A look back at The New Art Gallery Walsall as it gears up for its 25th anniversary

First opening in 2000 as part of the Town Wharf redevelopment scheme, The New Art Gallery Walsall presents, collects and interprets historic, modern and contemporary art in innovative and challenging ways, welcoming visitors from all over the globe as well residents and locals who have enjoyed its displays for decades. 

The core aim of the project is to increase the understanding and enjoyment of arts and culture through a dynamic exhibition, education and events programme – in the past was visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II. 

The gallery waved in its first guests in February 20, 2000, and featured a restaurant and roof garden, four large temporary exhibition spaces and a ground-breaking children’s interactive discovery gallery.

There was also a ‘house-within-a-house’ 13-room home for the priceless Garman Ryan Collection which was gifted to the people of Walsall by Lady Kathleen Garman, and her friend Sally Ryan.

The top floor restaurant was converted into an extra exhibition space in 2006 and the Floor 4 Gallery now showcases artists from the West Midlands region or like its current show, REFLECTOR, gives a platform for up-and-coming artists. 

Costa also moved into the Gallery around the same time and there is now a small Gallery shop which is a great place to find art books and materials, buy limited edition prints, cards and unusual gifts.

The children’s discovery gallery has made way for the Community Gallery – currently hosting Walsall Society of Artists’ show. Rather than an interactive space, the Gallery has a dedicated Learning team who put on popular events.

Over 2023 and 2004 the Gallery enabled more than 11,000 children and young people to discover the transformative power of arts through the Learning programme. This includes visits from 96 schools and 17 higher education and further education institutions.

It its first year the swish new gallery won multiple architectural awards and attracted just under 250,000 guests, solidifying it as a go-to destination for visitors, and a hot topic between residents who got the first glimpses of its construction and eventual opening. 

Today, the gallery – which is mostly funded by grants from Arts Council England and Walsall Council – remains stood in the heart of the town centre, attracting around 150,000 visitors every year.