Past exhibitions

Richard Heeps, Inside:Outside

Exhibited until Sunday 28 February 2010

This body of new work brought one of Richard's journeys bang up to date.

In 1985, Richard photographed Chapel Street as it was, and in this exhibition he investigated the same route today - documenting people and places about to change for good.

As part of his journey he also delved into the depths of Salford Museum, unveiling the intriguing aspects of the museum and its collections stored behind the scenes.

For more information please visit Richard Heeps' website.

A Father's Fears by Alan Hawkins

Exhibited from Saturday 27 February 2010 to Sunday 20 June 2010

Using his own family and friends as his subject matter he creates hyper-real, almost photographic oil studies which both tell stories about everyday situations of life out on the town and on the streets, and which portray a father's sensitive perspective which may otherwise remain hidden in everyday family life.

Alan creates glittering tableaux which celebrate the beauty and innocence of young people, which are underscored by his anxieties about the very real and the imagined dangers of modern life.

Alan has exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, Mall Galleries and Sale Waterside. This was his first solo show and exhibition of this body of work.

Swinton and District Amateur Photography Society

Exhibited from Saturday 6 March 2010 to Sunday 13 June 2010

This exhibition included the very best of this year's work from The Swinton and District Amateur Photography Society members, including portraits, landscapes, human life and local history.

Roger Hampson Retrospective

Exhibited from Saturday 20 March 2010 to Sunday 27 June 2010

During the year of post-war industrial decline in the north-west, painter and printmaker Roger Hampson (1925-1996) was motivated to paint a landscape and way of life that he knew was fast disappearing. This retrospective showed how his work captures the bleakness of the northern landscapes, as well as the warmth and humour of its people.

Working in a social realist vein, Hampson's work was not entirely fashionable in its day. As curator Stephen Whittle explains: "There were few artists who decided to show how the working classes lived and struggled on." Yet in contrast with his contemporary L.S. Lowry, Hampson's work was close up and engaged with his subjects, while Lowry's approach was often distant and bleak.

Today, Hampson is seen as an important figure in the Northern school of artists and this exhibition was his largest retrospective to date including over 80 paintings and prints. Alongside his work, pieces from Salford's own collection which reflect and contrast with Hampson's own interests in the faces of northern people and the northern landscape were also on display.

This was a touring exhibition from Gallery Oldham.

Dreamfest by Constance Fearne

Exhibited from Saturday 19 June 2010 to Sunday 26 September 2010

Constance generates lightly drawn oil sketches using the architecture of the city as her inspiration.

Her work transforms the drab-looking classical styled city-scape into vibrant and bold panoramas, which breathe, move and reflect the glamour and iridescence of eastern art.

On The Move

Exhibited from Saturday 17 July 2010 to Sunday 7 November 2010

In this year's family-friendly play exhibition we took a look at transport.

You could move your way through the gallery to experience how people have got from A to B over the last 150 years in Salford, from the times when feet were the main mode of transport, to horse drawn trams and Salford's buses.

On The Edge by Daniel Glenister

On The Edge portrait Exhibited from Saturday 2 October 2010 to Sunday 9 January 2011

Inspired by the red boundary lines that surround the regeneration area on maps of Broughton, Daniel creates semi-abstract work through painting and photography.

A layer of time is documented through images, and paint creates both a reference to what was once there and also what the future may behold.

Daniel says "Salford has always inspired me to create paintings, from my time as a student to then living on Langworthy Road and still at present. The changing faces of Salford intrigues me. Planning regeneration, maps and houses half knocked down and the proposed future have fascinated me for more than ten years."

Salford Art Club's annual exhibition

Exhibited from Saturday 6 November 2010 to Sunday 6 February 2011

We welcomed back Salford Art Club for their annual exhibition in the North Gallery.

The exhibition showcased a selection of the very best art work produced by the club members during the past year, work included portraits, landscapes and still life in a variety of media.

The theme for this exhibition was 'Lives and landscapes'.

For more information please visit the Salford Art Club website.

Ordsall Hall Revealed: photography by Nick Harrison

Exhibited from Saturday 15 January 2011 to Sunday 6 March 2011

Under the tarpaulin and scaffolding that was hiding Ordsall Hall for 18 months, a transformation was taking place.

This exhibition gave a sneak preview of some of the restoration work through Nick's photographic diary whilst the hall was closed.

For more information about the hall, please see the Ordsall Hall pages.

Fragments

Exhibited from Saturday 27 November 2010 to Sunday 13 March 2011

Through life, we all collect objects that represent personal memories. Objects that may be broken, but can't be discarded. Objects that are precious for their connotations, rather than their value. Objects rich in invested memory. 'Fragments' was a collection of reminiscences about Salford, the city, it's people and their stories. Recollections about Salford's past were embodied through a collection of objects, images and stones. These images and objects will evoke emotive responses in the viewer challenging their perception of the city.

Through visual art, photography, pottery, woodwork and interactive installations, the work provided a contemporary and though provoking insight into Salford's rich and diverse history.

Start in Salford is a vibrant charity that encourages creative endeavour across the city. It promotes the arts as a means to enhance the health and well being of individuals through the therapeutic value of creative expression. Beyond those members who use the facilities at Brunswick House in Salford, Start has also developed Youth Arts Services, an Arts on Prescription scheme and creative activities for over 50s.

This exhibition brought together work from all of these projects, uniting all members around the theme of their city.

For more information please visit the Start in Salford Arts and Wellbeing charity website or call 0161 351 6000.

10 + r 20 @ Salford

Exhibited from Saturday 12 February 2011 to Sunday 12 June 2011

A retrospective exhibition of textile art to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ten Plus Textiles. Ten Plus Textiles was formed in 1991 by ten textile artists who wanted to work together and promote an appreciation of embroidery in all its forms. Since then the group has grown in number and art work has developed to include a wide variety of techniques, from fine hand and machine embroidery, quilting and beadwork to batik, paper collage and mixed media.

This exhibition was a celebration of twenty years of enthusiastic experimentation and a long connection with Salford.

High Days and Holidays: Celebrating five years of Memories Matter

Exhibited from Saturday 12 March 2011 to Sunday 19 June 2011

An exhibition to celebrate the achievements of the Memories Matter reminiscence project, which came to an end in March 2011. Run from Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Memories Matter provide reminiscence resources and activities to older people across Salford, and have engaged with thousands of people over the last five years.

Did you walk at Whit? What did you wear on your wedding day? Did you enjoy fish and chips in Blackpool?

Liam Spencer: Painting from Life

Exhibited from Saturday 26 March to Sunday 3 July 2011

Liam Spencer is one of the north west's most successful artists. His paintings investigate both urban and rural landscapes from Manchester, Salford and Rossendale to New York and Beijing.

This exhibition featured paintings from the past two decades, including Spencer's early work and the panoramic landscapes for which he is well known.

This was a touring exhibition developed by Gallery Oldham and Touchstones Rochdale.

Military Pride

Exhibited from Saturday 2 April to Wednesday 31 August 2011

Military Pride was a touring exhibition from the Imperial War Museum North exploring the stories of gay servicemen and women who have served in the UK Armed Forces between 1945 and the present day. This exhibition maps personal experiences across 40 years of changing laws and evolving social attitudes towards homosexuality.

It presented a unique snapshot of military life for gay servicemen and women.

Our Sporting Life Exhibition: Salford's Sporting Stars

As part of the national exhibition 'Our Sporting Life', young people and staff at Salford Museum and Art Gallery created 'Salford's Sporting Stars'. This 2D exhibition took a look at some of Salford's sporting stars from the past, present and future, including football, rugby and boxing. The exhibition toured venues across Salford collecting sporting stories as it travelled. These stories will return to Salford Museum and Art Gallery to be part of a large Salford sport exhibition in the LifeTimes Gallery for the Olympic year of 2012.

Our Sporting Life (OSL) is a unique and ambitious celebration of British sport. It is the first project of it's kind to salute sport from grass roots to Olympic podia and will culminate in the world's greatest exhibition on the history of sport as the Olympic and Paralympic Games are launched in London in 2012.

This exhibition went on tour to the following venues:

Fit City Broughton Pool from the 18 March to the 10 May 2011
Salford Sports Village from the 11 May to the 25 July 2011
Salford Quays Watersports Centre from the 26 July to the 27 September 2011

Crowding About by James Milroy

Saturday 18 June 2011 to Sunday 2 October 2011

James created large contemporary crowd scenes which are packed with people enjoying everyday activities, like shopping, running, dancing and cycling. The characters are crammed into his paintings and there are some hidden surprises to find amongst them.

He has been referred to as 'the new Lowry' due to the naive style of his work and the crowd scenes he creates.

But, instead of the crowds working in the mill, they work in call centres and supermarkets. Instead of them walking in the park, they are in the gym running on treadmills.

Cid on Canvas: the paintings of Sydney Cauldwell

Exhibited from Saturday 25 June 2011 to Sunday 9 October 2011

Local artist Sydney Cauldwell discovered his talent later in life. Born in 1924 he was punished on several occasions at school for his lack of ability in the subject. Inspired by the great artists of the past, as seen in library books, Syd decided to give oils another go. He is proof that it's never too late to learn and master a talent. Syd really sees his subject matter with clarity and most of his work is done from memory, real landscapes conjured up in his minds eye.

Syd is part of the Start over fifty group that meets at Ordsall Neighbourhood Centre in Salford. Group leader, Danny Morrell says "Syd depictions of the sea are alive. He blends blue, ochre, and white with such skill that you can almost taste the salt. He is an artist of which Salford should be truly proud.

This exhibition showcased his seascapes alongside local landscapes of Salford and Lancashire.

Llamas in Pyjamas: children's book illustrations by Lynne Chapman

Exhibited from Saturday 16 July 2011 to Sunday 6 November 2011

Lynne's picture book characters took over the Langworthy Gallery and you could even walk into some of her book illustrations! You could dress up with the animals from A Lark in The Ark, help the Big Bad Wolf find duckling number five and join Stinky the warthog with his new friends in the monkey's tea party.

Lynne has been an illustrator for over 25 years, with her most famous illustrations appearing in children's books such as Class Two at the Zoo and Stinky!, amongst others. This exhibition brought together her original artwork and sketchbooks, with some family-friendly, hands-on activities. Visitors could find out how Lynne approaches each character she illustrates and could also read some of her funny stories about her experiences along the way.

For more information please visit Lynne Chapman's website or visit her blog.

Life through the Lens: snapshots of Salford's past

Exhibited until Sunday 27 November 2011

To celebrate ten years' of the LifeTimes project, this exhibition shown some of the hidden gems from the museum, LifeTimes and Local History Library photographic collections. Focusing on themes including local characters, fashion and changing street scenes, these photographs tell Salford's story from the perspective of local people. You could listen to clips from the LifeTimes oral history archive to discover more about a selection of the images that were on display.

Families could enjoy the reconstructed dark room, the 'climb in' camera and the shadow puppet theatre. You could help the rat catchers find the rats and think of a caption to go with some of the weird and wonderful images found in the collections. LifeTimes Link fans could also read all the back issues in a room dedicated to the local history magazine.

Twinning Photos: Salford and Saint-Ouen

Exhibited from Saturday 10 September 2011 to Sunday 8 January 2012

This exhibition explored the twinned cities of Salford and Saint-Ouen, in France, through photography.

You could see the similarities and differences between them, as the cities celebrated their 50th anniversary of the partnership.

The twinning committees from here and Saint-Ouen had the difficult job of selecting the images to feature in the exhibition. They picked out photographs that feature people, events, recognisable buildings and everyday scenes from the two cities over the past 50 years.

The First Cut: celebrating 250 years of the Bridgewater Canal

Exhibited from Saturday 8 October 2011 to Sunday 22 January 2012

2011 marked the 250th anniversary of the Bridgewater Canal in Salford. A Heritage Lottery Funded project entitled 'The First Cut' celebrated this important date through workshops and events along the canal corridor which will be brought together for this exhibition.

These artistic creations were shown alongside some of Salford Heritage Services collections relating to the canal including images, objects and archival material. You could find out about the canal's involvement in the industrial revolution, the first canal aqueduct in the world and the 46 miles of underground canal.

This exhibition will be going on tour to various venues across Salford, for more information please see the Bridgewater Canal events page.

Bridgewater Canal iPhone App

A free Bridgewater Canal iPhone app written by Salford residents can be downloaded by anybody interested in the historic waterway.

Canal visitors making their way from Boothstown to Barton can use the app to look out for landmarks, buildings and animals. Features also include historic images of the canal, interesting facts and memories from local people.

Titled 'The Bridgewater Canal - waterside trail', the app has been designed to bring the heritage and nature of the Bridgewater Canal to life on people's mobile phones and can be downloaded for free from the Apples iTunes App Store. As part of the Bridgewater Canal 250th anniversary, The Friends of Salford Museum and Art Gallery have written the app with help from Salford City Council and Salford Community Leisure. It's funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Councilor Paula Boshell, Salford City Council's Lead Member for Neighbourhoods, Culture and Leisure said: "The free app is a brilliant way to find out more about the Bridgewater Canal and it's fascinating past over the last 250 years. If you have an iPhone and love the great outdoors, I'd really recommend it."

Download the Bridgewater app from the iTunes App Store.

Salford Zine Library

Exhibited from Saturday 15 October 2011 to Sunday 29 January 2012

Salford Zine Library was set up in 2010 at local creative centre, Islington Mill.

This exhibition showcased some of the self published books, magazines and fanzines from the library's collections, including literature, poetry, art and comics.

All of the work that was on display was created by artists and illustrators from the north west, as well as from around the world.

For more information, please visit the Salford Zine Library's blog.

Shirley Baker Retrospective

Exhibited from Saturday 19 November 2011 to Sunday 4 March 2012

Capturing the everyday street life of towns and cities across the north west and other places, Shirley Baker's photographs show a bygone era with a strong sense of community. Starting in the 1960s, her images show scenes of humour, social history and the innocence of youth. She began photographing her native Salford to document the human story of the soon to be demolished communities, recording through imagery a time of social change in the city.

Shirley Baker was born in Salford and moved to Manchester at the age of two. This exhibition showcased photographs of Salford and Manchester, alongside other areas and themes. Shirley has exhibited at Salford Museum previously, in 1986 and the museum was delighted to hold the exhibition of work from the 1960s to the 2000s.

Olympic Celebration!

Exhibited from Saturday 25 February 2012 to Sunday 15 April 2012

This exhibition showcased work of talented artists aged from five to eleven.

They were pupils from three Salford primary schools:

St Boniface's
Cathedral School of St Peter and St John
St Luke's Church of England

They worked together with artists Paul Hamilton and Mauren Neill over a period of three months to create stunning representations in 2D and 3D to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics.

Salford Art Club Annual Exhibition 2012

Exhibited from Saturday 28 January 2012 to Sunday 22 April 2012

A selection of the very best art work produced by members of Salford Art Club during the past year. Work included portraits, landscapes and still life in a variety of media.

Some of this work was based around water and bridges to tie in with the Bridgewater Canal Anniversary celebrations.