Grayson Perry exhibition boosts visitor numbers at Manchester Art Gallery

It's boosted visitor numbers back to pre-covid levels

Grayson Perry and his wife
Author: Demi OlutunmogunPublished 25th Oct 2021
Last updated 25th Oct 2021

Manchester Art Gallery is seeing visitor numbers that are similar to pre-Covid levels thanks to a boost from The 'Grayson's Art Club'.

The exhibition includes work by Grayson Perry himself as well as contributions from the nation's armchair artists.

Since re-opening in May the gallery has welcomed 198,475 visitors through its doors, which is equivalent to visitor numbers at the gallery before the very first lockdowns were imposed in March 2020.

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The exhibition was originally due to open on 25 November last year, but it wasn't until May this year that visitors were finally able to see Grayson Perry's exhibition.

With only one week to go, all visitor time slots have now sold out, however it is still possible to see highlights of the exhibition online via a virtual tour on the gallery's website.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, OBE, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said:

"We always knew that culture would have a big part to play in the reopening of the city post pandemic and the latest visitor numbers for the art gallery bear this out.

"It's clear this isn't though just about art for art's sake. More than ever over the last eighteen months we've seen that art and the arts in general also have a much wider and important part to play in our overall health and wellbeing.

"The number of visitors who have been flocking to the gallery to see the Grayson's Art Club exhibition, as well as taking part in the programme challenges is proof of that.

"It's brilliant to see the gallery buzzing again."

Grayson Perry's Portrait of Philippa

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