About the Friends of the Whitworth Art Gallery

About the Friends of the Whitworth Art Gallery

The Friends group was established in 1933 and has been flourishing ever since. The main aim is to support the work of the University of Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery and its internationally renowned collection.  Nowadays the Friends is an independent charity and is run entirely by the membership.  The Chair and committee are elected; they set policy and oversee the general running of the organisation.  The 'Tuesday Team' is a group of volunteers who organise and administer all of the Friends' activities -- membership, fund-raising, events and communications.

Adele Jennison a member for ten years gives us her ten reasons to join the Friends of the Whitworth.

1. Why join the Friends? Well, there is a clue in the title…Friend(ship). It’s about sharing your interest in art and affection for the Whitworth Art Gallery.
2. We can meet with like-minded people in the new 'Café in the Trees' & bring our existing friends too. It is set to be THE new cool destination in South Manchester!  Show your membership card and you'll get a discount.
3. Being a Friend takes the hassle out of keeping up with what's happening in the art world -- we get lots of opportunities throughout the year to visit other galleries,...and
4. Attend previews and curator talks. You soon feel like an art-insider after listening to our knowledgeable speakers.
5. The friends events team also suss out which other places would appeal...historic houses, beautiful gardens, artists' studios, private collections, open-house events & hidden art spaces.
6. Every year art stars such as Grayson Perry & Andrew Graham Dixon come & talk to us at our prestigious Pilkington lectures.
7. If that isn’t enough the team will also arrange your holiday. Who doesn’t want their travel niggles taken care of? Sweden, South Africa, Dessau & Dresden have all been destinations in the last few years, with pioneers sailing across to Belfast & Derry; even a bold group venturing into Iran in 2010!
8. Shorter trips in the UK are too numerous to mention.
9. And as the icing on the cake, we have the stunning new spaces in a most loved gallery at the heart of Manchester's cultural life!
10. Come & join us & have fun while raising very necessary funds for the next exciting stage in the life of this wonderful cultural institution.

Click here to join.