Manchester Art Gallery
Mosley Street, M2 3JL
Since the temporary closure of the Whitworth gallery, The Manchester Art Gallery is the biggest art gallery in the city, best known for its Victorian paintings and, in particular, its collection of famous Pre-Raphaelite art works. Its historic galleries display art and design from the 17th and 18th centuries and it also houses a contemporary exhibit. Currently displaying a number of free small exhibitions such as an exhibit exploring the role of painters, such as Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud and David Hockney, in the reinvention of figurative art in the second half of the 20th century. Alongside this, lies a display featuring English and French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, an exhibition celebrating the art occurring between the two World Wars and a variety of contemporary exhibitions, one of which concentrates on the fairy-tale art of Mancunian artist Alison Erika Forde.
Cornerhouse
70 Oxford Street, M1 5NH
Alongside the laid back comfy-seating-adorned appeal of the cinema theatres, providing the best in independent and international cinema, the Cornerhouse welcomes you with a trendy café bar and bookshop and is home to three floors of contemporary and interactive art galleries. Located on Oxford Road, the Cornerhouse embraces artists that have not yet received much recognition in the UK, boasting a keen interest in accessible art that focuses on engagement and participation with its visitors. The Cornerhouse is by far one of the most relaxed and interesting places to view art in Manchester and hopefully with its move to First Street in 2014, it will not lose any of its lively character, down to earth charm and, most importantly, its beloved student-friendly cinema ticket prices.
The Lowry
Pier 8 The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ
Named after the beloved Lancashire-born LS Lowry, most famously recognised for his visual documentation of the North West’s industrial era, The Lowry is worth visiting for the building and landscape alone. Located in the redeveloped Salford Quays, the building is built in glass and metal, reflecting the surrounding landscapes that LS Lowry himself once observed. It brings together both performing and visual arts and shows the works of Lowry alongside a vast array of contemporary exhibitions.
The Manchester Museum
The Univerity of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL
This university-owned museum situated directly on campus is home to an impressive collection of archaeology, anthropology and natural history. With its Victorian interior and meandering chambers of history, the museum is a perfect place to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of term-time Oxford road, marvel at the pristine preservation of time and relish in the innate peace and quiet each room brings.
Whitworth Art Gallery
Oxford Road,M15 6ER
The Whitworth Gallery, although sadly closed for refurbishment until next summer can still be admired for its impressive Victorian architecture on the Oxford Road bus route.
