Armstrong College

The first School of Art in Newcastle was established in 1838. It subsequently became part of Armstrong College, followed by becoming part of King's College, Durham University and then it became part of the newly-established University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1963. Since its inception, it has maintained an excellent reputation as one of the UK's leading centres for art education. The first BA degree in Fine Art in the UK was awarded here in 1927.

The art school also houses the Hatton Gallery; this world-renowned gallery has one of the most iconic artworks of the 20th century in its collection - the Elterwater Merz Barn- the final work of the German Dadaist Kurt Schwitters. During the 1950's and 1960's the School was a key player in radical developments in art education. This led to the development of the course known as Basic Design and the subsequent revolution across art education in the UK. The Hatton Gallery, which is part of the Fine Art department, played a role in this history. Newcastle is also particularly associated with the development of Pop Art in the UK, as outlined in the essay by Gill Hedley for the exhibition 'Pioneers of Pop', staged at the Hatton Gallery in Newcastle in 2017. The exhibition featured around 100 works by leading British artists associated with Pop and abstract art, including Eduardo Paolozzi, David Hockney, Richard Smith, Ian Stephenson, Ron Kitaj, Joe Tilson, Peter Blake, Derek Boshier and Richard Hamilton. Many distinguished artists have passed through Newcastle University and continue to do so, as students or as teachers. The list includes Lawrence Gowing, Richard Hamilton, Victor Pasmore, Roy Ascott, Sean Scully, Mary Webb, Rita Donagh and Mali Morris.