Astley Cheetham Art Gallery is in the heart of Stalybridge town centre, on the first floor of Stalybridge Library.

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Something of a hidden gem, the gallery boasts beautiful Victorian architecture. Exhibitions change regularly throughout the year and feature works by local artists, schools and groups, as well as the Astley Cheetham art collection.

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The gallery is family friendly and is accredited by Visit England as a quality attraction to visit.

Visitors to the gallery have said: “Great little gallery. We will be back!” “Fantastic display enjoyed by all the family. This was well worth the visit and we will definitely come again.” “So glad I decided to pop in.”

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Current exhibition:

Pine an' Fret by Rebecca Chesney

30 September - 23 December 2023

Pine an’ Fret, an exhibition by artist Rebecca Chesney, depicts a series of beautifully crafted posters featuring an array of poetic statements. The poetic statements, some of which were created by the Stalybridge community during workshops with local writer Cat Lumb and some of which are taken from the poems of dialect poet Samuel Laycock, cover thoughts on the changing face of Stalybridge. They explore topics like wages, health, and the cost of living and are intended to provoke a response from the viewer and start a dialogue about Stalybridge.

The exhibition intends to look deeper, exploring our role as citizens in shaping society.

During the exhibition, audiences will be encouraged to respond to the artworks, at different points in the room, creating new contributions that will be exhibited (with participant permission) alongside Rebecca’s work.

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Call out: Open Art exhibition

Our annual Open Art exhibition is one of the county's longest running open exhibitions and showcases the creative talent across Tameside. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to be notified of future Open Art exhibitions with a view to displaying your artwork, please email us at portland.basin@tameside.gov.uk

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The Astley Cheetham art collection

The Astley Cheetham art collection is a remarkable small art collection. John Frederick Cheetham (1835-1916) was part of a successful and wealthy family who built their fortune on cotton, owning Bankwood Mills in Stalybridge. The family developed an art collection which included Italian Renaissance altar pieces, 16th century portraits and contemporary 19th century works by artists such as David Cox and Burne-Jones. Cheetham, together with his wife, Beatrice Astley, funded the building of Stalybridge Public Library in 1901 and above it a lecture theatre space, which is now Astley Cheetham Art Gallery.  

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The collection has grown from the original bequest with gifts from the National Art Collections Fund and the Contemporary Arts Society throughout the twentieth century. It now consists of over 400 art works, paintings, drawings and sculptures is one of the most interesting small regional collections. Find out more by clicking on the images below. Many artworks are available to view and to purchase as prints through Art UK.

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