A free exhibition celebrating Stockport-born sculptor Alan Boyson opens at Stockroom on Thursday 18 June, giving residents a closer look at the artist behind Merseyway Shopping Centre’s well-known concrete screens.
The Marvel from Marple: Alan Boyson Exhibition is a drop-in exhibition at Stockroom in the heart of Stockport. The source announcement does not list a start time or closing date, so visitors planning around a specific slot should check Stockroom’s own latest programme before travelling.
The exhibition is aimed at the general public, art lovers, local history followers and anyone curious about how familiar civic spaces in Stockport came to look the way they do. Entry is free.
A Stockport artist behind a familiar landmark
Alan Boyson’s geometric concrete screens at Merseyway Shopping Centre are among his best-known public works. Commissioned by the Co-operative Society, the screens are part of the everyday view for many people moving through the town centre, even if Boyson’s name is less widely recognised than the landmark itself.
The Marvel from Marple sets that local work inside a wider story of post-war public art, when artists were commissioned by organisations to bring ambitious design into civic and commercial spaces. In Stockport, that history is tied closely to Merseyway and to the idea that art could sit in the middle of daily life, rather than only inside galleries.
The exhibition also reflects Boyson’s local roots. The artist was born in Stockport, and the show draws attention to the way his designs helped shape public spaces across Britain while remaining visibly connected to the town through Merseyway.
What visitors will see at Stockroom
The display brings together printed tiles, photographs and small Boyson ceramics loaned from private collections. It will also include material from artist Esther Johnson’s Ships in the Sky collection, including oral histories and items gathered through her research into Boyson’s work.
Johnson has been researching Boyson since 2017. Her work began through the Ships in the Sky project and includes material connected to Boyson’s work in Hull, where his Three Ships mural influenced her own interest in mid-century design and art.
For Stockport visitors, one of the most direct local links will be the original architectural plans for Merseyway car park. These were by Marple-born Co-op architect E.P. Andrew, who was a childhood friend of Boyson.
The exhibition will also feature a multi-screen film by Johnson exploring Boyson’s work and the ways public art connects with communities, places and personal memories. In her source statement, Johnson said she was struck by the Merseyway screens and Boyson’s use of modular abstraction and repetition.
Workshops, talks and guided walks
The programme is not limited to display cases. Visitors will also be able to take part in hands-on activities and workshops, including tile workshops and screen printing.
Artist talks and guided walks with the modernist are also listed as part of the exhibition activity. The source announcement does not give individual dates, times or booking arrangements for those sessions, so the confirmed detail at this stage is that they form part of the wider exhibition offer.
That practical element matters for families, community groups and casual visitors who may not usually seek out a formal art exhibition. The Stockroom setting is designed as a community space, and the Boyson exhibition uses that role to connect art, memory and local architecture in a more open format.
Date, venue and entry details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | The Marvel from Marple: Alan Boyson Exhibition |
| Opens | Thursday 18 June 2026 |
| Venue | Stockroom, Stockport |
| Price | Free |
| Entry | Drop-in |
| Time | Not stated in the source announcement |
| Closing date | Not stated in the source announcement |
Stockroom opened in May 2025 and, according to the source announcement, has welcomed one million visits since then. The venue is described as a community space in the heart of Stockport where people can drop in to explore, get creative, read, or meet friends.
Cllr Dan Oliver, the Cabinet Member responsible for Culture, said Boyson’s work is part of Stockport’s fabric, even if people do not always realise it. He said the exhibition gives visitors a chance to explore the stories behind one of the town’s most familiar landmarks and take part in creative activities.
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
Source check Source trail
This preview is based on the published Stockport Council event announcement and keeps unsupported timing and booking details out of the article.
- Confirmed the exhibition name, venue and opening date from the source text.
- Checked that entry is described as free and drop-in in the supplied event brief.
- Kept the start time and closing date marked as not stated because they were missing from t...
- Matched the programme details to the listed exhibition highlights and activities.
- Source
- Stockport Council
- Scope
- Stockport
- Updated
- 2026-06-04 18:47
Source check
Report a trust issue
Send a clear signal to community moderation if the source, facts or context need review.
Comments