Celebrating our artistic heritage

GALLERY Oldham has a great range of exhibitions coming up for the autumn.

A large collection of paintings in the Vision and Reality display reflect the creative life and vitality of the Oldham area from the late 18th century to the present day.

The exhibition, on show until September 11, features artists who were born or lived in the town, including John Houghton Hague and Helen Bradley, who painted images of local people and landscapes.

Also reflected are the travels of Oldham artists, from William Stott’s magnificent Alpine landscapes to Charles Potter’s vision of the Welsh countryside.

Leeds Fine Artists’ annual show is welcomed to the gallery for the first time this year. The group, founded in 1874, soon became a major player in the cultural life of the city.

This year’s exhibition, which includes works for sale in a range of media, is entitled “Over the top” in reference to the group’s journey over the Pennines to Oldham. It runs from September 24 to November 20.

Step Into the Picture with Paul Critchley’s installation of over 50 paintings of household items, which work together as one picture. Visitors will experience this painted installation as a 3D space, even though they are looking at 2D objects. It runs until September 25.

Ceramics and the City, until November 6, explores how ceramicists have responded to, and re-imagined the city.

Co-curated by Brigitte Soltau, the exhibition includes work by major contemporary artists, including David Binns and Neil Brownsword, alongside works from Gallery Oldham’s collection by, among others, Halima Cassell.

And there is a chance to learn the symbolic language of flowers at the Forget-Me-Not exhibition, which brings together textiles, art and ceramics. It runs until December 4.