The Collection

The Atkinson Art Gallery was opened in 1878 following a donation by William Atkinson of £6,000 to the Southport Corporation to build an art gallery and library for the town. During his life, William Atkinson generously donated approximately £40,000 to the town and played an active part in its development.

A local collector, Miss Ball founded the gallery’s permanent collection with a bequest of eighteen oils and twenty-one watercolours, in 1879.

Today, the gallery has an extensive and varied permanent collection, including works by the following artists and many others:

John Collier (Lilleth / In the Venusberg)
Jacob Epstein (Maria Donska)
Dame Elisabeth Frink (The General)
Augustus John (The Red Toque)
L.S. Lowry (Street Scene, 1935)
Henry Moore (Three Way Piece Points)
Paul Nash (Vimy Ridge)
Ernest Normand (Pygmalion and Galatea)
John Piper (Ruin, Dentdale, 1940's)
Walter R. Sickert (Theatre of the Young Artists / Sinn Feiners)

The gallery provides a full schedule of events all the year round such as monthly lunchtime talks and workshops, as well as regular exhibitions.
This includes the Sefton Open, one of the North West's largest exhibitions of contemporary art by artists throughout the UK. This years exhibition, the 10th, takes place between the 26th Oct. and 27th Nov. 2004.

For information on events hosted by the gallery visit the gallery website www.seftonarts.co.uk

For enquiries or to go on their mailing list click here to email.

A booklet entitled 'Millennial Exhibition - Aquisitions of the Twentieth Century' by Joanna Jones, can be ordered from the gallery at a cost of £5.00 inclusive of postage and packing.

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