Exhibitions in Essex

 
We have an amazing range of art galleries and museums across Essex, well worth a visit at any time of the year. They also have a range of short-term exhibitions, and this is the place to find out about them. Here’s our geographical listing.

Chelmsford

Chelmsford Museum
Moulsham Street, Chelmsford
website

‘Gallery Wall Pamela Bickles’. Local photographer specialising in flora and fauna. Closes tba.

‘Forecast22 : broadcasting across the ether’. aA digital artwork and interactive website celebrating the centenary of the first UK public radio broadcasts. Closes 12th March 2023.

Colchester

firstsite
High Street, Colchester
website

‘Sculpture at Firstsite’. Artworks by artists Sarah Lucas, Ryan Gander, Julian Opie and Bharti Kher. Cloes 27th November 2022.

‘Mehdi Jalalaghdamian: Art In Exile’. “Master rug-maker, Mehdi Jalalghdamian, draws attention to the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers worldwide through the traditional craft of Persian rug making.” Closes 3rd September 2023.

‘Michael Landy: The Essex Way/Essex Man’. Large scale works inspired by walks Michael has taken throughout Essex. Closes 31st December 2022.

‘Denis Wirth-Miller: Landscapes and Beasts’. Retrospective of a fellow painter and long-term friend of Francis Bacon, whose work remains relatively little known, but which influenced Bacon. Closes 22nd January 2023.

‘Reena Saini Kallat: Leaking Lines’. Explores the violence and fragility of national borders by juxtaposing the outlines of boundary lines from across the world with images of the landscapes which they divide.” Closes 16th April 2023.

Chappel Galleries
Colchester Road, Chappel, CO6 2DE
Open Wed-Sun 10am to 5pm

‘Delia Tournay-Godfrey : Empty and Full Spaces’. In this latest exhibition, Delia continues to find new ways of expressing shades of ambience through her painting. Closes 30th October 2022.

Colchester Castle
Castle Park, Colchester.
website

‘Wicked Spirits? Witchcraft + Magic’. Brings the stories of those that suffered and lost their lives during the days of The Witchfinder General out into the open and make sure they are never forgotten.” Closes 6th January 2023.

Art Exchange
University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ
website

‘Leninfall : Niels Ackerman’. An exhibition that focuses on the removal of public statues of Lenin in Ukraine. Closes 12th November 2022.

‘A Fire in My Head’. Essex students Organise – Educate – Agitate. This exhibition brings together stories from the life of the University of Essex, as defined by its students. Closes 16th December 2022.

The Minories
Pop-Up Gallery – 18 Long Wyre Street, Colchester CO1 1LJ

‘We are Commoners’. Shows how shared processes, skills and values associated with creative making contribute to thriving commons neighbourhoods. Closes 3rd December 2022.

Dedham

Sir Alfred Munnings Art Museum
Castle House, Dedham CO7 6AZ
website

‘Alfred Munnings : the art of the poster.’ A vibrant display of Munnings’ lesser known commercial designs, posters, black and white pictures and early paintings. Closes 23rd October 2022.

Maldon

Hayletts Gallery
Oakwood House, 2 High Street, Maldon, Essex, CM9 5PJ
more details

‘Karolina Larusdottir – Etchings Aquatints’. Closes 5th November 2022.

Saffron Walden

Saffron Walden Museum
Museum St, Saffron Walden CB10 1JL
website

‘The Lost Language of Nature’ – bringing stories of animals and nature from around the world to Saffron Walden Museum. Part of a year-long project to begin to recognise and discuss the global origins of the museum’s taxidermy items and to respect, share and record their international stories through community work and exhibitions. Closes 31st October 2022.

The Fry Art Gallery
Castle Street, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 1BD
website

‘The Many Sides of Isabel Rawsthorne’. Showcases the often-revolutionary work of an artist who ‘disappeared from the history of art’. Closes 30th October 2022.

The Saffron Walden Gallery
77a High Street Saffron Walden Essex CB10 1DZ. Open Tue-Sat 10am-5:30pm
website

‘Autumn 2022’. A Group exhibition featuring new work from our gallery artists. Closes 30th November 2022.

Southend

Beecroft Art Gallery
Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6EX.
website

‘The Reiff Collection – British Artists of the 20th Century’. Focuses on British nineteenth- and twentieth-century artists and includes many prominent artists such as Aileen Agar, Paul Feiler, L. S. Lowry, and Conroy Maddox. Closes 30th October 2022.

‘The Essex Feminist Forum’. “A dynamic and evolving space in which we encourage discussion with each other, and interaction with different representations of what it means to identify as a woman in Essex. The space will showcase a selection of different projects developed through the project ‘Snapping the Stiletto’.” Ongoing.

‘Colour 2’. Explores the use of colour within painting, sculpture and sound. Closes 4th May 2024.

Walton

The Naze Tower
The Naze, Old Hall Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex CO14 8LE. Open April-Oct 10am – 5pm every day.
website

‘Autumn Exhibition.’ Each year three diverse art exhibitions are shown at the Naze Tower, featuring work by established and emerging East Anglian artists. All the artworks are for sale. Closes 31st October 2022.

Wivenhoe

Sentinel Gallery
Chapel Road, Wivenhoe, CO7 9DX 01206 827490
website

No current visiting exhibition.