History of Mafa: Milestones

• 1859 Foundation of the Academy based in the Royal Manchester Institution building on Mosley Street (now Manchester Art Gallery)
• 1860s Private members' exhibitions held every Spring
  The rise of a Manchester School of Painting headed by Anderson Hague
• 1870s Continuation of flourishing Manchester School
  Design of Town Hall by Alfred Waterhouse
  Women elected for first time
• 1880s RMI building donated to the city of Manchester
  Annual Academy exhibitions continued in what was now the City Art Gallery
  Several Academicians working in Wales instrumental in establishing the Royal Cambrian Academy
• 1887 Members exhibited at the Royal Jubilee Exhibition at Old Trafford - 4,153,724 visitors
• 1890s and early 1900s Municipal Galleries throughout north west bought work for their new collections
  More artists travelling and working in Europe while continuing to show work in annual exhibitions
• 1914 - 1918 Several members appointed official war artists Annual exhibitions continued in spite of 'formidable logistics'
• 1919 Academy student L.S.Lowry exhibited for first time
• 1920s Influx of younger artists brought 'renewed energies' Several including Francis Dodd and Charles Tunnicliffe later became Royal Academicians
• 1931 Members only exhibitions changed - anyone could submit work for the annual show.
• 1932 First open exhibition 'Worthy of the best tradition of Manchester as an arts centre' (Manchester Evening News)
• 1939 - 1945 Several members again official war artists
  Annual exhibitions continued throughout the war
  Artists commissioned to record Manchester's wartime industry
• 1950s Emergence of a Northern School of artists inspired by contemporary industrial life
• 1960s Harry Rutherford, President from 1961 -9, a strong influence in a decade of changes
  Encouragement of young artists with more abstract work in evidence
• 1970s Continuing development of Northern School artists including Theodore Major, Roger Hampson and Norman Jaques
  Strong three dimensional work with sculptors such as Ted Roocroft
• 1976 L.S. Lowry died. Elected a member in 1935, he had exhibited with the Academy for over forty years
• 1980s and 1990s More eclectic work in a variety of media reflecting diversity of artists, especially sculptors and printmakers
  Increase of work in the public domain
  Several academicians exhibiting internationally
• 1998 - 2002 Following closure of Manchester Art Gallery for refurbishment annual members' exhibitions held at Bury Art Gallery with a series of lectures and workshops
  Prize money at annual exhibitions over £6000
• 2003 Exhibition of selected members' work at Manchester Art Gallery
• 2003 to present Members' exhibitions held in public art galleries across the region
  Continued liaison with education in schools and colleges
  Millennium commissions completed including Don McKinlay's replacement of the Christ child in Della Robbia's sculpture of the Madonna in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral