Gallery Oldham’s latest exhibition creates a magical world to spark imaginations and discover the joy of storytelling.
‘Once Upon a Time’ features the work of five incredible children’s illustrators: Gillian Flint, Gillian Hibbs, Holly Sterling, Jarvis and Sharon Davey. The exhibition gives an insight into the life of a children’s illustrator and should inspire visitors young and old to get illustrating too!
The exhibition ties in with the 2026 National Year of Reading, a UK wide campaign aimed at inspiring people of all ages to rediscover the joy of reading and make it part of everyday life: National Year of Reading 2026 | Go All In.
The artwork includes illustrations from beloved children’s picture books such as The Boy with Flowers in His Hair by Jarvis and Errol’s Garden by Gillian Hibbs. The books will be available to browse, and visitors can head to Oldham Library to borrow even more.
Once Upon a time is a family-focussed, fun-filled space where everyone can enjoy wonderful books and beautiful artwork. Visitors will find out what our illustrators love most about their job, their tips on getting into the industry and how they hope children feel when they see their artwork. The show features over 50 artworks, along with cosy corners for reading and a range of hands-on activities to try.
Councillor Peter Dean, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “This exhibition is a wonderful celebration of imagination, sparking ideas and inspiring creativity amongst our residents. It’s a great way of promoting reading for pleasure, especially during the National Year of Reading. I know that families and individuals will enjoy spending time in a joyful space with lots of amazing activities to take part in.”
The exhibition runs from 21 March to 5 September. A special launch event where you can meet the illustrators will take place on Saturday 21 March, 2pm at Gallery Oldham.
Look out for upcoming events with each illustrator on the Gallery Oldham website, including a talk with artist Sharon Davey on Wednesday 2 June at 2pm.
