Impressions Gallery
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Impressions Gallery is an independent contemporary photography gallery in
Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...
, England. It was established in 1972 and located in
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
until moving to Bradford in 2007. Impressions Gallery also runs a photography bookshop, publishes its own books and sells prints. It is one of the oldest venues for contemporary photography in Europe.


Operations

Impressions Gallery is a charity, a not-for-profit organisation, funded by
Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council o ...
and Bradford Metropolitan District Council. The gallery is host to a temporary exhibitions programme with on average six exhibitions each year, often solo retrospective shows of mid-career photographers, and also some group shows. The gallery space incorporates a bookshop. The organisation publishes its own books and catalogues, often to accompany its exhibitions, either by itself or in association with others such as Dewi Lewis Publishing and Photoworks. It has published work by Melanie Friend, Paul Floyd Blake, Joy Gregory, Anna Fox, Trish Morrissey, Tessa Bunney, Gavin Parry, Andy Lock, Stefan Ruiz and Laurie Long.


History

The gallery was founded by Val Williams and husband Andrew Sproxton in November 1972, opening in
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
with two exhibitions, ''Butlin's by the Sea'' by
Martin Parr Martin Parr (born 23 May 1952) is a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known for his photographic projects that take an intimate, satirical and anthropological look at aspects of modern life, in p ...
and Daniel Meadows (its first exhibition), and ''Whitby'' by Frank Meadow Sutcliffe. Parr and Meadows showed work at Impressions throughout the 1970s, with solo shows of Parr's ''Home Sweet Home'' in 1974 and ''Beauty Spots'' in 1976 and Meadows' ''Free Photographic Omnibus'' in 1974 and ''Clayton Ward'' in 1978. In 1976 the gallery moved to Colliergate in York, then moved again to nearby Castlegate in York in 1992. In 2007 the gallery moved to Centenary Square, Bradford. The gallery's archive, dating back to 1972, was given to the
National Media Museum The National Science and Media Museum (formerly The National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, 1983–2006 and then the National Media Museum, 2006–2017), located in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is part of the national Science Museum ...
, Bradford, in 2013. It is called the 'Impressions Gallery Archive', a part of the National Photography Collection. It was believed then to be the first time a publicly funded photography gallery has had its archive cared for and made accessible by a national institution. Anne McNeill has been director since 2000.The People Judging the RPS International Print Competition
",
Royal Photographic Society The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is the world's oldest photographic society having been in continuous existence since 1853. It was founded in London, England, in 1853 as th ...
. Accessed 24 July 2014.


Directors

*1972–1981: Val Williams (founder-director) *1972–1977: Andrew Sproxton (founder-director) *1981–1986: Frances Middlestorb *1986–1994: Paul Wombell *1995–1999: Cheryl Reynolds *2000–present: Anne McNeill


References


External links

* {{coord, 53, 47, 34, N, 1, 45, 20, W, type:landmark, display=title Photography museums and galleries in England Art museums and galleries in West Yorkshire 1972 establishments in England Art museums and galleries established in 1972 Tourist attractions in Bradford Culture in York