A garden flower display based on the Queen’s Coronation gown will be created at the Tower of London this summer as part of a “Superbloom” meadow. It was also announced today that Westminster Abbey's roof will be opened for special tours as well. The combination of meadow flowers, topiary and summer-flowering perennials, bulbs, and ornamental grasses will form “The Queen’s … [Read more...] about Flower display based on Queen’s Coronation gown to be created at Tower of London, Westminster Abbey Roof Opens for Special Tours
Special Exhibitions
Canaletto’s Venice Revisited – Review of Latest Exhibition at the National Maritime Museum
Canaletto's Venice Revisited is at the National Maritime Museum from 1 April 2022. It explores some of the most iconic 'view paintings' of Venice and how the tourism that helped establish Canaletto's career, today threatens his city's future. The exhibition combines paintings from Woburn Abbey with objects from the Royal Museums Greenwich's collections. Look … [Read more...] about Canaletto’s Venice Revisited – Review of Latest Exhibition at the National Maritime Museum
Exhibition inspired by vandalized paintings opens at National Gallery
An exhibition inspired by paintings that were vandalized while on display has opened at the National Gallery. The new work by the gallery’s 2021 artist in residence Ali Cherri is called: If you prick us, do we not bleed? The exhibition looks at how histories of trauma can be explored through a response to museum and gallery collections. During research into the … [Read more...] about Exhibition inspired by vandalized paintings opens at National Gallery
Exhibition Report: The World of Stonehenge Exhibition at British Museum
When a major London exhibition gets repeated five-star reviews and is described as 'magnificent,' 'astonishing' and 'unmissable,' you know it's one you have to see. The World of Stonehenge opened at the British Museum on 17 February 2022. I've seen some reviewers describe it as one of those exhibitions you will remember for the rest of your life. With such high praise, I had to … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: The World of Stonehenge Exhibition at British Museum
Kew Gardens’ orchid festival to showcase stunning Costa Rican blooms
Kew Gardens is set to open its annual orchid festival this week, showcasing some of Costa Rica’s most stunning blooms. The event, due to begin on Saturday, will feature flower arrangements representing the biodiversity of the Central American country including monkeys, sea turtles, and the native quetzal bird – a symbol of Costa Rican forest protection. Visitors will also … [Read more...] about Kew Gardens’ orchid festival to showcase stunning Costa Rican blooms
New V&A exhibition to celebrate contemporary African fashion
An upcoming Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) exhibition will celebrate the creativity and global impact of contemporary African fashion. Africa Fashion will showcase more than 250 objects and the stories behind them, alongside personal insights from the designers, sketches, editorial spreads, photographs, film, and catwalk footage. It will be the UK’s most extensive … [Read more...] about New V&A exhibition to celebrate contemporary African fashion
Vincent van Gogh self-portraits reunited for landmark exhibition at The Courtauld Gallery
A collection of self-portraits by Vincent van Gogh showcasing the Dutch artist’s career is going on display in London. It is the first time the “full span” of Van Gogh’s self-representation has been explored in an exhibition, with 16 self-portraits being unveiled at The Courtauld Gallery on Thursday. Works on show will trace the evolution of his style from the early … [Read more...] about Vincent van Gogh self-portraits reunited for landmark exhibition at The Courtauld Gallery
Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 50s to Now – Latest Exhibition at Tate Britain
This Tate Britain exhibition explores Caribbean-British art over four generations. There is an open admittance that, like much of the mainstream British art world, Tate was late to recognize many of the artists included. But that is being rectified now with this celebration of this cross-cultural genre of art. Over Forty Artists This is the first time a major national … [Read more...] about Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art 50s to Now – Latest Exhibition at Tate Britain
Christmas Comes to the Charles Dickens Museum in London
Visiting the Charles Dickens Museum at Christmas time is a real treat as the place is transformed with Victorian-style decorations. This year, the Museum has lots of winter events, including a production of A Christmas Carol streamed from inside Charles Dickens's only surviving London home. There are also spooky ghost stories and 'A Search for Father Christmas' for families … [Read more...] about Christmas Comes to the Charles Dickens Museum in London
Hogarth and Europe – New Exhibition at Tate Britain
Understanding the time a famous figure worked in can help us to know them better. The latest exhibition at Tate Britain showcases works by the eighteenth-century English artist William Hogarth (1697–1764) alongside works by his continental contemporaries. Hogarth and Europe explores the parallels and exchanges that crossed borders and the cosmopolitan character of Hogarth's … [Read more...] about Hogarth and Europe – New Exhibition at Tate Britain
Exhibition Report: Late Constable at the Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts's latest exhibition presents the first survey of the late work of John Constable (1776–1837). Late Constable opens on 30 October 2021, exploring the last twelve years of the artist's career, from 1825 until his unexpected death in 1837. The exhibition brings together over 50 works, including paintings and oil sketches as well as watercolors, … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: Late Constable at the Royal Academy
London: Port City – New Exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands
This major new exhibition reveals the scale of the capital's 'hidden' international port. London: Port City runs from 22 October 2021 to 8 May 2022 at the Museum of London Docklands, itself originally part of West India Docks – London's first enclosed dock system and a hive of activity packed with valuable cargoes from around the world from 1802 until its closure in … [Read more...] about London: Port City – New Exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands
London’s V&A and National Trust unite to explore ‘extraordinary legacy’ of Beatrix Potter in 2022 Exhibition
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has joined forces with the National Trust for an exhibition telling the life story of author Beatrix Potter. Drawn to Nature will feature more than 240 personal objects, including rarely seen letters, manuscripts, sketches, coded diaries, and family photographs drawn from the two collections. Potter, who lived between 1866 and … [Read more...] about London’s V&A and National Trust unite to explore ‘extraordinary legacy’ of Beatrix Potter in 2022 Exhibition
Foundling Museum – Fighting Talk: One Man’s Journey From Abandonment to Trafalgar
The Foundling Museum is a wonderful place to visit and has really well chosen temporary exhibitions. The latest looks at a first-hand account of the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar. And the connection is that George King had started life at the Foundling Hospital, the UK's first children's charity). Who was George King? George King (10 June 1787–31 July 1857) was child number 18,053 … [Read more...] about Foundling Museum – Fighting Talk: One Man’s Journey From Abandonment to Trafalgar
Exploring London’s Freud Museum and a Fascinating New Exhibition – Code Name Mary
Along an unassuming residential street in the north London suburbs, there's a house whose famous 1930s resident is still a household name. The Freud Museum in Hampstead was where the father of psychoanalysis lived with his family when he fled Nazi persecution. The Jewish neurologist lived and worked for the majority of his career in Vienna. But he spent his final year in … [Read more...] about Exploring London’s Freud Museum and a Fascinating New Exhibition – Code Name Mary
London’s Natural History Museum new photo exhibition to highlight a ‘planet under pressure’
A blood-spattered lioness, a gecko wrestling for its life in the grip of a snake, and a slick of dead and dying herrings are among the photographs submitted to a prestigious exhibition. The Natural History Museum has released a selection of the highly commended images for its Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which show a “planet under pressure”. Among the … [Read more...] about London’s Natural History Museum new photo exhibition to highlight a ‘planet under pressure’
Paddington: The Story of the Bear – New Exhibition at the British Library
The famous polite bear from deepest darkest Peru is the feature of a new exhibition at the British Library. Paddington: The Story of a Bear is a family-friendly exhibition celebrating one of the world's most beloved fictional bears over 60 years on from when he was first published. As it's summertime, you may not need your duffle coat, but a marmalade sandwich packed lunch … [Read more...] about Paddington: The Story of the Bear – New Exhibition at the British Library
Picnic in the Queen’s Private Garden – Laura Porter Visits Buckingham Palace’s Garden
When attending the annual summer opening of Buckingham Palace, you do get to exit along the side of the garden. But for this year, there is a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to freely explore the garden for the first time. And to enjoy a picnic on the lawn overlooking the Palace from July to September 2021. As I noted in my long-read about Buckingham Palace, the palace … [Read more...] about Picnic in the Queen’s Private Garden – Laura Porter Visits Buckingham Palace’s Garden
Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits – New Major Exhibition at The National Maritime Museum
This royal portraits exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich looks at the kings and queens who have shaped British history for over 500 years. There are many loans from the National Portrait Gallery, which has been made possible while that gallery is closed for redevelopment until spring 2023. For me, this was a real delight, and not only because it was my … [Read more...] about Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits – New Major Exhibition at The National Maritime Museum
Interactive Doctor Who Experience Coming to London – Advance Booking Opens Soon
This showed up in the inbox today and will delight Doctor Who fans who have been hungry for a Doctor Who themed attraction since the exhibition in Cardiff closed a few years ago. Though, I'm really surprised anything this far in advance has been announced when no one really knows what travel will look like in 2021. Still, it sounds fun. Might be worth booking anyway, even if … [Read more...] about Interactive Doctor Who Experience Coming to London – Advance Booking Opens Soon
Laura’s London: Special Exhibition Report – Andy Warhol at Tate Modern
A new major exhibition at Tate Modern looks at Andy Warhol from his childhood in Pittsburgh through to his one of his final works. It's a fresh look at the extraordinary life and work of the pop art superstar and offers a rare personal insight into how Warhol and his work marked a period of cultural transformation. Featuring over 100 works, the exhibition shows how this … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: Special Exhibition Report – Andy Warhol at Tate Modern
Florence Nightingale in 200 Objects, People and Places – New Special Exhibition at the Florence Nightingale Museum
Florence Nightingale (12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was born in Florence, Italy, to a wealthy British family. In her bicentenary year, London's Florence Nightingale Museum is celebrating the life and legacy of the lesser-known aspects of her life with a special exhibition. The museum tells the story of this deeply religious woman who broke social conventions. Nightingale in … [Read more...] about Florence Nightingale in 200 Objects, People and Places – New Special Exhibition at the Florence Nightingale Museum
Exhibition Report: David Hockney – Drawing from Life at the National Portrait Gallery
There's a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery featuring one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century. David Hockney: Drawing from Life is the first major exhibition devoted to David Hockney's drawings in over twenty years. There are around 150 works from public and private collections on display. The exhibition traces the trajectory of his … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: David Hockney – Drawing from Life at the National Portrait Gallery
Special Exhibition Report: Viewing the Armada Portraits at Queen’s House in Greenwich – Faces of a Queen and The Woburn Treasures
For the first time ever the three surviving versions of the Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I are on display together in the Queen’s House in Greenwich (13 February – 31 August 2020). And a major collaboration with Woburn Abbey means even more significant works from their private art collection are on display in Greenwich too. If you do one special exhibition in Britain this year, … [Read more...] about Special Exhibition Report: Viewing the Armada Portraits at Queen’s House in Greenwich – Faces of a Queen and The Woburn Treasures
Exhibition Report: Meet Vincent van Gogh in London
From 7 February to 21 May 2020, the award-winning Meet Vincent van Gogh Experience is on display on London’s South Bank. The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has found a new approach with this touring 3D experience. The museum's collection is quite small and vulnerable so this idea makes art accessible to a wider audience. It's an interactive and multi-sensory experience that … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: Meet Vincent van Gogh in London
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