The future of the Grundy Art Gallery

Blackpool has a rich cultural heritage and thriving arts scene, with the Grundy Art Gallery at its heart since 1911.

I recently met with staff including Paulette Brien, curator of the Grundy, Holly Woodman, the gallery’s learning and engagement officer and Carolyn Primett, head of art services at Blackpool Council. They gave me a personal tour of Garth Gratrix’s excellent summer exhibition ‘Flamboyant Flamingos’. It was great to see a Blackpool-born and based artist occupying the Summer season slot for the first time.

We also discussed the proposed extension for the gallery to create Blackpool Culture Hub on Queen Street car park. The plans would create additional space for activities, events, and a wider range of national and international exhibitions. The space will also be fully accessible and available for schools and community groups to hold workshops. This is a important piece of the puzzle in the regeneration of the town centre and will help grow Blackpool’s cultural landscape. I’ll be supporting the council in its bids to attract funding for the works to be carried out.

                                                  Artists impression of the Culture Hub plans

This Saturday, September 28th, The Grundy reopens its doors with a trio of exhibitions. Among them is a Collection Spotlight of some of the 2,500 publicly-owned artworks and objects housed there. I encourage everyone in Blackpool to visit and take pride in and ownership over this fantastic asset to our town.

Find out more here.