Whitworth Art Gallery Art Galleries

Internationally famous for its collections of art and design, the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, north west England, is home to an impressive range of watercolours, prints, drawings, modern art and sculpture, as well as the largest collections of textiles and wallpapers outside London. Originally founded in 1889, The Whitworth Art Gallery has been part of the University of Manchester since 1958. The Gallery takes its name from Sir Joseph Whitworth (1803-87), the Stockport born engineer, who left money in his will, which was used to fund a number of local institutions.

The collection, which is designated as of national significance by the UK Government, chiefly comprises fine art, textiles and wallpapers. It was acquired through a series of donations, bequests and purchases since 1889 and new acquisitions continue to be added. Although there are important paintings and sculpture in the collection, the Gallery sees itself as primarily a centre for textiles and works of art on paper.

The Whitworth Art Gallery has a wide-ranging programme of exhibitions, which may be put together by the Gallery or brought in from other venues across the world. We aim to bring work to the Gallery that reflects and complements our own collection, both in terms of the variety of media included and in the balance between the historic and contemporary. We also occasionally organise touring exhibitions.