Haworth Art Gallery

Who we are

The Haworth Art Gallery in Accrington is home to the world-famous Tiffany glass collection, the largest public collection in Europe. The brilliantly coloured collection is on permanent public display in four themed-rooms and features almost every type of Tiffany glass, including over 140 Favrile glass tiles, jewels, samples, mosaics and vases. The collection tells the story of Joseph Briggs, a local boy who went to New York and found fame and fortune through becoming Louis Comfort Tiffany’s right hand man. When the Tiffany Glass Company closed down in 1933, Briggs shipped his personal Tiffany collection to his family in Accrington, who gave 180 pieces to the people of the town. The gallery, a Tudor-style Edwardian house, was originally built in 1909 and stands in nine acres of parkland on the south side of Accrington Town Centre. It includes an oak panelled entrance hall, hand crafted decoration, heraldic stained glass windows and a lovely collection of oil paintings. Morning sessions offer exclusive access to the collection for school groups where your pupils can discover how Tiffany designed and created his unique work. Taught sessions can focus on one of the following themes; Tiffany and Interior Design; Tiffany and the Past; Tiffany and Nature; and The Tiffany Phenomenon. Inspired by the colours, patterns and shapes of the objects in the Tiffany exhibition rooms, pupils can participate in an array of practical art activities in the Education room including; making relief collage ‘vase’, block printing banners and gift boxes, transfer printing money bags, and making paper mosaic and papier mâche vases. Temporary exhibitions range from the Haworth's Annual Open to artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and Joseph Albers. Each tour is accompanied by a range of activities from painting to printing. Have a look at the website for current details. There are also opportunities for schools to exhibit collections of pupils work. The Haworth are also experienced at designing bespoke projects with teachers and schools and would be pleased to discuss a particular project you have in mind for your pupils, which may include handling sessions of objects from the collections.