Whitworth Art Gallery opens tomorrow
13 Feb 2015
Come and see the £15 million redevelopment, making it one of the most remarkable galleries in the north
The Whitworth Art Gallery reopens tomorrow (Saturday, 14 February 2015).
To celebrate the gallery’s development – alongside ten opening exhibitions, new commissions indoors and out, and the remarkable achievements of MUMA (McInnes Usher McKnight Architects) – the gallery team has put together a Valentine weekend’s worth of art, music, talks, walks, performance, literature, family fun and a fire and light show.
The opening weekend kicks off on Saturday 14 February at 10am. Come and discover all of our new spaces, from the new landscape wing (housing a brand new commission by leading Chinese artist, Cai Guo-Qiang) to the beautiful café in the trees. Throughout the day, curators will give talks in the galleries, while Northern Brass stage an interactive musical experience for kids, Cornelia Parker discusses the work she has created for our opening, Video Jam and the Hallé Youth Choir put on performances, and the author Jeanette Winterson looks at art.
It will end the day in exuberant fashion – with a fire and light show followed by a night of performance art (from Nico Vascellari in collaboration with the French musician, Ghédalia Tazartès), and an after party led by legendary Manchester DJ, Dave Haslam. Bring your dancing shoes – and book for the after party now, as the free tickets are limited.
The celebrations continue all day on Sunday 15 February starting with sunrise yoga at 7.15am – book for the yoga now – with more talks, including one by our architects, MUMA, art walks, a family-focused art picnic (indoors, in our new Grand Hall) and the premiere of Whitworth Letters, a new, immersive work by Manchester Camerata’s composer-in-residence, Laura Bowler.
Director Maria Balshaw says: “Best of all, everything over our opening weekend is completely free. Put it in your diary, come and spend the Valentine’s weekend with us - and fall in love again with a gallery that has been utterly transformed.”