Manchester School of Art launches series of graduate exhibitions

Manchester School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University will be celebrating the work of students who graduated in 2020 and 2021 in Quartet, a series of four exhibitions on display in the Holden Gallery.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual in-person degree shows were unable to take place as normal, so students from Manchester School of Art have been invited back to present their work physically for the first time.

These physical exhibitions will feature work by more than 250 graduates from across Art, Media, Architecture and Design for staff, students, and members of the public to enjoy.

The work on display from the students includes work produced while studying at Manchester Metropolitan as well as work created since they have graduated.

We are delighted to welcome back our students who graduated in 2020 and 2021 to celebrate their fantastic work and achievements

The first exhibition Quartet – Art opens on January 27 to February 9 and will showcase the work of graduates from both undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Department of Art and Performance with a preview of the show on the opening day taking place from 6pm to 8pm.

The second exhibition Quartet – Media will open from March 3 to 16 and will present the work of graduates from media courses and later in the month graduates from Manchester School of Architecture will showcase their work in Quartet – Architecture from March 28 to April 10.

The final exhibition Quartet – Design will open from April 25 to May 8 and will showcase work by graduates from the department of Design.  

Professor Martyn Evans, Director of Manchester School of Art said: “We are delighted to welcome back our students who graduated in 2020 and 2021 to celebrate their fantastic work and achievements. They worked through an unprecedented time during the pandemic, and we are proud of everything that they have achieved. I’m really looking forward to seeing the breadth of work presented across the four exhibitions over the coming months.”

The four exhibitions have been curated by current MA Curating students Elysia Lukoszevieze and Julia Makojnik.

The graduates have welcomed the opportunity to come back to Manchester School of Art and celebrate their achievements with physical exhibitions showcasing their work.

These shows are a testament to the resilience and determination of Manchester School of Art students, who in the face of it the last two years have still come together to celebrate their artistry, creativity, experimentation, and collaboration

Krystina Tyrtania, who graduated from BA (Hons) Fine Art in 2020 and is showing their work in Quartet – Art said: “It’s a privilege to finally be exhibiting in the Graduate Shows almost two years after leaving Manchester Metropolitan at the beginning of the pandemic. As creative graduates, upon leaving University we enter a world of precarity where the odds often feel stacked against us to find paid creative work, or to continue with our artistic practices.

“These shows are a testament to the resilience and determination of Manchester School of Art students, who in the face of it the last two years have still come together to celebrate their artistry, creativity, experimentation, and collaboration.”

You can find out more about Manchester School of Art and the series of exhibitions on the Quartet website.