Previous Exhibitions
The little society
3-14 April
Commissioned as part of the Leigh and Wigan Words Together Literary Festival, visual poet Philip Davenport created a city of words. Part exhibition, part playful experiment, the little society included text skylines, animation and concrete poetry, supplemented by visitors' own visual poems.
Face: The changing face of a working community
21 January - 3 March
Face was an exhibition of archive material and contemporary artwork by Paula Keenan, Lesley Sutton and Dave Meehan, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The exhibition explored the impact of the miners' strike in 1984 on the local working community and how the loss of the mining industry continues to effect people's lives today. The exhibition included a specially created documentary; oral histories from ex-miners; and archive photographs, maps and objects.
Open Exhibition
19th November - 7th January 2012
Featuring over a 100 amateur and professional artists, the artworks in this exhibition from painting and drawing to photography and sculpture, and showcased diversity of local talent across the borough of Wigan.
The World We Live In
10th September - 5th November 2011
Specially selected from the Arts Council Collection, this exhibition celebrated 40 years of the Turnpike Gallery. It presented paintings, sculpture, photography and video by post-war and contemporary British artists, several of whom have shown previously at the Turnpike, including: Frank Auerbach, Anna Barriball, Douglas Binder, David Chadwick, Prunella Clough, David Hepher, Chris Killip, Michael Landy, LS Lowry, Mark Neville, Cornelia Parker, Vicken Parsons, Victor Pasmore, Simon Patterson, Tom Philips, William Scott, George Shaw, Ian Walker, Mark Wallinger, Patrick Ward, Carel Weight, Richard Wentworth, Rachel Whiteread, Elizabeth Wright.
Art Factory: Fun Fair
18th July - 27th August
Our annual Art Factory always aims to be family-friendly and interactive. Fun Fair drew on the traditions of the travelling fair, the circus and the village fête. Elements from each of these distinct events were combined to create a unique and innovative exhibition that brought together historic and popular culture. Complementing an archive display and 'museum of curiosities', were be specially commissioned stalls and drop-in activities.
Norman Dilworth: Sculptures and Drawings
7th May - 2nd July 2011
Norman Dilworth was born in Orrell in 1931 and attended Wigan School of Art, where “…this small school opened my blinkered vision to art, music, literature and politics.” From there he moved to study in London and subsequently won a scholarship to Paris. Later he became established in exhibitions in the UK and Europe for his abstract, constructed sculpture, and co-curated Pier+Ocean at the Hayward Gallery in 1980. The Turnpike show was organised by Andrew Bick and supported by Arts Council Lottery funding, and it included work completed in the last ten years along with early drawings and archive photographs taken by his wife Christine Cadin during the installation of Pier+Ocean. The exhibition was developed in partnership with Gimpel Fils, London, and Huddersfield Art Gallery.
Art Lab
16 - 21 April 2011
Part exhibition and part workshop, Rockpool Candy and Mytarpit openend their Art Lab to the public during the Easter holidays. Both artists were 'in residence' for five days, leading visitors in a variety of creative experiments, including pixel badges, altered paintings and extreme dressmaking.
We Are Here
19 February - 9 April 2011
We Are Here showcased the work of contemporary professional artists from the borough of Wigan: Kate Bufton, Kat Button, Steve Cunliffe, Mike Fahey, Fairhurst_Fielding and David Stanley. Some have been working for a number of years, others have only recently left college, and this exhibition presented some specially commissioned large-scale pieces in textiles, sculpture and multi-media installation.
Lab Craft - Digital Adventures in Contemporary Craft
30 October - 18 December 2010
Lab Craft Digital Adventures in Contemporary Craft presented work by 26 makers who are combining traditional craft skills with cutting edge technologies to take craft to a whole new level. Featuring digital technologies including rapid prototyping, laser scanning and digital printing, the exhibition displayed familiar craft materials such as wood, metal, textiles and glass but with a very unfamiliar look and finish. Lab Craft Digital Adventures in Contemporary Craft was curated by Max Fraser in partnership with the Crafts Council.
Surviving the Peace
A photographic journey from conflict to recovery
9 – 23 October 2010
Surviving the Peace’s powerful images, captured by Sean Sutton, illustrate the lifesaving work worldwide of Manchester charity MAG (Mines Advisory Group) over the past 20 years. The photographs show the struggles and triumphs faced by survivors of conflict, and how, with MAG’s help, they begin battling a new set of challenges in the aftermath of violence.
From Wigan to Leigh
11 September - 2 October 2010
Ten local art groups, including Ashton Art Group; Atherton Arts; Bedford Art Group; Bristles Art Group, Leigh; Leigh Community Art Group; Golborne and Lowton Art Group; Ince Art Group; Fox-Robin Westleigh; The Art Gang at Pensioners Link; and Studio 77, Leigh, join forces to present paintings and drawings from across the borough of Wigan.
Art Factory - Robot
21 July - 28 August 2010
Robots took over the gallery during the summer with some of the most familiar cyborgs and droids from television and film delighting young and old alike. Hundreds of children and young people took part in activities to design their own and make simple mini-bots.
REEL TIMES
1st May - 10th July 2010
Reel Times was an exhibition of archive films selected by the Turnpike Gallery from the North West Film Archive at Manchester Metropolitan University. Each of the films had a connection to the local area or to the North West region. The exhibition also included archive and contemporary photographs and a short film celebrating the many cinemas which were once to be found in the borough; animations created by local schoolchildren; short films exploring the themes of home and community created by young people; and Victorian optical toys.
Open Exhibition
13 March - 17 April 2010
Nearly 200 amateur and professional artists took part in the Open exhibition. The exhibition celebrated the diversity of current artistic practice in the borough and included paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and textiles.
Halima Cassell and paintings by Zarah Hussain
16 January - 27 February 2010
Araam: Breathing Space featured the work of two young artists, Halima Cassell and Zarah Hussain. Breathing Space has been initiated by Shisha, the international agency for contemporary South Asian crafts and visual arts, in partnership with Mid Pennine Arts, Burnley.
J Lawrence Isherwood
7 November - 2 January 2010
James Lawrence Isherwood (1917 - 1989) is to Wigan what L.S. Lowry is to Salford; a painter of a provincial town and its people who has become increasingly acknowledged since his death. This exhibition comprised 50 oil paintings from the William " Billy" Higham collection and included some of Isherwood's' trademark ' pictures scenes of Wigan, portraits, landscapes and still life, painted in a loose, energetic style. Isherwood was a regular visitor to Higham's Florists in Wigan, and both Billy and his wife Bunty collected his work.
Another Eye for a Picture
3 – 24 0ctober 2009
A showcase of over 240 prints from across the borough of Wigan by members of four camera clubs, including Atherton and District Amateur Photographic Society, Leigh and District Camera Club, Wigan Photographic Society and Wigan 10 Foto Club.
Your Story Our History
12 – 26 September 2009
A unique local exhibition exploring our past and our heritage. The exhibition includes objects from Wigan's Heritage Collection; antique books from Leigh Library; and historical objects contributed by members of the public.
ART FACTORY – Sense-ation!
18 July – 29 August 2009
The interactive sculptures of Jan Niedojadlo made a welcome return to the Turnpike Gallery with giant pods made from a variety of recycled materials incorporating subtle effects of lighting, sound, texture and smell. Complementing Jan’s work was a den made in the gallery by Mark Mennell involving children and young people.
Who Do We Think We Are?
An Exploration of Identity
27th June - 4th July 2009
An exhibition of work by children in Wigan and Leigh schools, inspired by the Who do we think we are exhibition? at the Drumcroon Gallery, Wigan and developed by the Drumcroon Visual Arts Service.
OPEN
9 May - 19 June 2009
Featuring over 230 artists from across the borough of Wigan, the art works in this exhibition range from painting and drawing to photography and sculpture. We are delighted to present such a diverse range of creative ideas and the response from local people has been tremendous.
UK DIY
14 February - 25 April 2009
This exhibition explores the emergence of alternative, subversive, political craft taking place across the UK as a new generation reclaim and re-define craft, adding a distinctive tongue-in-cheek edge. Featuring crafts that cross-over with fashion, furniture, science, technology, and music culture, the work of innovative national and international makers will be shown alongside work produced by local communities, online communities and knitting groups across the country.
Perceptions
17 - 31 January 2009
A disability arts project which explores the concept of perceptions and issues surrounding disability. Community groups from Wigan borough have worked with artists to explore the themes and issues through textiles, photography and creative writing.