Gallery of Craft & Design
The gallery’s craft and design collection consists of over 1300 objects, from ancient Egyptian pottery to contemporary furniture, displayed in the atmospheric setting of a Victorian theatre.
The Gallery of Craft and Design is one of the visual and architectural highlights of Manchester Art Gallery.
This vast high-ceilinged room was once a theatre and now provides the perfect backdrop to 1300 objects, including ceramics, glass, metalwork, furniture, toys, textiles and armour.
The gallery is displayed in three themes:
- Making demonstrates how artists and designers approach the making of objects. There are objects to touch, makers talking about their work on audioguide and videos of craftspeople working. You can even sit on three of the exhibits.
- Memory is about the personal and communal meanings objects acquire through use, from commemorative plates to christening gifts. It might prompt you to think about the important objects in your life.
- Collecting examines the reasons why people and museums collect things. Six people who have built up their own collections talk on video about the impact of collecting on their lives.
The Gallery continues to collect, so from time to time new exhibits will appear. There is also the 21st Century Showcase which changes every six months, and more of the collections to see in the Craft and Design Study Room.
You can also find out more about British crafts via Photostore, the Craft Council's easy-to-use visual database.
Using the Gallery
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