MMU art gallery season

MMU’s superb Holden Gallery is undergoing something of a renaissance with a busy spring season of contemporary art and design exhibits, including a landmark show of world-class graphic art.

International Typography exhibition, Fiffteen, brings together work from typeface and font gurus Erik Spiekermann and Neville Broady, who have set the standards in international typography for two decades, designing for Audi, The Economist, Arena and Face to name but a few.

The exhibition runs from 18 February until 7 March after the conclusion of a show of fine art by Finnish artists on 15 February. It is followed by the photographic exhibition Story Telling, organised by photography lecturer Jackie Butler which runs from March 9 to April 18.

Professor David Crow, whose work features in Fiffteen, believes the Holden Galley can significantly increase its profile both in the University community and across the city.

He said: “Here is a city centre space with a rich history in showing progressive art dating back to the days of William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and Ford Maddox Brown.

“The Holden has the potential to be a good city circuit gallery showing interesting and experimental work that will inspire students.”

Although the Gallery lacks a designated curator the University has called in a freelance who has also coordinated promotion and PR for Fiffteen, which features a guest lecture by Spiekermann, Broady and David Crow on 17 March. Fifteen, which celebrates 15 years of the FontFont type library and seminal publication, FUSE, has shown at the College of Communication, London and will travel to Europe and America.

David Crow said: “Fiffteen has some of the best examples in the world of everyday designs that you take for granted, like the X in the X-Files. Few people realise the craft and skill that goes into creating our modern world of letters and numbers.”

The Holden Gallery is located within the Grosvenor Building (the former Manchester Municipal School of Art, opened 1881), Cavendish Street, MMU. Open weekdays 9.30-5pm. Opening weekend 19/20 February noon till 4pm. The opening lecture with Erik Spiekermann, Neville Brody and David Crow will be by ticket only. Tickets are free of charge, but reservations do need to be made in advance. For bookings contact bev.bytheway@btinternet.com. An accompanying series of talks is being planned at Urbis. Watch this space for further details.

For more information about Art and Design courses at MMU, go to www.artdes.mmu.ac.uk