Image: Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery is continuing the public-access work developed through ‘Taking Stock’, a collections project that gave visitors an unusual view of how artworks are stored, cared for and managed. Although the project’s open store on the gallery’s top floor closed earlier this year, the institution says its influence remains visible in current displays and a new scheme lending artworks to schools and colleges.
The open store was created during a major collections move carried out as part of building works. Supported by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it offered a behind-the-scenes view of collection management rather than presenting works solely in finished gallery displays. Visitors could see aspects of the practical systems involved in storing and caring for artworks, bringing normally restricted museum activity into public view.
Manchester Art Gallery describes the project as having a continuing effect on how its collection is shared and experienced. That legacy is reflected in displays including ‘Won’t Sit Still’ and ‘Escapes’, both cited by the gallery as examples of the ways the collection continues to be made accessible after the open store’s closure.
‘Escapes’ brings together rarely seen Victorian landscapes, old Manchester artefacts and a new acquisition, considering them through the lens of air pollution. The display also includes Manchester etchings by artist Tony Phillips. On 30 September 2026, Phillips is scheduled to appear at the gallery in a conversation following an introduction by Hannah Williamson, the gallery’s curator of Fine Arts. The event is part of a wider evening programme at Manchester Art Gallery.
The project’s educational extension is ‘Art Works in Schools’, described by the gallery as a new loan scheme placing art in schools and colleges. The scheme is accompanied by artist-led sessions for teachers and students, taking collection material beyond the gallery and into educational settings. The announcement does not specify the number of participating schools, the works available to borrow or the duration of the loans.
The gallery credits the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Lottery players with making ‘Taking Stock’ possible. Its September programme also presents the collections project alongside other forms of public engagement, including gallery displays, talks and access initiatives. The institution’s free Bloomberg Connects guide offers another way to explore Manchester Art Gallery’s collection, with stories and behind-the-scenes insights available away from the building.
