Pallant House Gallery opened in its present incarnation to national critical acclaim in July 2006. The remarkable £8.6 million build project, which took nearly three years to complete, seamlessly married the original Queen Anne, grade I listed town-house and the new wing, quadrupling Pallant House Gallery's exhibition space.
"A jewel of a gallery. The brilliance of Pallant House Gallery lies not only in its thoughtful and intelligent curation but in the warmth and welcome of the building. There's nothing elitist about the way this fine collection is displayed - intimate yet with space for reflection and tranquillity." Francine Stock, Chairman of the Gulbenkian Prize for museums and galleries.
Since re-opening the Gallery has been widely acclaimed for its innovative exhibitions and pioneering Learning and Community Programme and has won numerous awards and accolades including the Gulbenkian Prize, the largest prize for arts and cultural organisations in the country, the Charity Award 2013, the highest profile event in the charity calendar, for Outside In, its flagship project aimed at those facing barriers to the art world.
The Gallery's Collection of British Modern art is frequently described as one of the best in the UK. with important works by Gino Severini , Ivon Hitchens, Henry Moore, John Piper, Graham Sutherland, Patrick Caulfield, Michael Andrews, Peter Blake and Richard Hamilton.
Alongside the Collection, there is a rolling programme of first-class exhibitions and displays incorporating national, international and contemporary art. Major recent exhibitions organised by the Gallery have included the first exhibition of Edward Burra for 25 years, the only UK showing of the international touring exhibition R.B. Kitaj: Obsessions and an exhibition on Pop art and music to celebrate the 80th birthday of Sir Peter Blake. Contemporary elements include a regular series of commissions for the staircase of the historic house.
In 2012 Pallant House Gallery successfully bid for a £1 million Catalyst match-funding grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support the growth of an endowment fund. The grant is conditional on the Gallery matching it with funding from private giving over the next four years.
