Celebrating World Art Day in Manchester

Local Galleries

Manchester is renowned for having some of the most incredible art galleries, so we’ve compiled a few that you absolutely have to see during your time in the City.

Manchester Art Gallery

This is well-known as Manchester’s main art gallery, featuring thousands of world-class pieces. With a huge selection of paintings, sketches, sculptures, photos, and other more elusive art styles, this is an incredible collection and somewhere you can easily spend a day exploring. Our favourite has to be the Pre-Raphealite pieces – and the café, of course!

The Lowry

Not only a stunning collection of paintings and drawings from its namesake, LS Lowry, there’s also three performance spaces home to a variety of musicals, comedy gigs, and more. The Lowry is a great day out with something to interest everyone, and nestled in the docks of Salford Quays, the surroundings are just as lovely. Whether you want to visit an art gallery or indulge in a stage performance, The Lowry have got you covered.

Home Manchester

One of the newest spots in town, Home Manchester is a merge of two former cultural institutions – Cornerhouse, and the Library Theatre Company. Within Home are two theatres, five cinemas, and spacious gallery, along with places to stop for a drink, a bite to eat, and a mooch around the shops. This is a personal favourite of ours, with so many options to choose from you’ll find it hard to narrow it down!

Art Classes

If you fancy truly getting stuck in, you're in luck. Manchester's art classes and workshops are perfect for beginners and cover a huge range of mediums, so there's something for every kind of budding artist out there. Here are some of our favourites.

Sip and Paint

Sometimes, looking at pieces of art just isn’t enough, you need to get involved and create something yourself. You can unlock your creative side with a paintbrush in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, being guided through the class to paint a masterpiece of your own. These sessions are run across Manchester, so have a look at which location would suit you best – and you can even request a private class for groups of 8-16 for that extra personal touch.

Life Drawing Workshop

Hosted by an experienced local artist, life drawing is a great way to unwind and get in touch with your arty side. It’s a relaxed, chilled out class in which you’re welcome to explore your creativity in a way that suits you – so whether you’re interested in photorealism, or prefer a more impressionistic style, you’ll be in good company. There’s also snacks, and a curated playlist provided, too – they thought of everything for this class, and we love it.

UV Painting Workshop

We couldn’t not talk about this one. Not your typical art class, this UV painting workshop is held in a super psychedelic space with all-UV lights, making this a paint party you won’t forget in a hurry. These are perfect for group activities, and whether it be a birthday or just a well-earned break from everyday life, this is the most colourful and quirky class you’ll find.

DIY Art

If you’re not keen on the idea of galleries, or going to a class, but prefer to just do it yourself – we get it, and we haven’t left you out.

Nature sketching

Manchester is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll find, especially with the Peak District so close – grab yourself a notebook and some pencils, and head on out to find some inspo to create your own scenic masterpiece. Whether you stumble across a landscape you just have to get on paper, or maybe a shot of some wild animals that really speak to you – you’ve got the whole world out there waiting for you to draw it.

Point and shoot

Hey, we know. Drawing isn’t everyone’s thing, and that’s okay. If you want to get involved without the pressure of creating the next Picasso masterpiece, there’s still options that you can do – photography. You can do this with you phone, you don’t need to buy a fancy camera, just head out for a walk and get some pictures of anything you see and like the look of. Manchester’s canals are a great spot in the spring, with flowers blooming and the geese out in full force – hopefully giving you their best angle!

We hope you have a wonderful World Art Day, and we’d love to see any of your creations – why not tag us on socials @mapartments_?