[6] Commissioned in 1970 – and opened in October 1974 – the Arts Centre was designed by architects Renton, Howard, Wood Associates, and the building went on to win a RIBA award.
[10] Among those who've visited the Arts Centre are Terry Pratchett, Jeremy Irons, Jimmy Carr, Eddie Izzard, Hugh Laurie, Ken Loach, and Russell Brand,[11] as well as Motionhouse, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Chineke!
Orchestra, Goodness Gracious Me, The Smiths, Jasper Carrott, Kirsty McColl, Yehudi Menuhin, Kiri Te Kanawa, Nigel Kennedy and Evelyn Glennie.
It was named to honour Phil Mead, a Coventry businessman who worked to develop support for the University and for Warwick Arts Centre, and designed by Renton Howard Wood Levine.
Further exhibitions have highlighted the work of Steve McQueen, Peter Lanyon, Tom Phillips, Graham Sutherland, John Piper, Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas, Hurvin Anderson, Grayson Perry, Douglas Gordon, Jeremy Deller, Joseph Beuys, Tacita Dean, and Olafur Eliasson.
[17] The gallery closed in 2018 as part of the Warwick Arts Centre 20:20 Project to redevelop the building, reopening in January 2022 with Rana Begum: Dappled Light.