Bury Art Museum opened in 1901 as a purpose-built gallery to house and display the Wrigley Collection, which includes ‘Calais Sands’ by JMW Turner and paintings by Clausen and Landseer. Over the last century, Bury’s art collection has developed and since 2000 the Gallery has embarked on an ambitious programme of commissioning contemporary art, which has included 4 major Text Festivals and the establishment of the Text Art Archive. This collection of language art is continually developing, supported by gifts from the Contemporary Art Society.

 

 

Through its temporary exhibition programme, Bury Art Museum has developed a reputation as a leading player in showing contemporary art in the North West of England, particularly since the addition of the Sculpture centre in 2014. National partnerships with the Liverpool Biennial, Mark Tanner Sculpture Award and Design Manchester, amongst others, have resulted in an exciting programme of exhibitions, supported by events and workshops. Critical repair work begins this Autumn on the Gallery roof, which will secure the fabric of the building and preserve the Collection. This work is supported by the Arts Council’s MEND fund.