Alfred East Gallery open to the public for the first time since 2020

24 October 2026

The doors to Kettering’s Gallery opened to residents and visitors of Kettering for the first time in 6 years this morning (24 October).

Since the Gallery doors were last open:

• The world went through the covid-19 pandemic
• Kettering Borough Council ceased to exist, and North Northamptonshire Council took over responsibility for the site
• A new flexible event, exhibition and hire space was built to the rear of the site - this will increase visitor impact and commercial opportunities. Over the coming months, food and beverage opportunities with third party operators will be explored
• The roof for both the Gallery and Library were replaced
• The Gallery and Museum team have continued their ongoing care of both collections, ensuring all artworks and artefacts remain properly maintained in the right conditions. This work was essential to ensure the collection was ready for the site to fully re-open.
• The Museum and Gallery outreach programme saw the team out and about within the community, spreading the word about Kettering’s collections. This outreach programme was recognised by the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum, winning an award in 2025.  

Last night, stakeholders gathered for an event to mark the project’s completion before the doors opened to the public at 10am this morning.

The highlight of the opening is the Gallery’s first major exhibition in 6 years - Faces and Places, an introduction to the wonderful art within Kettering’s collection, bringing a curated selection of popular artworks out of storage and back on display. Also included in the exhibition are a selection of new acquisitions, donated to the Gallery during the renovation works.

The exhibition will run in the East Gallery until Saturday 9 January 2027 and the West Gallery until Saturday 27 February 2027.

In the North Gallery, there are two exhibitions that show how the Kettering community continued to embrace art and creativity during the Gallery’s closure period. 

The Alfred East Gallery has been on quite a journey over the past 6 years and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience. The Gallery team received such kind words and support when the site took part in the Northamptonshire and Rutland Open Studios earlier in the Autumn and I hope this support will continue now the Gallery is fully re-open.Cllr Greg Wilcox, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Rural Affairs

After 6 years, today is a hugely significant day in the history of Kettering - North Northamptonshire’s only purpose-built public art gallery is now back open to the public. It is great to see the Alfred East Gallery, with its new branding, being used as it was always intended with beautiful pieces of art now on display for everyone, both residents and businesses, to view.

The Gallery is a huge part of the wider work we are doing through the North Northamptonshire Cultural Masterplan and Tourism Strategy for the local area. The journey doesn’t stop here and we’re already looking to the next steps with the new event space and tender process for the café on site.Cllr Martin Griffiths, Leader of the Council

The re-opening of the Gallery follows on from news on the wider site with the Manor House Museum securing a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This grant will mean work can start on the creation of a Masterplan for the Museum. 

Although Northamptonshire Day celebrations have been postponed, the Gallery will be open from 10am - 4pm on Sunday.

Then, the Alfred East Gallery’s normal opening hours will be open from 10am - 4pm, Tuesday - Saturday.

The Alfred East Gallery can also be found on Facebook.