I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally make it to Margate! Only 1 1/2 hours by train from St Pancras, there really is no excuse. As for most of the other reviewers the recently opened (well 2011) Turner Contemporary gallery was the main incentive. It's amazing what difference a bit of culture can make to a hitherto neglected and underrated seaside town. Just as the Jerwood did for Hastings, Turner Contemporary is a true highlight on a visit to Margate. The curators know what they are doing too and put on a family friendly show of "Animals & Us" this Summer that perfectly combines natural history with contemporary art. It's the perfect place to hide from the elements and unlike Dreamland, entry is free. The cafe is lovely, too. Probably not worth the trip in its own right but combined with a walk along the beach (seeing Antony Gormley's sculpture emerge from the sea during low tide is an absolute highlight - you also get a perfect view from the gallery), fish and chips in the harbour, a walk around the old town and a compulsory visit to Dreamland a visit to Turner Contemporary rounds up a perfect day out. read more

Turner Contemporary - Art Galleries Near Me - Margate, KEN

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The Turner Contemporary was the main aim of our trip to this part of Kent. Originally we wanted to see the Tracey Emin exhibition here, but realising this had finished we decided to come anyway and see what the gallery had to offer! Opened in April 2011, as part of a project to regenerate the somewhat flagging town of Margate, it certainly has become a monolith on the harbour! Although many have criticised it's bleak appearance, I quite like its industrial, steel facade. It certainly stands out in an area which is fairly bleak in itself. The gallery is named after the noted landscape painter J.M.W.Turner who spent much time in this area in his youth. As well as showcasing various artists exhibitions, the space is also used for teaching, workshops, talks and performances which can only be beneficial for the people of Margate. The actually exhibition areas themselves are fairly small - I would have expected to be able to see far more here, although in some ways I like that fact that I'm not overwhelmed by the quantity of the work here as can be the case in some of the larger galleries. On this occasion there were exhibitions by Carl Andre, Rosa Barba and Turner himself. There was also an interactive piece of art by Brazilian artist Maria Nepomuceno which was great fun to wonder into and touch and play with the different textures. The gallery is free to enter although they do ask for a donation. Staff are friendly and helpful and there is a nice cafe in the foyer. The Turner Contemporary is a great addition to the area, although I would probably only return if there was an exhibition that I particularly wanted to visit. read more

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My first reaction: Wow, it's small. Second: Brilliant use of the space. Third: Fun exhibition. Like the first reviewer I have to admit that the gallery was the main reason for this trip. Margate it itself is cute, but not worth 2 hours on a slow train. The building stands out on the seaside promenade and it draws you in. It has huge windows which allow you to watch the sea even if its extremely windy and cold outside ... . The exhibition space is also well designed and when I was there they had this amazing exhibition about curiosities! Very interesting and well curated. I would definitely visit if your in the area. It's a great space! read more

Turner Contemporary - Art Galleries Near Me - Margate, KEN

Turner Contemporary is a fairly new art gallery along the harbour arm in Margate. As the name implies, it is focused on changing displays of contemporary art - except for a few meagre drawings by William Turner (who visited Margate often), there are no historic paintings to be found. As is, the collection is rather tiny: there's only a couple of small galleries, and there are functional rooms that you can book for your own occasions. Certainly not worth the trip to Margate on its own, it won't occupy you for more than 30 minutes - at most. But if you're in the town anyway, you should drop by. Entry is free, and photography is allowed. There's a small café attached. For a beer, the likeable Harbour Arms is just two minutes away. read more

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The Turner Contemporary opened in 2011 and I've been meaning to go for a while. It is located where JMW Turner stayed whilst in the town right on the seafront. It is free to visit (although a £5 donation is suggested) and is well worth checking out. The main part of the gallery was given over to a temporary exhibit titled "Risk" which examined art and risk colliding. My favourite part was Thomas Heatherwick spun chairs in the entrance which I could have spent hours on. read more

I loved my experience at Turner Contemporary! A highly interactive gallery with thought provoking exhibitions. I enjoyed Mondrian & Colour immensely. The cafe has an excellent selection of drinks and the gift shop is excellent to browse. read more

The current art exhibition at the Turner Contemporary Project Space becomes very interactive as visitors are allowed to participate in several of the works. The most child friendly and fun is creating original sculptures from broken crokery for Yoko Onos' theme - Mend Piece for Merry England. Next is a more technical design project by the SOI projects, that allows participants to make items of fruit out of pre-cut templates. With a bit of patience and with some folding & gluing skills, you can produce your own orange, banana or apple to be left on display or purchased to take home. Other displays include the £1 shop, Bank of Hell and Michael Lin's decorative wallpaper. A nice afternoon in on Margate High Street! read more

This is the 2nd time i have been to the turner contemporary and i have been throughly impressed both times now but for totally different reasons. The 1st visit was on opening week and so there was a buzz about the place that was pretty infectious, it was all new and the council had put on some special events to promote the launch (etc singers in the opening hall way). It felt like a real positive devlopment for the area. The most recent visit was triggered really just to nip in and see the Rodin sculpture the kiss that is currently being shown there, but decided to have a quick whizz round and see what else had changed. I was extremely surprised and pleased to see that almost all exhibitions were new and interesting, particularly the video footage of margate in days gone past. Looking forward to my next visit read more

We travelled to Margate especially for the Turner Gallery so it was a bonus to encounter Grayson Perry and his take on Provincial Punk. We started off ...as you do.. with tea and delicious chocolate Guinness cake, building our energy for the art. Then up the stairs for a blast of ceramics, film, tapestries and sketchbooks. It was all a little full on and technicolored but nothing wrong with that. The final image though was of the sea. Mighty and omnipresent as it called us through the windows as we emerged from the exhibition. There lies greatness. read more

Margate Turner Contemporary: cost millions to build, open by Tracey Emin (enough said really....), and home to a pile of the biggest rubbish you can find. Our hike group talked around wish bemused looks, and shaking our heads at how an art director could get it so wrong. TATE Modern it ain't, which is a shame as I do like the building space and the right art would have been an asset to a dump of a town that just can't sink lower. It did have one useful feature which allowed the visitors to do their our 'art' - pic attached. read more