Friends

Become a Friend and support your gallery

Our Friends membership allows you to attend inspiring talks, private tours, workshops and previews, and enjoy 10% off in the gallery shop and café.

Your support keeps the gallery free and helps us to create exhibitions and programmes that positively impact the lives of local people and encourage our littlest visitors to achieve their full potential.

Join in the gallery shop or on our website and let’s be Friends!

You can’t put a price on friendship, of course, but ours is just £36 a year.

Thank you for giving back!

Discover What’s On for Friends.

Join Manchester Art Gallery Friends and support your gallery

Become a Friend

Treat someone to the gift of Friendship

Treat someone you love to a year full of art with our Friends Gift Box!

Full of gallery goodies and a membership that includes inspiring talks, private tours, workshops, previews. And with a 10% discount in the gallery shop and café, it is the perfect gift that keeps on giving. Boxes begin at £45 for an individual gift membership or £68 for a joint gift membership for two people.

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What’s On for Friends

A Friends’ online talk

Nature’s Inspiration and a Cross Channel Impressionist Dynasty

Wednesday 12 February 2025, 6pm

As the days lengthen and the spirit of renewal upon us, Isabelle Killicoat will be delivering a short presentation, intriguingly entitled ‘Flora and Fauna Upclose’. Drawing upon our own collection as well as those elsewhere, she will be reflecting on just why it is that Nature never fails to inspire and enthral us.

“Don’t’ be afraid of putting on colour…don’t proceed according to rules, but paint what you observe and feel…one must have only one master – Nature.” This was the advice of the leading French Impressionist Camille Pissarro to his son Lucien. Both painters are well represented here in Manchester and we will be exploring with John Ward, the many links between them.

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Friends’ Tour of Gallery 17

Taking Stock

Various dates

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Throughout this winter, we’ve scheduled regular, Friends-only tours of gallery 17. The space has been transformed into an ‘open store,’ housing over 6000 objects. These objects range from paintings to ceramics and sculptures, many of which have remained hidden from public view until now.

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Friends Drawing Workshops

Portraying the human figure, tour and drawing workshops

Saturday 29 March 2025, 11am-1pm
Saturday 26 April 2025, 11am-1pm
Saturday 7 June 2025, 11am-1pm

Join gallery guide Richard Foulkes for a morning of practical exercises to develop your creative skills in a thematic session drawn from our collection.

Suitable for beginners, as well as those wanting to improve their current skills. Basic materials will be provided. For Friends of Manchester Art Gallery only.

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Friends FAQs

Can I give more than £36 per year?

Yes, you can give as much as you like. A year’s membership starts at £36, but you can also become a Best Friend, or even a Patron, and add as much as you like to your memberships as an additional donation.

Can Friends Get Involved in Volunteering?

We couldn’t do what we do at the gallery without volunteers. Whether delivering guided Friends tours of our collections and exhibitions; supporting, and taking part in, our popular online talks; or assisting other gallery departments, our volunteers help the gallery on a daily basis.

Let’s Be Friends

Stay in touch—follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

If you have any further questions about membership please email our Friends Coordinator at [email protected]