Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Dress up as a Georgian and take a selfie in one of our wonderful galleries, find out about our packed programme of activities for all ages or visit one of our regular world-class touring exhibitions.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery is home to one of the country’s best collections of British and American Pop Art, displayed in a designated Pop Art gallery. Changing exhibitions feature works by Andy Warhol, Richard Hamilton and Pauline Boty. The collection comprises paintings, works on paper and sculpture.

From 2000-2005 the Gallery was part of a national collecting scheme, funded through the Arts Lottery and managed by the Contemporary Art Society. This scheme enabled us to expand our contemporary collection, again focusing on issue-based work. Work by leading contemporary artists was added to the collection, including Richard Billingham, Helen Chadwick, Tom Hunter, Gillian Wearing and many others. We continue to build on our collections, seeking funding wherever possible, to provide a valuable resource for visitors and researchers alike.

In addition to the records of public bodies, we also hold the records of local industries, clubs and societies, and even private individuals. This includes important local businesses such as Goodyear, Sankey, the Mander Brothers and John Thompson Limited. Records for local clubs and societies include political groups like the Wolverhampton South East Conservative Association, sports clubs like the Wolverhampton & District Amateur Football League and other interest groups such as the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Our collections of locally made decorative objects are a testament to the skills of local craftsmen and women. Wolverhampton was a major centre of the English japanning industry, which was developed in the 18th century to provide cheaper alternatives to expensive imported oriental lacquer ware. The production period spanned from the 1760s when a factory was established at the Old Hall works, right up to the 1920s when Henry Loveridge’s Merridale works finally ceased production. We have hundreds of fine examples in the collection.

For more information, visit the website.