Bury Art Museum

23/06/2026

Today is with National Portrait Gallery! 🖼️

We couldn’t choose just one so here’s a selection of side portraits on display in our Permanent Collection Gallery to celebrate!

1/ Nahem Shoa - Study of the Artist Desmond Haughton (given by the artist in 2006)
2/ Fred Elwell – The Fish Stall (1934)
3/ John Faed – The Cruel Sister (1850)
4/ Dorothea Sharp – Children Paddling (GC Bequest 1941)
5/ Lady Elizabeth Butler – Listed for the Connaught Rangers (1878)
6/ Keeley Hallswelle – Jack Cade’s Rabblement (1867)
7/ George Clausen – Spring Morning: Haverstock Hill (1881)

23/06/2026

21/06/2026

Happy Summer Solstice! 🌞

Today marks the longest day (with the shortest night) of the year for those in the northern hemisphere.

Did you know? Whilst most celebrate the whole day, the solstice actually happens at a specific moment when whichever hemisphere you're in is most tilted towards the Sun. For this year, that happened at 9:24am for us in British Summer Time!

🖼️ John Walter Bayes, Café Scene. Oil on canvas laid on board. Franklin & Margaret Howarth bequest, 1939.

19/06/2026

Have you ever spotted the dinnerladies' tabard in the museum?

Part of our permanent collection here at Bury Art Museum, the tabard was worn by the character Dolly Bellfield (played by Thelma Barlow) and is on display in our Victoria Wood exhibition. 💛

Our free exhibition celebrates the life and achievements of Bury’s most famous daughter, working in conjunction with the ‘Victoria Wood Literary Estate’, and her family members. We are delighted to share original scripts, song sheets, photos and more, all once belonging to Victoria, some which have never been publicly displayed before.

📸 It also features the work of photographers Andy Hollingworth (who kindly donated the tabard to the museum) and Harry Borden whose images show many of Victoria’s collaborators, as well as Manchester artist Stanley Chow, who has created a new artwork of Victoria for the exhibition.

18/06/2026

Today’s theme is discovery for Wiltshire and the World: John Aubrey and the Quest for Knowledge at Chippenham Museum. We’ve chosen this etching by Angelica Kauffmann of Johann Winckelmann.

Johann Joachim Winckelmann was a German art historian and archaeologist born in 1717. He is often regarded as a founding father of art history. Through his work Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums (which translates to The History of Art in Antiquity), published in 1764, he was one of the first to write about the connections between art, culture and history.

🖼️ Angelica Kauffmann, Portrait of Johann Winckelmann (1763). Sanguine etching, from the small edition printed in 1781 by John Boydell

17/06/2026

Look at these masterpieces left on our gallery wall recently! ❤️🎨

Our Creation Station is open all the time for everyone, encouraging visitors to get inspired and create their own art to display in our frames.

Which is your favourite?

16/06/2026

Life Drawing next week!

Join us next Thursday 25th June 6-8pm for our monthly life drawing session (with clothed model)

🎟️ £12 – get in touch to book via 0161 253 5878 or [email protected]

🖼️Sir Frank Brangwyn, Sketch of an Old Man (1929). Charcoal and chalk sketch. Haworth Bequest, 1939.

14/06/2026

Have you spotted these sculptures outside the library entrance? 🏛️

A Couplet acts as a welcoming symbol to greet people to Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre and Bury Library (via our Manchester Road entrance).

Made from brightly coloured aluminium and stainless steel, contrasting with the stone building surrounding it, this landmark work is inspired by the historical identity of the town, taking elements from Bury’s industrial past; forged iron, paper (papyrus tree), wool, the weaving industry, to create abstract elements.

There’s always plenty of great features to see on the buildings surrounding the gallery. This was highlighted in our Spirit Of A Place exhibition in 2021 – encouraging visitors to take in the architecture and sculptures on Silver St and Manchester Rd in Bury. 🧡

🖼️Hsiao-Chi Tsai & Kimiya Yoshikawa, A Couplet (2014). Pair of site-specific permanent façade sculptures. Marine-grade aluminium, powder coating, stainless steel.

12/06/2026

We are so saddened to hear the news of the passing of David Hockney.

For all our staff here at Bury Art Museum, he has been a major influence and inspiration. He will be remembered as one of the greatest British artists ever & his legacy will live on and continue to inspire generations. 🤍

We are so proud to have this lithograph by him of close friend and muse, Celia Birtwell, in our collection.

🖼️ David Hockney, Celia in a Director’s Chair, 1980, lithograph. Edition 38 of 100.

11/06/2026

We’ve chosen After the Match, Moss Side, Manchester by Harry Kingsley for today’s with . This week’s theme is football, for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which starts today! ⚽

Harry Kingsley was a painter and teacher born in Manchester in 1914. His paintings mainly feature northern towns and industrial landscapes, and we are fortunate to have quite a few in our collection!

🖼️Harry Kingsley, After the Match, Moss Side, Manchester. 1970, oil on board. Not on display.