Gallery Oldham — Attraction in Oldham

Gallery Oldham - A great place to discover beautiful art and historical objects

What is Gallery Oldham?

Gallery Oldham is an art gallery that is located in the heart of Oldham. It holds a variety of exhibitions and galleries that look at art in different ways including portraits,sculptures, posters and historical items.

It currently holds the following Exhibitions and Galleries which are:

Gallery 1 - Oldham Stories

Gallery 2 - Finding the Funny: Sam Fitton

Gallery 3 – Tony Husband

Gallery 4 – Robert Lees: Oldham in the Countryside

Exhibitions Visited

Oldham Stories

This was a great Exhibition that showcased interesting items giving a historical insight from the past to the present. This includes a vast array of objects from various collections at the Gallery. This included the National History, Social History and Art collections.

Some of the items that were on display included The Rothwell Car, Jewellery, and specimens of taxidermy. These items were interesting to look at with a great story behind each object.

The Natural History Collection was beautiful. It was lovely to see a large range of habitats that can be found in Oldham. This included owls, foxes, badgers, birds and swans.

Finding the Funny: Sam Fitton

Sam Fitton started his career in the textile mills before becoming a skilled illustrator, poet, dialect, writer and performer.

This Exhibition was engaging as you saw Sam’s various works from cartoons that he drew in the newspaper The Cotton New Times.

It also brought nostalgia in the adverts that he did for famous brands including Macintosh Toffees and other products. It also gives an outlook on how he used different dialects in his writing. His art work is also thought provoking in highlighting the issues of mill workers.

This Exhibition was brilliant showing how Sam used different art means in order to earn a living. Inspiring.

The interactive element of this Exhibition which is the badge making for a mill worker was fun, educational and made you think out of the box.

Facilities

Gallery Oldham has a café however it is currently temporarily closed. However there are a few cafes nearby that you can go to after your visit.

There are toilets on the premises.

Pricing

It is free to visit Gallery Oldham.

Parking

There is no designated car park for this Gallery however there is a nearby car park that is pay and display. This is free for Blue Badge holders.

What was good about Gallery Oldham?

There is a great variety of objects that are full of history.

Each Exhibition is engaging and is full of beautiful artwork that is beautiful.

There are some good interactive activities to enhance your visit

What could have been improved at Gallery Oldham?

There could have been some background music

Some of the habitats and art works did not have good descriptions so more detailed ones...

Gallery Oldham is a free-to-view public art gallery in the Cultural Quarter of central Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England.

Designed by architects Pringle Richards Sharratt, Gallery Oldham was completed in its original form in February 2002. The art gallery integrates local museum and gallery services. An extension to include the £13 million Oldham Library and Lifelong Learning Centre opened in April 2006. The building has library and learning facilities.

Programming incorporates Oldham's art, social and natural history collections alongside touring work, newly commissioned and contemporary art, international art and work produced with local communities.

The gallery holds the civic collection of Oldham and much of that of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Oldham.

With no permanent displays and four temporary galleries to fill, Gallery Oldham has one of the busiest exhibitions programmes in the region. Exhibitions mix touring shows with work from the gallery's own collection of art, social history and natural history. The gallery holds work by local artists including Helen Bradley, William Stott and Alan Rankle and its collections include work by British artists L. S. Lowry, John William Waterhouse and Bridget Riley. In recent years the gallery has built up a collection of studio pottery and displays ceramic works by...

What a delightful spur-of-the-moment discovery! After a trip to the library with the kids, we noticed the welcoming free entry poster for Gallery Oldham and decided to pop in – a decision we were so glad we made. From the moment we stepped inside, the gallery offered a surprisingly engaging experience for all ages. My children were immediately drawn to the charming kids' area, complete with sensory toys and crayons, thoughtfully placed nearby so I could still enjoy the art. One of the highlights was the unexpected sight of beehives on the balcony, visible through a large window. The gallery had even placed cosy sofas in front of it, making it a wonderfully peaceful spot to observe the bees buzzing about their important work. The artwork itself was truly inspiring, with a clear connection to local artists and Oldham's heritage. It was fascinating to see depictions of how Oldhamers used to dress and live, offering a real glimpse into the town's past. The gallery then continued this journey through time, providing amazing information and facts about how Oldham has changed and evolved over the decades. Gallery Oldham is a real gem – a welcoming, educational, and surprisingly engaging space that offers something for everyone. The free entry makes it even more appealing for families. We'll definitely...