New exhibition celebrates Sheffield’s art collection and looks to the future

“The collection is still living and expanding in the 21st century and we are trying to collect works that relate to modern audiences and contemporary life,” says Katie Irwin, exhibitions curator at Sheffield Museums. “There are around 75 artworks in the exhibition, many of which have not been on display before, which is really exciting, and it spans different time periods and media including drawings, photographs, paintings and sculpture, digital works and video art. As well as highlighting some of our recent acquisitions over the past decade, the exhibition is also an opportunity to showcase the depth and breadth of the collection as a whole. We have really important works of international significance.”

The show includes works by artists such as Lucian Freud, Grayson Perry, Bridget Riley, Lubna Chowdhary, Sean Scully, Dan Holdsworth, Marlene Smith, Matthew Weir, Mark Wallinger and many more. “We have had some incredibly generous donations by artists or their estates and also vital support from funding bodies which has enabled us to achieve what we have,” says Irwin. “In curating the exhibition, it has been really interesting to discover threads and connections between the groups of works. It has also been quite hard to select from such a rich collection, but I think whatever kind of art you are interested in, there will be something for everyone.”

Much of the original collection was established thanks to substantial donations from two local businessmen and philanthropists John Newton Mappin (1800-1884) and John Geroge Graves (1866-1945). A keen art collector, Graves donated nearly 700 paintings to Sheffield, many of which are still on display in the city’s gallery which bears his name. The Modern British element of Sheffield’s collection is one of the most significant in the country and includes works by renowned 20th century British artists such as Gwen John, Stanley Spencer, Vanessa Bell and Frank Auerbach.

Many of the works in the collection are by Sheffield-born artists, or those with a connection to Sheffield, while other works directly reflect the city’s history and people. “That is a real strength in the collection,” says Irwin. “We have several works by John Hoyland for example – and also some portraits of people from Sheffield including two by Andrew Hunt.” Hoyland’s Coffee Bar, Sheffield (1955), one of his earliest works made when he was studying at Sheffield College of Art, is on display, as is Hunt’s Nathaniel 2018, part of a series of portraits by the artist documenting the community who use Sheffield’s Moor Market. Other artworks in the exhibition include Grayson Perry’s Comfort Blanket (2014), a 3m-wide tapestry resembling a huge banknote, that explores the complexity of British identity; Art History, 1987 by Marlene Smith whose work addresses the experience of being a black woman in Britain; and one of the most recent acquisitions – Sean Scully’s Wall of Brown 2024, a large-scale abstract painting of a brick-like structure inspired by the artist’s early years working on building sites. The painting was gifted to the collection by Scully this year.

Irwin says that the exhibition is also a chance to look to the future, inviting visitors to consider how Sheffield can continue to grow an art collection that’s representative and reflective of today’s society. “We want to develop the collection’s strengths and also look at areas where there might be gaps, we want to increase diversity and representation.” She adds: “I hope the exhibition will inspire people in the city to engage with the art collection and to feel a sense of ownership of it – it belongs to them and is an incredible resource – it was really ahead of its time for being inclusive and accessible and we are continuing to honour that tradition.”

At the Millennium Gallery, Sheffield until January 25, 2026. Entry to the exhibition is free, suggested donation £5.