The Whitworth Art Gallery, often referred to simply as The Whitworth, is an art museum in Whitworth Park on the campus of the University of Manchester.
What to see at the Whitworth Art Gallery
The Whitworth has a collection of around 60,000 items, but it does not feature a permanent collection on display, and instead, it has a programme of temporary exhibitions that draw both from the gallery’s extensive collection and from artwork on loan from other galleries.
The Whitworth’s exhibition programme includes:
Women in Revolt!: Art and Activism in the UK 1970–1990
This exhibition (until 1 June 2025) brings together work by over 90 women artists and collectives whose ideas shaped the women’s liberation movement. Covering two decades of activism, it explores themes including domestic life, anti-racist and LGBTQ+ activism, and the peace movement. The exhibition includes Bobby Baker’s An Edible Family in a Mobile Home, featuring life-size figures made from cake and biscuit.
Małgorzata Mirga-Tas
This exhibition (until 7 September 2025) presents the work of Roma-Polish artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, known for her large-scale textile panels. Her work explores Romany culture and history, offering a new perspective on the Whitworth’s textile collection. Mirga-Tas was the first Roma artist to represent a national pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2022. The exhibition considers themes of migration, identity and the experiences of stateless communities.
Turner: In Light and Shade
Marking 250 years since JMW Turner’s birth, this exhibition examines his landscape prints, Liber Studiorum. Created between 1807 and 1819, these prints showcase Turner’s approach to light, shade and composition. All 71 published prints will be displayed alongside Turner’s watercolours from the Whitworth’s collection and loans from public and private collections. Last shown at the Whitworth over a century ago, this exhibition (until 2 November 2025) highlights Turner’s influence on printmaking and landscape art.
Santiago Yahuarcani: The Beginning of Knowledge
This exhibition (4 July 2025–4 January 2026) presents the first international solo show of Santiago Yahuarcani, an artist and Indigenous activist from the Uitoto people in northern Peru. His large-scale paintings use natural pigments to explore the relationship between the Uitoto and the natural world. Addressing colonial extraction, environmental destruction and ancestral knowledge, his work reflects on the past and present. The exhibition features over 25 paintings, including new pieces and international loans.
Recoverist Curators
The Whitworth and Portraits of Recovery present Recoverist Curators (25 July 2025–June 2026), a project exploring the Whitworth’s collection through the lens of recovery. Participants with lived experience will work with the gallery to reinterpret artworks, shaping a co-curated exhibition. The project aims to represent recovery communities and highlight art’s role in wellbeing. Portraits of Recovery is a Manchester-based charity supporting people in recovery from substance use through visual arts.
Visiting the Whitworth Art Gallery
The Whitworth is located on the campus of the University of Manchester and it is around a 10-minute walk south of the Manchester Museum. Local bus routes 15, 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 43, 111, 142 and 143 stop just north of The Whitworth with regular services into central Manchester. It is also possible to walk into the city centre in around half an hour.
The Whitworth Cafe has a seasonal menu with breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea (dinner on Thursday evenings).
Most people spend 2–3 hours exploring the gallery and many people combine the Whitworth with a visit to the Manchester Museum, which is a 10-minute walk from here.
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