Spirit of new towns reflected in new gallery opening in Milton Keynes

David Lock Associates are delighted as corporate sponsors of MK Gallery that it is reopening its doors to the public on 16th March after undergoing major extension and refurbishment.

The Gallery’s re-modelling is another important milestone in the growth and development of Milton Keynes. Continued investment in arts, culture and community has been at the forefront of the City’s development since its inception 50 years ago.

Designed by 6a architects, the Gallery seeks to capture the original spirit of Milton Keynes, reflecting the natural world in its polished stainless-steel exterior surfaces inspired by the City’s original grid and the geometries of the adjacent Campbell Park. It will provide spaces for major exhibitions both contemporary and historical, films, music, performance, family events, workshops, and social spaces, many designed in collaboration with artists Gareth Jones and Nils Norman. The new space will put a clear emphasis on community engagement and provide democratic access to the best of the arts.

With town and city centres across the UK looking to address falling retail demand through diversifying their offer to attract and retain footfall, the importance of the Gallery as a key addition to the diversity of culture, leisure and the arts in Milton Keynes cannot be understated.

The inaugural exhibition will be The Lie of the Land, an ambitious show charting how British landscape was radically transformed by changes in free time and leisure activities since the aristocratic pursuits of hunting and shooting. From the social, urban experiment of Milton Keynes to Capability Brown’s gardens at nearby Stowe, the exhibition teases out the aspirations that underpin our built environments and features work by artists including J.M.W Turner, Henry Moore, Thomas Gainsborough and Canaletto.

Design Director at DLA Will Cousins, who is also Chair of MK Gallery said:
“David Lock Associates have a long tradition of working with and supporting the Arts in Milton Keynes, and with our corporate sponsorship we wish MK Gallery every success with their new programme. We look forward to extending the creative collaboration between DLA and our friends and colleagues at the Gallery.”

Photo: Iwan Baan

More information on MK Gallery can be found here: https://www.mkgallery.org/