John Hansard Gallery

The Gallery is named after John Henry Hansard (1895–1979), a benefactor and honorary graduate of the University of Southampton specifically in recognition for his support and interest in the visual arts. Created in 1980 it was established by the Arts Council of Great Britain and the University of Southampton in order to meld together under a single roof the two existing galleries at the University. The previous two galleries were the Photographic Gallery and the Fine Art Gallery both possessing fine reputations in their specific fields. Exhibitors in the art gallery had previously included Richard Long and Bruce McLean. The building used to merge these two galleries was previously a laboratory built in 1956. During the millennium year the Hansard Gallery established the Centre for Contemporary Art Research (CCAR) through a partnership with Winchester School of Art at the University of Southampton. The Centre is now enthusiastically bringing together recognized international artists and researchers to advance critical debate concerning the future of contemporary art. Artists who have exhibited there include, Alan Charlton, Michael Kenny, Nicholas May, Kate Blacker, Colin Crumplin, Stuart Brisley, Helen Sear, Hamad Butt and Roger Palmer.