Town to Towneley: an exhibition of Burnley artists

Towneley Hall Museum & Art Gallery and Creative Spaces Burnley have joined forces to showcase Burnley’s creative talent. In April 2026 an an open call to artists was made, asking people to share their work with an opportunity to exhibit at both Towneley Hall and Gallery One TwoThree, in Burnley’s town centre.

No theme was set, and works in any media or style were welcome. The only criteria was for artists to be aged 16+ and have a strong, personal connection to Burnley: either currently studying, living, working, or volunteering in Burnley, or that they once lived in the town.

Almost 100 artists submitted over 200 unique works, utilising different materials, techniques and styles. For some artists, this is their fist exhibition, whilst others are established practitioners whose work you may recognise.

Town to Towneley is a celebration of Burnley’s creativity. Through a programme of events and networking opportunities, Town to Towneley aims to strengthen connections between artists, audiences and creative organisations across the borough as prepare for Burnley 2027 Year of Culture.

The selection process was difficult but inspirational. Representatives from both Creative Spaces Burnley and Towneley Hall were amazed by the diversity and talent of the artists that submitted their work. The First Prize and Young Artist Award was chosen by our four judges:

Charlotte Steels
Head of Culture, Burnley Leisure & Culture

Jenny Rutter
Chief Executive of The British Textile Biennial,
Associate Director of Super Slow Way and
Director of Gawthorpe Textiles Collection

Dr William Titley
Senior Lecturer & Course Leader
for MA Fine Art at UCLAN and a
Co-founder and Director of ‘In-Situ’

Paula Newton
Artist and Senior Lecturer & Course
Leader for BA(HONS) Art and
Design at Burnley College

You can also have your say and vote for your favourite artwork. The piece with the most votes will receive the People’s Choice Award, which will be announced towards the end of the exhibition in September.

Town to Towneley is a shared exhibition which can be seen in both at Gallery OneTwoThree, Burnley’s contemporary town centre creative space on Lower St. James’s Street and the historic setting of Towneley Hall.

Scan the QR code or visit creativespacesburnley.co.uk
to find out more about Creative Spaces Burnley and plan
your visit to our partner Town to Towneley venue.