Since the ’60s

The Education and Public Relation departments implemented by Roy Strong have grown both in size and in significance since the ‘60s. The Gallery now hosts multiple loan exhibitions each year. 2011 saw three major consecutive photographic exhibitions for the first time. Initiatives such as the Portrait Award have enabled up and coming artists to have their work displayed and viewed by thousands of visitors, and the Portrait Explorer section of the Gallery has allowed people to explore 65,000 portraits in incredible detail. 

The Heinz Archive and Library is open to the public where researchers and curious relations alike come and browse our collection. From studying primary pieces not on display to reading the diaries of the first Director, the Library facilitates all sorts of research and is constantly expanding.

The Gallery will continue to embrace and develop the forward thinking attitude embodied in the ’60s, with each decade contributing its own achievements, and celebrating British history through innovative pieces of portraiture.