was awesome) there was also some horrible band playing so loudly it nearly ruined the experience. I don't really think things like that are compatible with general museum hours (particularly given Thursday night visitors are often those with limited opportunities to visit) - it would be better to open especially for it another night. read more

I was absolutely stunned during my recent trip to the Manchester Art Gallery! The weekend I decided to visit the area it poured (surprise, surprise...) so I was stuck doing indoors activities all day. Luckily, a friend recommended that I check out the gallery. If you're bored or stuck inside in Manchester, this gallery is a great way to spend the day. And bonus - it's free! Though it's a pretty small space, the exhibits are carefully curated and they definitely pack a punch. My absolute favorite was the Japanese design installation - Comme des Garçons dresses and beautifully designed architecture, all in one place? Yes please! - but I also very much enjoyed the impressionist collections towards the back of the museum. I'm not sure how frequently they update their galleries, but if I'm ever in the area again, this one would definitely be worth a re-visit. read more

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Manchester Art Gallery, with its typical classically inspired columned facade (sorry, I love this, I'm a Classics geek), is unmissable if you are in the Mosley Street, St Peters Square area, complimented on the other side of the square by the majestic Public Library. Once that horrible tram work is finished people will be able to appreciate it more. After a refurb about seven years ago, this art gallery has gone from strength to strength. It's only right that Manchester has a gallery of this calibre and breadth: it houses three floors of classic and modern art plus their Gallery of Craft and Design (in an old Victorian theatre, which makes it more exciting). With the older art, I tend to get an audio guide as unless the descriptions are meaningful, you might not get a lot out of it unless you spot a Turner you recognise or something. At the moment, if this is your thing they are in the middle of a restoration of an impressive William Etty painting. One other thing to mention, for families and big kids is the Clore Interactive Gallery. Here they have everything to entertain whilst providing a leetle bit of culture such as the Venetian style masks, the mini chariot race and dressing up. Definitely worth a day out. read more

Manchester Art Gallery - Art Galleries Near Me - Manchester, XGM

My fourth year in Manchester and I finally stepped foot in the Manchester Art Gallery. From the outside the gallery is fairly unassuming; you wouldn't exactly be able to walk straight past without noticing, but it's quite tucked away and, with the mixture of architecture we have in this fair city, it's easy to overlook grand buildings and assume they house banks or big business. From the door on Mosley Street the entrance isn't glaringly obviously touristy - there is a desk with someone on to help you but you aren't bombarded with leaflets and tours, giving you a sense of being in charge. My parents and I had gone specifically for the First Cut exhibition which is currently being held here but were quickly distracted by everything and anything else. This place is big! The First Cut was housed on the top floor so we just had to have a nosey at everything else on the way. We first stumbled upon the First Cut pieces to purchase, our first look at this paper art, and were each captivated. My dad and I both took fancy to a piece called "Post-Modern Mortem" by a woman named Beatrice Coron, a delicate cut-out piece depicting the lives and loves of skeletons. Beautiful. On the top floor the First Cut caught our imagination even more and, once we managed to get back down to the shop, were all leafing through the paper craft books with new inspiration to get some paper and scissors out! My other highlight of the gallery had to be the interactive section - whatever is this sort of thing just for children, everyone should get involved with the interactive side of art. As well as colouring and dress up sections there was a great interactive piece of work where you look at a sculpted piece of people surrounding an accident, think/discuss what they could be feeling, then watch an actor on a small screen, dressed up as each character, telling you what's happening and reflecting their actions/poses in the piece. A lovely morning spent in a great building with fascinating paper. I recommend the First Cut to everyone, especially those who might be needing some crafty inspiration as you're sure to get it here in this exhibition. read more

Manchester Art Gallery - interactive art - "wish you were where?" (2012) - Art Galleries Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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I like the Manchester Art Gallery. Its not too big, meaning that it's easy to see and appreciate most of the art without being completely overwhelmed. Its free to enter - always a bonus in this day and age. The building itself is stunning featuring a Romanesque pillared portico and numerous bays and windows. The collection itself includes a vast proportion of local art, giving an insight into this part of the country. In addition to this, there are some great international pieces, both art work and sculpture. There are numerous activities for families and children, and a cafe downstairs to grab refreshments if you need them. Worthy of a visit if you are in the area. read more

Imagine being bored on a Saturday morning. Reading your newspaper, day dreaming away. Your friend calls you and invites you to the Manchester Art Gallery to breathe the pure air of art. When you enter the building, you enter into a new world. Time and space are forgotten and all you can think, is how much love and passion has been put in every single piece of art. From room to room, you travel in time, from century to century. You can easily imagine the artist, painting, creating a whole new world, expressed by simple touches of his soul. It's like a fairytale where you can use your imagination to make everything come true, your dreams, your ideas. Come with me, and take a look at the most amazing place in Manchester, where impossible becomes possible. read more

I must start with the fact that I am not that into staring at paintings as much as I am into looking at relics. What I am saying is, I prefer museums to art galleries. I also have a particular aversion to the medieval era paintings where gloom and doom seems to be the recurring theme. Having said this, Manchester Art Gallery does an amazing job of showcasing some fantastic paintings and putting up guest shows and exhibitions. The building itself is a wonderful architectural piece and well worth spending time in. The entry is also free, so you can't really ask for more now, can you. One thing I am not a fan of, however, not just here but in most places, is the gift shop that sells "souvenirs" for exorbitant prices. Overall it's not a bad place to spend a few hours in, especially given the spectacular weather options that our lovely city has to offer. read more

Manchester Art Gallery is still one of my favourite medium-size art museums in England. Since I came here for the first time in 2011 I've visited it every time I come to town. The selection of paintings from the late 18th to late 19th century (Romantic and Victorian) is particularly impressive - you can find works by many famous artists (like Sir Joshua Reynolds, or Ford Madox Brown) here, but also many so-called "genre paintings". In addition, there are always temporary exhibitions - some free, some for a modest fee. The historic building itself is lovely, and you can quietly amble through the spacious, well-lit galleries - i.e. if you're not caught among noisy groups of school children. Photos of all the works in the permanent collection are allowed, and the place is free to visit. There's also a nice café area on the ground floor - though the actual quality of the coffee is not that great. But everything else about this art gallery is. read more

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Time to pretend you know tons about art! Okay, time for ME to pretend. I've loved visiting art galleries, ever since my father used to take me to them when I was little, and while I've always appreciated art I'm completely clueless. But I still do like visiting the galleries. There are a few to choose from in Manchester, but one of the most attractive and architecturally stunning is the gallery on Mosley Street. With a hugely diverse art selection to browse through there's something for everyone here. Collections are classified by titles such as fine art, costume and decorative art, and permanent galleries include craft and design, modern, historic and one entirely devoted to Manchester. Current exhibitions include Ron Mueck's hyper-real human sculptures capturing vulnerable, intimate or isolated moments, some of Frank Cohen's 'Facing East' collection, and Francisco de Goya's prints. With education programmes for nurseries, schools, colleges and universities, tons of interactive family activities and clubs to join, unusual gifts and superb souvenirs in the gift shop and a lovely café, why not make like me and pretend to be well cultured man? It's a more than enjoyable experience, it's free, and might even inspire you to get creative yourself. read more

Manchester art Gallery is a great treasure in Manchester. The building itself is not massive but the display space has been designed properly to avoid getting lost which usually happens in most galleries and museums. There are 3 floors in Manchester Art Gallery and each floor has two parts which are collected by a path. The exhibitions in the gallery include two categories : the permanent classics display, and the exhibition programme changing every few months. The classic displays have pre-Raphaelites, Victorian and some impressionism and Post-impressionism works etc. The exhibition programme provides the great contemporary arts to the city. The latest exhibition programmes have introduced the artists like Joana Vasconcelos, Ryan Gander, and Perry Grayson and their works. The great part I love about Manchester Art Gallery is combining the contemporary work into the classics during the exhibition programmes. It's amazing that you could find a Banksy piece just next to a classic painting. There is education department, which is designed for family and children. There are also studios designed related to the exhibitions for visitors to participate. The cafe in the ground floor is great, with nice coffee and drinks. The cakes and pastries are fresh. The shop has the best selection of books in arts. The cards, the jewellery, and souvenir are in excellent taste. It's not only just a gallery shop but a gift shop for special occasions if you want to treat someone with good taste. read more

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The Manchester Art Gallery is a beautiful building which is a great attraction in Manchester and has some amazing wonders of art and some incredible pieces of history. Its set on a few levels so theres loads to see. Its also all free of charge apart from the odd exhibition which you had to pay for. Its well worth a visit though! read more

The Manchester Art Gallery is a truly impressive Neo-Classical building with free admission to the public. The décor is even more impressive with enormous marble staircases and high painted ceilings with elaborate plaster detailing consolidated with modern glass and metal features. It has rapidly changing exhibitions on show which range from the drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci to contemporary Chinese painting as well as an astounding permanent collection. There is an entire room of painting from the Pre-Raphaelites including Dante Gabriel Rossetti and one of my favourite paintings, 'Hylas and the Nymphs' by John William Waterhouse which is definitely worthy of a few minutes of your time. There are also paintings by Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon on permanent display. The gift shop is really incredible and sells tons of desirable things along with glossy coffee table books and prints of all the wonderful paintings. The café is also rather good although can appear quite understaffed and therefore there are lots of old trays and empty mugs on the tables. The toilets are hidden away behind secret doors that are concealed to look a part of the wall. read more

We visited this museum yesterday - and although the collection is rather limited, there are some nice paintings (especially the Pre-Raphaelites). Also, both the interior and the exterior of the building are lovely. Speaking of the exterior: there's a small garden on the entrance side of the building and it has a generous number of chaise lounges. It's called the Lost Gardens and it's recently become part of the National Trust. It's really pleasant to sit out there in such a pretty environment. Lastly; we had a wonderful conversation with an art historian (who's employed by the museum) as we were leaving the building, and he told us many interesting details about two new statues near the entrance. read more

I have been putting off this review, as I am not sure what to put to explane how must I love this gallery. I will not be baseing this review on one show as I have been going here for years. So, this place is free, so great for a cheap day out! Some of the shows will be charged, however I have found that the prices are resonible (as compared to the tate for example) and there is far more that is free. The changing displays are usually of great quality and they often have a room dedicated to interviews and written work by the artist which really allows you to dig deeper into there work of that what you enjoy. The work fewout the gallery is very well curated, allowing you to few the art in a way that compliments the work and doesn't cram to must into to little a space, which has spoilt me to many places. They have late night opening on the Thursday, which is great if you are busy in the week. The cafe is good as well. So on fear of ramberling on, I am going to wrap IP this review from a quote from my 6 year old niece. Said as loud as she could on here 1st trip. 'This is awesome!' read more

I have always loved to visit art galleries, I love everything about them. The secrecy of the words behind a painting to thinking what it actually is! Of course many a times, my interpretations get the better of me. Manchester Art Gallery is a majestic building, perfect architecturally on the quaint Mosely Street! Manchester is not crowded with such galleries, thus making the Manchester Art Gallery a good one amongst all the present ones to see. They have costume and decorative art, fine art and modern designs to woe the spectators. A great place to soak up some talent and feel inspired. read more

The Manchester Art Gallery is the daddy of the Manchester art scene. It is housed in one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, as one would hope, and never fails to bring a smile to my face. Reason? The Manchester Art Gallery is not afraid of trying something new - to bring Art out from behind the glass and present it openly to the public. First things first, any venue that offers me a free experience is in my good books. And for a free institution, the Manchester Art Gallery goes above and beyond what is expected. The Gallery features a very nice café and gift shop, which , to be frank, are worth the visit alone. The gift shop sells a huge range of prints, posters and art-related books, which are not necessarily available elsewhere, so it is most definitely worth stopping in for a browse. There are interactive exhibits in the gallery as well, which allow children of all ages to really get involved and stuck in with the art on display, as well as creating their own work. The Gallery schedule a fantastic range of travelling exhibitions in an upstairs receiving space - I recently visited the installation of sculptures by the artist Ron Mueck, which was phenomenal, even the second time round (I saw the exhibition elsewhere first). By programming in classical art alongside new installations by the likes of Mueck, the Manchester Art Gallery is upping its game, and really trying to appeal to as many people as possible, and long may it continue. read more

Manchester art gallery is located on Mosley Street. It is about 12 minutes on foot from Picadilly Gardens. It consists of two buildings: The original one that is still used as the main entrance and a modern one that was later attached to provide the gallery with more spaces for it's art collection and exhibitions. Even though the original building is only 200 years old it shows the influence of Renaissance architecture. It has Ashlar blocks walls, triangular ornaments above the doors and windows and it uses six Greek columns to support the roof of the porch which lead the visitors to the entrance hall. Each room inside the gallery is decorated minimally to avoid distracting the artworks. The gallery also contains a main hall that connects the two buildings together which is not used for any art purposes but it doesn't make that place less interesting as it is the only space where the contrast between the two architectural works can be seen. Despite all the good features of those buildings they didn't add anything special to the architectural worlds. Probably the surprising atmosphere of the main hall will be the best feature of the whole gallery. read more

I'm not going to lie; I had no idea this place existed until I happened upon it quite by accident. It was a nice morning so I set out on a walk across town when suddenly the weather turned and I found myself a mile or so from my destination, in a light jacket, and some serious rain. Looking up I saw an entry way and ducked inside. Seeing it was an art museum I completely forgot about where I was originally going or why and let myself wander around, lost in the beauty before me. I was so enraptured with the Waterhouse original Hylas and the Nymphs (one of the highlights of my travels) that I didn't even mind the "squeak squeak squeak" of the shoes on the woman who decided to follow me around. OK, I said I wasn't going to lie, so maybe I did mind a little bit, but not enough to let it ruin the moment. There are works by Burges, Valette, Dixon, Ernst, Picasso and many many others. There is also a gift shop and cafe. Manchester Art Gallery is truly one of the city's brightest gems. I hope to make it back some day. read more

Charming gallery close to Chinatown. We saw the free Fashion & Freedom exhibition, which included designs by Vivienne Westwood and Jackie JS Lee. It was small but there were lots of interesting nuggets to digest, plus four thoughtful fashion-related videos. We were going to check out the Japanese exhibition but couldn't find it. Which is my only quibble: the layout was a little confusing. Still, we had a quick look upstairs and the 18th century collection reminded me of the equally lovely Wallace Collection back home in London. Definitely worth a visit on a rainy afternoon. Plus, it's free! read more

I'm not a particularly arty person, but I have some postcards from this museum on my bedroom wall: 1) Lowry's painting of Piccadilly Gardens 2) 'Visit Rusholme' photographs 3) Cartoon animals acting like drunken louts on an Oxford Road bus Even if you're not a huge art fan, then the section on Manchester is definitely worth a visit (where you can find the above pictures and more). This is located downstairs in the gallery. If you're into portraits and older stuff and have a bit of time on your hands, then head upstairs. At the moment there is a special exhibition by ten rarely-shown works by current and future global art stars from China, India and Japan including a life-size baby elephant with skin made entirely of bindis. I'm definitely going to pop in to see that, and maybe pick up some more postcards from the shop. read more

I've sat debating whether or not to share this or not for the last five minutes, but hovering my fingers over the keyboard is beginning to cramp them up so I'm just gonna go for it. Besides, the only truly comedic moments I've ever had always involved allowing people into my embarrassments just that little bit too far anyway so why stop now? OK, despite studying architecture and latterly interior design at university and despite the fact that I earn my money as a writer and an artist of sorts....I get most of my culture from....well, movies (my toes are curling). I know that's pretty lame and makes me a monumental hypocrite but I just can't stand the way people invent their own interpretations of art then credit their thoughts to the artist and as such, generally speaking, can't stand art galleries. Museums get me depressed as they point out how fleeting we are. Libraries always smell of wee. I used to try to go to all three but always ended up looking at other people wondering why they looked so amazed and why I just found myself thinking "Is this all we have to offer on a Sunday?" And if I'm really honest, films have allowed me to lazily pass myself off as cultured far too many times for me to quit them now! So as you'd imagine, it was with much huffing and puffing that I agreed to go with my better half, Alex to the Manchester Art Gallery. I was a little bit suspicious as we sauntered around the corridors pulling mature faces at the Pre-Raphaelite works of art then made our way through the arts and crafts section, "She is even less cultured than I am!" I thought, "What's this all about?". Then, just as I was about to have my inevitable man tantrum, a grin spread across her face, telling me that wherever it was we were going, we were there. "You'll like this." Alex said secretively, pointing me towards a bench that had two listening ports at either end. I sat down and leaned in as if I was about to be whispered something really hush hush- which is I think what the artist intended. "They're alright, yeah. The city has come one leaps and bounds" said a random voice. "I don't get all this rivalry, I mean it's just a game inn't?" said another. More voices followed, all saying pretty much the same thing- that whoever it was they were talking about, they didn't mind them, their city was OK and they were good at football and music. "That's nice" I thought but....."So?" "It's all about how the relationship between Manchester and Liverpool has developed over the years" said Alex. The voices had been Mancunians talking about Liverpudlians. "That's great" I said "I knew all the hatred was rubbish all along. Its good that we can be so mature about it these days, I mean- it's only football. I'm a Scouser and the Mancunians have been lovely to me." "Now listen into the other one" said Alex, who was now trying harder than ever to contain her laughter. Tentatively, I leaned in and was met with- "Mancs?!! Their just fucking 'orrible aren't they! Why? Cos, they're just like... 'orrible Mancs like aren't they?" then "Don't even get me started lad!! Manc's are just dirty smackheads la." even "Manchester? I've never been. Why would I go their?" and most elequently "The shops are good n da, but er....I just tink dee should fuck off like" I Sigh. "Normal service resumed." read more

Manchester Art Gallery - Art Galleries Near Me - Manchester, XGM

We are so lucky to be able to walk straight into Manchester Art Gallery and freely view works of art by some of the most famous Artists in the world, such as Lowry, Rossetti, Holman Hunt, Turner, Constable, Gainsborough, Bacon, Freud and Hockney. Most of the Fine Art forms both modern and historic collections for permanent viewing. I find it hard to pass by and not go in if I have the time, especially to go in and have a mind stilling look at one of my favorite paintings of Manchester in this gallery - India House by Valette. There are always at least three interesting exhibitions that change roughly every four months, most of these are free too but a small fee is payable for admission to some. Its easy to navigate the many rooms and there are friendly and helpful staff on each floor that are very willing to help if you do get a bit lost. On another note, the shop here is quite good too, not only does it sell all the usual Art lovers and touristic collectable nick knacks you would expect (quite good quality for its type) but you can also find cards that can rival paperchase for uniqueness, there are also rather nice gift ideas including beautiful silver jewellery... and again really reasonable! The food is very good too..... have lunch here if you want to make a day of it! It would not be fair to express my joy at having such a readily available source of culture without pointing out that the gallery needs to raise nearly half its operating budget every year.... so, if you can afford a few spare pounds you can donate them at the obvious donation point in the reception hall. read more

The shop at the Manchester Art Gallery is located next to the café in the centre of the gallery, and thankfully as visit to it is optional rather than being integrated into the gallery itself by containing the Exit. The shop sells all of the usual things that you would expect from a gift shop such as branded stationary, mugs etc. The shop also does just about any common household object you can think of with artwork from the gallery printed onto it. Although all that kind of stuff sounds a bit naff, I have to say that the notebooks are actually excellent! The gallery obviously knows it market it well. Other items featured in the shop appeal to an astonishingly wide-range of people. It has it's very own "gallery cat" range which claims is for kids but will do for Grannies and single Aunties too. At the other end of the scale it sells beautiful jewelry that is inspired by the collections at the gallery. The items in the shop are all reasonably priced, well, as reasonably priced as one can expect from a touristy museum. read more

I hope that Manchester patriots will not loathe me, but Manchester Art Gallery is a bit of hit-and-miss for me. Taken on its own, it's great, but in comparison to collections in Liverpool or Birmingham it is just another local art gallery that happened to have a good selection of Pre-Raphaelites, plus some paintings by Modigliani, Bacon, Freud, and Lowry; to stand just across the road from the Town Hall; and to be massively hyped as one of Manchester's biggest attractions. ...I'm not saying that MAG is not good. The collection is great, there is no doubt about it. But it is a fact of life that if you're after truly impressive collections of Pre-Raphaelites you do need to take a train to Merseyside or Midlands. I've been visiting MAG since 2002, and in the recent years, thanks to funding, the gallery has hosted a number of exhibitions that undoubtedly upped its status. Back in 2004 a newly-found painting by Raphael made a stop in Manchester; 2008-2009 saw the exhibition of works by William Holman and of a few Leonardo's works from the Windsor collection. Modern artists regularly drop in for a seasonal exposition at the gallery. And if you're into local history, the ground floor has a regular exhibition of artifacts from all over Greater Manchester, including some displays for footie fans. They also place a grand emphasis on families and children. Understandably, this helps to attract funding, but at times I have felt this compromised the integrity of the gallery as an educational institution. The cafe has survived a striking improvement of the menu, and now boasts an Italian chef. It does get crowded now and again, but it is deservingly popular with visitors and even those looking for a cuppa on a lazy afternoon. I guess my only complaint is about how special exhibitions are handled. In 2008 they dedicated a small, if not obscure, room to the exhibition of buttons of all times and nations. Considering Manchester's passion for fashion, it made sense to shout louder about the exhibition to the museum visitors with the help of special leaflets and big displays in the entrance area. Instead I only found the exhibition by chance. Fascinating as it was, it was probably too well hidden for many visitors. Having said this, one of the treasures of the MAG is their shop. They have a great selection of art books, catalogues, and postcards, as well as diverse and sundry souvenirs, from magnets to rings and neckerchiefs. read more

Whenever I'm on Moseley Street and have an hour or so to kill, I'm sure to always pay a visit to Manchester Art Gallery - an oasis of calm in a frequently chaotic world. OK, so it may not have the gravitas of some of the greater art repositories in the North West, but for me at least it's a truly lovely little place. Being the big Daddy of the art world, it's had a lot of money spent on it over the past few years, meaning that the building itself is a glorious combination of the Victorian pomp and Modernist circumstance. Best of all, it's all free too. Hooray for public art! The Gallery also features a lovely café and gift shop, which are worth the visit alone. The gift shop sells a huge range of prints, posters and art-related books, all of which are relatively reasonably priced. There are also some interactive exhibits in the gallery as well, which allow children of all ages to really get involved and stuck in with the art on display, as well as creating their own work. Manchester Art Gallery also schedules a fantastic range of travelling exhibitions upstairs - I recently visited the installation of sculptures by the artist Ron Mueck and naked person enthusiast Spencer Tunick. By programming in classical art alongside new installations by the likes of Mueck, the Manchester Art Gallery is upping its game, and really trying to appeal to as many people as possible. Long may it continue! read more

I wish they'd made the Miffy exhibition permanent. Great programme of children's activities and sessions especially during the holidays. I love this place especially since the astronomically expensive revamp. Excellent collection of pre Raphaelite paintings. I like to perv at Sappho. Cafe does some great hot food though the kids meals are lacking and over priced considering the numbers that come through the door read more

Manchester art gallery, situated on Moseley Street, is a great little place to visit. Obviously, it filled with paintings, photography and sculptures and the like, but there's something a little rough around the edges about it that makes it that little bit more loveable. That said, it seems to have been given something of a cash injection over the past few years as it grows in stature and quality. Another great thing about MAG is the placing. It backs onto Chinatown, meaning that, should you get peckish while walking around, you have a load of great options to fill your guts at the many nearby buffets. If you fancy something more familiar, then Bank pub is spitting distance away (although, I don't advise actually spitting at it). There's also ace children's workshops and it is free entry (voluntary donations if you like) so it really is worth paying them a visit. read more

The art here is beautiful. When I went a few months ago they had a workshop on, they were restoring a piece of art, a huge one and it looked fantastic. If you went at the time the main restorer was there he showed you how he did it and answered any questions. They have booklets for children for learning and facts and there are loads of really helpful staff. They also host evening events here, weddings, celeb birthdays, book launchings etc, which are fantastic, although you do need a ticket to get in. Bu if you were to have a reception of your own it would no doubt be perfect. In fact Lloyd Grossman held a large dinner party here for him and several guests, with beautiful art work surrounding you whilst you eat, I cant think of anywhere more perfect to dine. read more

What a beautiful gallery. So comfortable, always dynamic. Right in the middle of town. read more