The Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool shows a year round programme of contemporary and visual art exhibitions and events. Including solo and group displays together with talks, events and educational activities. Take a look at what’s coming up in Spring 2025.

Opening Times

• Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4.45pm.
• Please note: last entry to the gallery is 4.20pm.
• Closed Sunday, Monday and Bank Holidays
• Admission is Free
• More about facilities here

Grundy Art Gallery Autumn Programme

The Grundy Art Gallery Autumn Programme is a bright season of exciting exhibitions and creative commissions. Celebrating storytelling, community and imagination, all with a bold splash of Blackpool sparkle.

On until Saturday 20th December. Bringing together major works by internationally acclaimed artist Jason Wilsher-Mills MBE, a dynamic multi-disciplinary collaboration with SIGNAL Film and Media and a heartfelt new commission from artist Dawn Ward.

From larger-than-life adventures to playful seaside-inspired sculptures and fascinating historical and personal perspectives. There’s plenty to discover at Blackpool’s home of contemporary art this autumn…

Jason Wilsher-Mills MBE: Jason and the Adventure of the 254

To be presented across Grundy’s galleries 1, 2 and 3. A Wellcome Collection exhibition, Jason and the Adventure of the 254 showcases the renowned artist’s largest and most personal work to date. Drawing on Jason’s experience of becoming disabled as a child, the exhibition is a joyful and subversive exploration of the human body. An immersive installation of huge sculptures, vibrant illustrations and interactive dioramas, Jason and the Adventure of the 254 delves into the transformative moment of Wilsher-Mills’ diagnosis of an autoimmune condition, triggered by contracting chickenpox at the age of eleven, and uses the artist’s trademark humour to challenge the cultural and societal perceptions surrounding disability, medicine and the human body.

Gallery 4 hosts After the Archive

A captivating multi-disciplinary exhibition of archive image inspired, painting, collage, video, installation, photography and sculpture from emerging artistic voices from Barrow and Blackpool that explores the  rich and diverse history of these areas.

This creative collaboration from Grundy Art Gallery and the award-winning film and digital arts charity SIGNAL, brings together two inter-generational groups of artists, archivists, adventurers, community workers and young explorers and draws inspiration from the remarkable Sankey Photography Archive – an expansive visual record of working class life across the North West spanning more than 70 years. Led by artists Jack Brown and Tina Dempsey, this exhibition is part of Signal’s heritage project, Sankey: Lives Through the Lens, and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Dawn Ward: Dawn & Tony

Striking, large scale ‘stickers’ of Dawn’s artworks are presented on the building’s exterior glass panels, inviting both visitors and passers-by to encounter art beyond the gallery walls. Dawn’s work draws on the language of romantic love and matrimony. This emotionally charged exhibition is inspired by her relationship with fellow artist, Tony Holmes, who sadly passed away in 2024. This exhibition is also inspired by the theme of love that threads throughout the work of Jason Wilsher-Mills, taking place as part of Grundy’s Forecourt Gallery commission programme. Dawn Ward is one of the artists who works as part of the pARTnership. That’s Grundy’s ongoing professional development project for artists with a learning-disability, funded by Arts Council England.

Bringing art to the streets with Blackpool Rock: Jason Wilsher-Mills MBE

A dazzling new commission created with Lightpool Festival. On show along the Promenade during Lightpool before moving to another location. The work takes inspiration from Blackpool’s rich dance heritage and depicts a joyful couple decorated with badges designed by local people through workshops run with LeftCoast, Blackpool and the Fylde College, Blackpool Council Adult Services and Creative Fusion. In true Wilsher-Mills style the figures are both playful and thought-provoking: wearing theatrical masks, revealing anatomical interiors and proudly celebrating disability.

From epic adventures to intimate commissions, Grundy’s autumn programme invites you to discover, reflect and be inspired. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore art that’s fun, thought-provoking and made for everyone.

Look Inside the Grundy Art Gallery

The Spring 2025 exhibition featured exhibitions that celebrate our hobbies, from making and modifying to collecting. We went to take a look around inside…

Monet painting to be exhibited at Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery

Blackpool Council is delighted to announce that The National Gallery, London has selected Grundy Art Gallery to be one of four museums and galleries from across the country to take part in the prestigious The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour 2025-27.

The National Gallery’s The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil by Monet will be displayed at Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery in spring 2026 (28 March -13 June).  Blackpool was chosen as one of four locations from over 30 museum and galleries that submitted an application to be part of The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour 2025-27.

This project will also see Grundy Art Gallery host other artworks in the future of art historical and art world significance from The National Gallery Collection.

The work selected for the first year is Monet’s The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872), a work which has left the Gallery only once in the last 20 years. Monet depicts a tranquil scene of a winter day on the outskirts of the small suburban town of Argenteuil, not far from Paris. Although the town was already partly industrialised and a popular location for sailing and leisure boating, Monet only hints at this developing bustle with a few scattered buildings behind a screen of trees. Instead, he focuses on an intimate moment by the river. The orderly composition, variety of brushstrokes and reflection in the water are all regular features of Monet’s work.

Hosting Monet in Blackpool continues Grundy’s ambition to bring world-class art to the town, and follows recent displays of work by art world greats such as LS Lowry, JMW Turner, Roy Lichtenstein, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry.

To accompany Monet…

Grundy Art Gallery will use its expertise in hosting contemporary art exhibitions to combine the display of Monet with a solo exhibition by the contemporary Northwest based painter Louise Giovanelli. Recognised as one of the most compelling artists of her generation, Giovanelli’s luminous paintings display her own mastery of materials and her expert skill at capturing light, reflection and shadow. Spring 2026 marks ten years since Giovanelli had her first solo exhibition at the Grundy, an occasion that was also the first solo exhibition of her career.

There will also be a schools’ exhibition at Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery following workshops responding to Monet’s work, and Monet’s painting will inspire Grundy’s programme of work with the pARTnership, a creative and professional development project for adults with a learning disability.

Sir Gabriele Finaldi is National Gallery Director. He said: “The National Gallery’s collection belongs to all of us. It is part of our duty and our honour to look after these paintings and to bring them to where people are, not just expect them to come to us. Partnering on touring exhibitions does so much more than bring beloved paintings from the collection to other places in the UK. It supports the whole country’s cultural ecosystem, connecting people with paintings that belong to us all. It allows us to learn and expand our own practices and interpretations through the creativity of our partner organisations and their communities. That over one million people have visited these exhibitions in the last decade proves the desire to engage with our collection is growing. We look forward to welcoming the next million visitors across the UK.”

Grundy Art Gallery’s work recognised by increased funding

In November 2022, Grundy Art Gallery announced that it’s to remain part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio programme 2023-2026 – to the value of £249,000 over the three years.

This funding will support the development and delivery of an exciting year-round programme of relevant, meaningful and high quality contemporary art exhibitions and events, taking place on and off-site.

Image credits, left to right:

• Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Blackpool Light of My Life (2021), Grundy Art Gallery Co-commission with Blackpool Illuminations and Lightpool Festival Photo: Jonathan Lynch, © the artist, Courtesy Grundy Art Gallery
• The pARTnership exhibition banner at Grundy Art Gallery, 2022. Photo Matt Wilkinson. Courtesy Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool Council
• Chloe MacFarlane, copyright the artist, Private Collection, Photo Matt Wilkson. Courtesy Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool Council

Grundy will continue its founding mission to show the best art of the day to the people of Blackpool and beyond. The programme will enable the gallery to enact its vision to be a beacon for contemporary art in the North West.

Grundy Art Gallery is also delighted to receive an uplift on previous years’ NPO funding, specifically to support the development and delivery of the pARTnership.

It’s delivered via a collaboration between Grundy Art Gallery, The New Langdale (Blackpool Council’s daytime service for people with a Learning Disability), Venture Arts in Manchester and Fylde-Coast based artist Tina Dempsey. This project provides bespoke professional development to artists with a Learning Disability to enable them to develop their own individual creativity. The project also presents this work in professional contemporary art settings. Recent exhibitions of this work have taken place at Grundy Art Gallery and Abingdon Studios in Blackpool. And at The Horsfall and The Manchester Contemporary in Manchester.

Grundy newsletter

To keep up to date and find out more about the Grundy’s exhibitions and events sign up to the Grundy newsletter via the Grundy website www.thegrundy.org. Also keep an eye on the website and watch out for posts via Grundy’s social media channels.

Grundy Art Gallery celebrates 110 years

Grundy Art Gallery unveiled an exciting calendar of events to commemorate its 110th anniversary in 2021. 

The gallery and its collection established in 1911. It came via a financial gift and donation of over 30 paintings by local brothers John and Cuthbert Grundy. 2021 therefore marks the 110th Anniversary of the gallery opening its doors to the people of Blackpool and beyond.

• Explore the history of Grundy Art Gallery

The Blackpool coat of arms – emblazoned with ‘Progress’ – is embedded in brickwork above the front door. Guided by this motto, the gallery continues to honour its founding ethos. It shows a year-round programme of high quality contemporary art exhibitions and events. Despite the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, 2021 was no exception.  

110th Anniversary Logo 

Grundy Art Gallery’s 110th anniversary logo was inspired by an ink stamp, historically used to identify items brought into Grundy’s permanent collection. It also echoes the design of Blackpool’s world famous sticks of rock.

Curator of Grundy Art Gallery

Paulette Terry Brien became the gallery’s curator in November 2017.

Paulette has more than 25 years of experience working within contemporary visual art. She’s well known for raising the profile of the North West region, on a national and international level.

Paulette is co-founder and co-director of The International 3, a contemporary art gallery based in Salford. There, she delivered a year round programme of exhibitions and events. Plus being instrumental in developing projects such as Manchester’s annual contemporary art fair, The Manchester Contemporary.

Paulette comes to the Grundy with a strong track record of identifying and nurturing emerging talent, commissioning and curating high quality contemporary art exhibitions for both gallery and non-gallery settings. Over the years, her wealth of experience has supported hundreds of emerging artists. Many of whom have gone on to achieve regional, national and international recognition.

As well as providing peer support, Paulette has also been successful on many occasions in brokering the acquisition of work by regional artists into major public and private collections, such as the Arts Council Collection and Whitworth Art Gallery’s collection.

Paulette is thrilled to be the new curator of the Grundy. She’s keen to continue to champion regional artists from the North West.

More about Grundy Art Gallery

Grundy Art Gallery is Blackpool’s art gallery. It offers a year round programme of contemporary and visual art exhibitions and events. There are solo and group exhibitions together with talks, workshops and educational activities.

Brothers John and Cuthbert Grundy founded The Grundy Art Gallery in 1908. Now displayed in a Grade II listed Carnegie building. It’s been at the centre of cultural and artistic life in the town for over 100 years. It began with the ambition to show the best art of the day to the people of Blackpool. This sentiment remains at the heart of today, as a leading contemporary art gallery in the North West.

• Explore the history of Grundy Art Gallery

Today it includes works by established artists such as Martin Creed, Tracey Emin and Laura Ford. Gilbert and George, Brian Griffiths, Augustus John, Haroon Mirza and Eric Ravilious. It also has works by regionally based emerging talent such as Joe Fletcher Orr and Louise Giovanelli.

The Grundy aims to inspire audiences through an ambitious and varied year-round exhibitions programme. It draws on the unique and invigorating context and heritage of Blackpool. For instance exploring the space between contemporary art, entertainment and popular culture.

The Grundy Collection

Exhibitions and displays frequently incorporate pieces from our collection. It began with a bequest by the founding brothers and contains an eclectic range of art and other items. From furniture to ceramics, to netsuke ornaments to Victorian oil paintings. Artists include Craigie Aitchison, Ruth Claxton and Martin Creed. Laura Ford, Augustus John, Eric Ravilious and Gilbert and George amongst others.

Grundy is part of Blackpool Council’s Arts Service. It develops and delivers arts projects which engage Blackpool’s residents, communities and visitors in the arts. The service supports the town’s arts community, placing the arts the core of Blackpool’s unique and important cultural environment.

The gallery is an Accredited Museum. It also receives funding from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation and from the John Ellerman Foundation.