Home to more than 3,000 works spanning centuries of cultural heritage, the gallery has just completed a major redevelopment made possible by more than £2million raised by National Lottery players.

History and future of the Hatton Gallery

The building opened in 1912 as the Edward VII School of Art and included a gallery space. During the First World War it was used as a hospital before returning to its original use. Over the years the building was extended, established permanent exhibitions and continued to add to its unique collections.

The National Lottery funding is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Hatton Gallery. It included:

• Conservation and repair of the Grade II Listed building
• Modernisation of existing exhibitions
• Creation of a new art store to preserve and protect collections
• Creation of public space for learning, study and engaging with the archives

[quote= Eric Cross, Dean of Cultural Affairs at Newcastle University] "The gallery... badly needed this redevelopment so it could retake its rightful place as a significant gallery of modern and contemporary art.” [/quote]

Eric Cross, Dean of Cultural Affairs, Newcastle University, said: “For almost 100 years, the Hatton has been a major cultural resource, important not only for the North East but also nationally and internationally. Unfortunately, the gallery was no longer fit for purpose and badly needed this redevelopment so it could retake its rightful place as a significant gallery of modern and contemporary art.”

Pioneers of Pop

The Hatton Gallery reopened on the 7 October with an exhibition exploring Newcastle’s role as the birthplace of Pop Art.

Revolving around artist Richard Hamilton, who taught at Newcastle University from 1953 to 1966, Pioneers of Pop includes around 100 works by leading British artists associated with Pop and abstract art. The exhibition includes works created in a wide range of media from lenders across the UK, many are from private collections and have rarely been seen in public.

The Hatton Gallery is now open for visitors and the Pioneers of Pop exhibition will be on until 20 January 2018. Visit the gallery’s website for more information.