Free Stockport Alan Boyson exhibition opens June 18

BE beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-06-04 19:00 Updated: 08:56 3 min read

The Marvel from Marple: Alan Boyson Exhibition opens at Stockroom in Stockport on Thursday 18 June. Entry is free, the exhibition is drop-in, and the council notice has not listed a start time or closing date.

Merseyway’s screens get their own Stockroom story

A new Stockroom exhibition is inviting Stockport residents to look again at one of the town centre’s most familiar pieces of public art: Alan Boyson’s geometric concrete screens at Merseyway Shopping Centre.

Boyson was Stockport-born, and the exhibition places his local connection alongside the wider story of public art in everyday civic spaces. The Merseyway screens were commissioned by the Co-operative Society and remain among his best-known public works.

The show also reflects a period when artists were brought into public buildings and town centres to make art part of daily life, rather than something kept only in galleries, a principle still visible when local creative talent is brought before the public. For visitors who pass Merseyway often, the exhibition offers a closer look at the designs, people and planning behind a landmark that can easily fade into the background of a shopping trip.

Printed tiles, plans and a multi-screen film

The Marvel from Marple is led by artist Esther Johnson, who has researched Boyson’s work since 2017 through her Ships in the Sky project. Johnson’s research includes material connected to Boyson’s work in her hometown of Hull, where his Three Ships mural helped shape her interest in mid-century design and art.

At Stockroom, the exhibition will include printed tiles, photographs and small Boyson ceramics loaned from private collections. Visitors will also be able to see materials from the Ships in the Sky collection, including oral histories and objects gathered by Johnson.

A local architectural thread runs through the display too. The exhibition features original architectural plans of Merseyway car park by Marple-born Co-op architect E.P. Andrew, a childhood friend of Boyson.

Johnson’s multi-screen film will explore Boyson’s work and the way public art connects with communities, places and personal memory. That focus gives the exhibition a broader reach than a single-artist display: it is about Boyson’s designs, but also about how towns remember the art built into them.

Workshops and hands-on activities at Stockroom

Alongside the exhibition, visitors can take part in hands-on activities and workshops. The programme named in the council notice includes tile workshops, screen printing, artist talks and guided walks with the modernist.

Stockroom is described by the council as a community space in the heart of Stockport, designed for people to explore, create, read or meet friends. Since opening in May 2025, it has recorded one million visits. Readers who followed Stockroom’s recent local programme may also recognise the venue from its first anniversary events in Stockport.

Cllr Dan Oliver, the Cabinet Member responsible for Culture, said Boyson’s work is part of Stockport’s fabric, even when people do not always realise it. He said the exhibition gives residents a chance to explore the creativity around them, take part in hands-on activity and discover the stories behind one of the town’s most recognisable landmarks.

What to know before you go

The confirmed opening date is Thursday 18 June at Stockroom in Stockport. The exhibition is free and drop-in, according to the event brief and council source text.

The source notice does not list a start time, end date, accessibility information or transport details beyond Stockroom’s town-centre location. The exhibition is funded by the Henry Moore Foundation and developed in partnership with Stockport Council and Sheffield Hallam University, where Esther Johnson is Professor of Film and Media Arts in the Art, Design and Media Research Centre.

Source: Stockport Council

Context & actions About this article Report Share

Source check Source trail

This preview is based on the published Stockport Council event notice and the verified event brief supplied with it.

Checks

• Checked the event name, venue and opening date against the source text.
• Kept price and entry terms to the confirmed free, drop-in details.
• Flagged that the source does not list a start time or closing date.
• Used only named programme highlights from the council notice.

Stockport Council Check wider coverage

Source

Stockport Council

Scope

Stockport

Updated

2026-06-25 08:56

Report

Article contextPeople & topics3#7

Alan BoysonEsther JohnsonDan Oliver

#Alan Boyson#Esther Johnson#Merseyway Shopping Centre#Sheffield Hallam University#Stockport public art#Stockroom Stockport#The Marvel from Marple

Share: