As part of Olliers’ staff wellness programme, which enables colleagues to enjoy something non-legal in office time, a group of us recently visited the Manchester Art Gallery.
The Gallery has now re-opened (currently Wednesday to Sunday 10 am – 5 pm) following closure during lockdown although some of the individual galleries, including the room featuring Lowry and Valette , remain closed at present. Despite that, many of the well-known works, including the Pre-Raphaelites for which the MAG is renowned, are on display.
The main attraction currently however is the temporary exhibition Grayson’s Art Club. This is curated by artist Grayson Perry, and based upon his recent Channel 4 TV series of the same name, which went out during lockdown and during which he asked members of the public to send in to him their own artworks. A different theme – portraits, animals, fantasy etc was explored each week. (still available on All4 catchup and worth a watch)
The resulting Grayson’s Art Club exhibition therefore features work created by acclaimed artists, celebrities and members of the public. It’s an interesting and eclectic mix of some thought-provoking (and some frankly bonkers) art- sculpture, paintings, drawings, etc from the likes of celebrities such as Joe Lycett and Noel Fielding and well-known artists including Anthony Gormley and Maggie Hambling, as well as a number of pieces by Perry himself.
Whilst you can visit MAG on a drop-in basis, this is an exhibition which requires you to book tickets online in advance. Its run has been extended until October because of its popularity. It is well worth a visit.
The Olliers team enjoyed our couple of hours there – a welcome break at a Manchester gem almost on our doorstep.
