All Aboard!

Step inside and explore Preston Park Museum's new, interactive exhibition which has been specially created for children. Little designers, engineers and drivers will be able to get hands-on with wheels to turn, coal to shovel and pistons to pump in the giant replica train and themed play zones. Families will be able to take part in a journey of discovery through play to understand the important story of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Venue:

Preston Park Museum, Yarm Road, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3RH

Date:

Sep 13th 2025 - Sep 13th 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Tue-Sat 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

£12/£8/under 3s Free

Sublime Landscapes

This exhibition features landscape watercolours and prints from the Laing Art Gallery’s collection responding to the potential for landscape art to be awe-inspiring. Visitors will encounter dramatic waterfalls, epic ruins, stormy seas, and subterranean worlds through the eyes of artists working between the eighteenth century – when the concept of the ‘sublime’ first gained prominence within landscape art - and the present day. The artists on display include John Robert Cozens, Mary Elizabeth Bennett, Francis Towne, David Cox, John Martin, Charles Napier Hemy, Edna Clarke Hall, Graham Sutherland, and Dennis Creffield.

Venue:

Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AG

Date:

Dec 20th 2025 - Dec 5th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:30

Price:

Free

Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary

Charting Westwood’s journey following her punk rebellion with Malcolm McLaren to her reinvention of historical dress and couture and featuring rarely seen pieces from private collections, this exhibition offers an unprecedented glimpse into Westwood’s artistry. Calico toiles, deconstructed garments and ensembles are displayed chronologically alongside historic objects from the museum’s collection, fusing rebellion with tradition.

Venue:

The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8NP

Date:

Mar 28th 2026 - Sep 6th 2026

Opening Times:

Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

£19.50/under 18s Free

Newcastle Quayside at 40

2026 marks forty years since the inception of the plan to regenerate Newcastle’s Quayside which had fallen into decay and disrepair. This exhibition explores the ideas and aspirations that shaped the regeneration plan, the individuals and organisations who drove them forward, and the circumstances that made the project such a success.

Venue:

Farrell Centre, The Sir Terry Farrell Building, Eldon Place, Newcastle, NE1 7RD

Date:

Feb 26th 2026 - Dec 18th 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free

Housing Standardisation

What does a typical home in England look like? How does it compare to housing in other countries? How are these homes designed? And what is it like to live in them? This exhibition explores these questions through in-depth international and local case-studies of a range of homes. Through photographs, models and plans, it considers how housing design is shaped by policy regulations, local cultures and expectations and lived experiences of residents.

Venue:

Farrell Centre, The Sir Terry Farrell Building, Eldon Place, Newcastle, NE1 7RD

Date:

Feb 26th 2026 - Dec 18th 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free

Keeping it Local

Focus will be upon local, East Durham subject matter.

Venue:

EDAN Gallery, The Art Block, 74 Church Street, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7HF

Date:

Jul 28th 2026 - Sep 5th 2026

Opening Times:

Tue-Fri 11:00 - 15:00 , Sat 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Tick Tock Marvels: The Playful World of Automata

Tick Tock Marvels invites children, families, and curious minds of all ages on an interactive journey into the wild and wonderful world of automata. Explore jungles and deep seas where imagination meets movement, and where art comes alive through science and engineering. The exhibition features work by celebrated automata maker Keith Newstead (creator of the much-loved Flying Reiver), alongside pieces inspired by Gormenghast’s Castle from Mervyn Peake’s fantasy book series Titus Groan. It also includes a wealth of automata from Cabaret Mechanical Theatre’s extraordinary collection and archive, showcasing the history and evolution of this captivating craft in a way that is engaging for all ages.

Venue:

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 8TP

Date:

Jun 13th 2026 - Oct 11th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Adult admission (valid for 12 months) £15/Under 18s Free

Tom McGuinness: Out of the Darkness

Tom McGuinness found a rich seam of artistic inspiration in the coal mines of County Durham, painting the industry and its people from his own experiences. The studious Tom saw more in the scene than most people would and, with an artist’s eye, a comprehensive knowledge and a clarity of thought, interpreted this for us all to comprehend. His visceral depictions of life underground serve as a powerful, emotive reminder of the lives lived by many in the mining communities of the North East.

Venue:

Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland, County Durham

Date:

Feb 18th 2026 - Dec 24th 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 10:30 - 16:00

Price:

Included with Bishop's Key which gives 12 months admission to the Auckland Project for £30/£13.50 child/family from £45

Jewish Industrialists on the Team Valley

Jewish Industrialists on the Team Valley: the formative years of a trading estate 1936-1945 tells the little-known story of the contribution and impact that Jewish light industries had on the development of the Team Valley Trading Estate in Gateshead – the first government-financed trading estate in the country and opened in 1936.

Venue:

Discovery Museum, (Closed on all Bank Holidays) Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4JA

Date:

Feb 7th 2026 - Jan 31st 2027

Opening Times:

Sat-Sun 11:00 - 16:00 , Mon-Fri 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Joan Eardley: The Sea at Catterline

An exhibition exploring the dramatic seascapes created by one of the most distinctive British artists of the twentieth century. Joan Eardley (1921–1963) is widely recognised for her portraits of street children in Glasgow, but alongside these works she developed an extraordinary body of landscape painting inspired by the fishing village of Catterline on Scotland’s north-east coast.

Venue:

Granary Gallery, Dewar’s Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1HJ

Date:

Jun 6th 2026 - Oct 11th 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 11:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

The Space Between The Notes: John Lyons

Award-winning Durham photographer John Lyons brings his acclaimed exhibition to the Durham Jazz Festival Gallery. Specialising in live music and portrait photography, John has captured performances at iconic venues including Birdland and Blue Note in New York. His style focuses on the emotion, intimacy and energy behind the music rather than simply documenting a performance.

Venue:

Durham Jazz Festival Gallery, 25 High Street, Prince Bishops Centre, Durham

Date:

May 22nd 2026 - Oct 25th 2026

Opening Times:

22nd May - 25th Oct 2026 TBC

Price:

Free

Le Cliché: Records, Tapes and the Sound of Consumption

A shop window display of record covers, cassette tapes and music objects exploring the relationship between sound, format and consumer culture. The Farrell Centre’s shop window presents a selection of record covers, cassette tapes and related material from Le Cliché, an artist-led electronic music project by Professor Gerard Ryan of Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Catalonia, Spain.

Venue:

Farrell Centre, The Sir Terry Farrell Building, Eldon Place, Newcastle, NE1 7RD

Date:

Apr 27th 2026 - Dec 18th 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free

Tish Murtha & Kuba Ryniewicz

This landmark exhibition marks the first time four major series by celebrated documentary photographer Tish Murtha will be shown together in the North East, alongside a newly commissioned body of work by Newcastle–based artist Kuba Ryniewicz. Developed in close collaboration with her daughter, Ella Murtha, the exhibition honours Tish’s vision and the continued stewardship of her archive. Her images remain a vital record of working-class experience and a powerful call to acknowledge the inequalities that persist today. Baltic will present, for the first time together, works from the series Elswick Kids, Elswick Revisited, Save Scotswood Works and Youth Unemployment. Ryniewicz, recognised for his distinctive and unconventional approach to portraiture, brings a contemporary perspective to the exhibition. His practice blends fashion photography, regional histories and personal storytelling, often foregrounding humour, intimacy and a vivid sense of character.

Venue:

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA

Date:

Jul 4th 2026 - Apr 4th 2027

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00

Price:

Free

Archaeology ‘Open Lab’

Archaeologists uncovering the hidden history of Auckland Palace are inviting the public behind the scenes as historic finds from eight years of excavations are analysed in a new ‘open laboratory’ in Bishop Auckland town centre. After the trowels are put down, the archaeological work continues in the post-excavation’ phase. This work involves looking in detail at all the objects dug up. Experts weigh, count, catalogue and describe everything they have found so that we can understand even more about how the Bishops’ Palace was used. Normally this work happens in laboratories behind closed doors, but now this workis being done in public view here in the ‘open lab’.

Venue:

The Hearth, (formerly Mrs M's), 1 Market Place, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 7NJ

Date:

Jan 16th 2026 - Dec 31st 2026

Opening Times:

16th Jan - 31st Dec 2026 TBC

Price:

Free

Treasure: Hidden, Lost, Found

Step into the fascinating world of treasure and see some amazing archaeological finds from across the North of England. Roman coins, Viking Age silver, and a buried stash of Tudor coins will all feature in this glittering new exhibition. Explore what makes something valuable - culturally, historically, and personally. Who owns the past? What stories do these objects tell? With thought-provoking displays and interactives, there’s something to spark curiosity in visitors of all ages. Featuring extraordinary finds from the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland, Vindolanda, and the Great North Museum: Hancock, this is your chance to see why buried history matters.

Venue:

Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4PT

Date:

Mar 28th 2026 - Sep 20th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Fri 10:00 - 17:00 , Sun 11:00 - 16:00 , Sat 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Picture This: Someone Like Me

An artwork exhibition that creatively showcases postgraduate research happening at Newcastle University. The exhibition features illustrated artworks and personal reflections that explore the many different pathways into research and challenge common ideas about who researchers are and where they come from. Alongside the artworks, the exhibition will come alive through interactive events, family-friendly activities, and opportunities to meet the researchers themselves. Visitors are invited to explore research through creativity and conversation, discover the people behind the work, and reflect on how diverse experiences and perspectives shape the way knowledge is created.

Venue:

Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4PT

Date:

Mar 13th 2026 - Jan 17th 2027

Opening Times:

Mon-Fri 10:00 - 17:00 , Sun 11:00 - 16:00 , Sat 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Extinction

Through a mix of information panels, replica objects and interactives, the exhibition asks the question: what is extinction? Don’t miss the life size baby triceratops and utahraptor on display.

Venue:

Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH

Date:

Jun 20th 2026 - Oct 8th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00

Price:

£14/under 18s £8/under 5s Free

The Discovery of Dinosaurs

An exhibition of 19th century prints depicting prehistoric landscapes and some of the earliest dinosaur fossils ever discovered, reproduced from rare volumes in Ushaw’s Library collection.

Venue:

Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH

Date:

Jun 20th 2026 - Nov 8th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00

Price:

£14/under 18s £8/under 5s Free

Tracey Russell: Solo Exhibition

New work by County Durham-artist Tracey Russell.

Venue:

Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH

Date:

Jul 4th 2026 - Sep 23rd 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00

Price:

£14/under 18s £8/under 5s Free

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025 and Exploring Identity

This spring and summer, visitors will have the chance to chart the history of portrait painting from the 16th century to the present day in two complementary exhibitions containing some of the finest historic, modern, and contemporary portraits. The Laing Art Gallery will show the National Portrait Gallery’s celebrated painting competition, the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025, now in its 43rd year. The exhibition will be shown alongside Exploring Identity, a portraiture exhibition curated from North East Museums’ art collections that provides historical context to the Portrait Award.

Venue:

Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AG

Date:

Mar 28th 2026 - Sep 5th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:30

Price:

£11/£10

After the Fire

Around the year AD 300, a catastrophic fire destroyed many buildings of the fort. The 2026 exhibition explores what was rebuilt over the ruins and examines life at Arbeia during the fourth century, leading up to the end of Roman rule in Britain.

Venue:

Arbeia Roman Fort and Museum, Baring Street, South Shields, NE33 2BB

Date:

Mar 30th 2026 - Sep 27th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Fri 10:00 - 17:00 , Sun 13:00 - 16:00 , Sat 11:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Following the Eagle

The exhibition will showcase rare Roman military diplomas inscribed on bronze, alongside other archaeological artefacts, exploring themes of identity, service, and travel within the Roman army. The Roman state adopted the eagle as an emblem to show that as well as power and authority, they had divine favour on their side. The army used it as a symbol since it embodied Rome itself and her honour.

Venue:

Segedunum Roman Fort, 2 Buddle Street, Wallsend, NE28 6HR

Date:

Mar 28th 2026 - Oct 3rd 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 10:00 - 15:00 , Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

£7.75/£5.50/under 22s and NE28 residents Free

Cuthbert

A group show that delves into the enduring themes of hermits, visions, introspection, personal landscapes, and pilgrimage. Loosely framed around the historical figure of St. Cuthbert, whose legacy spans from Lindisfarne to Alnmouth, the exhibition explores the universal concepts that resonate just as strongly today. It’s a timely contemplation of withdrawal and the pursuit of personal truth.

Venue:

The Old School Gallery, Foxton Road, Alnmouth, Northumberland, NE66 3NH

Date:

Jul 18th 2026 - Sep 14th 2026

Opening Times:

Daily 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Take a Stitch 2 Durham 2026

An exhibition of new work by this flourishing regional textile art group.

Venue:

Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH

Date:

Jul 18th 2026 - Sep 13th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00

Price:

£14/under 18s £8/under 5s Free

Commons Stars: Art and the Starling

This exhibition that uses the natural instincts and socialisation techniques of the Starling bird and the strategies they use to survive as a curatorial system. More than just an exhibition of pictures of birds, Common Stars looks at the strategies that starlings use in their day to day life and asks how these can translate into artistic strategies.

Venue:

The Redcar Palace, Palace 28, 28-29 Esplanade, Redcar, TS10 3AE

Date:

Jul 3rd 2026 - Sep 5th 2026

Opening Times:

Tue-Sat 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Snapshot

An exhibition exploring the early years of photography told through images and objects from Ushaw’s collections.

Venue:

Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH

Date:

Jun 27th 2026 - Nov 1st 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00

Price:

£14/under 18s £8/under 5s Free

Roger Wagner: The Seeds of Eternity Exhibition

The Bishop Trevor Rooms at Auckland Palace will host an exhibition of the works of artist and poet Roger Wagner. Weaving together Biblical narratives and contemporary landscapes, Wagner’s visionary paintings explore the mysteries of human existence.At the heart of the exhibition are two of the artist’s most compelling paintings: Menorah and The Harvest is the End of the World and the Reapers are Angels. Visitors will have the rare chance to see both works exhibited together for the first time since 1994, and for the first time ever in northern England.

Venue:

Auckland Palace and Gardens, Market Place, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7NR

Date:

Feb 18th 2026 - Dec 31st 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 10:30 - 16:00

Price:

Auckland Palace admission £20/£5 child

Sofia Barton Pop-up Shop

Sofia Barton's Shop2 takeover celebrates the "hidden" heritage and community leaders of our region, showcasing the vibrant work from her celebrated ‘Trailblazers’ mural, commissioned for the new fleet of Tyne and Wear Metro trains.

Venue:

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA

Date:

Apr 18th 2026 - Sep 27th 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00

Price:

Free

Everyday Elegance: Daily Lives of Women in Late Qing China

This exhibition explores the daily lives of women who lived in urban communities in Late Qing China—what they wore, what they ate, what they did for work and for fun. From silver hairpins to wood cake moulds to gilt lacquer boxes, these functional yet elegant objects reveal that women in 1800s China expressed their individuality in creative ways. They far exceeded the duties they were expected to fulfil, making important contributions to the successes of their families and communities.

Venue:

Oriental Museum, Elvet Hill, (off South Road), Durham, DH1 3TH

Date:

May 16th 2026 - Sep 20th 2026

Opening Times:

Sat-Sun 12:00 - 16:00 , Tue and Thu-Fri 11:00 - 16:00 , Wed 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free

Can You Dig It?

An art exhibition in the Hadrian's Wall Gallery, created as part of the Treasure exhibition. The Great North Museum: Hancock invited four schools and a group of home educated people to take part in the Treasure programme. Each group worked alongside a local artist to produce artworks responding to the idea of treasure within the context of archaeology, bringing unique perspectives to the project.

Venue:

Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4PT

Date:

Apr 14th 2026 - Sep 20th 2026

Opening Times:

Sat 10:00 - 16:00 , Sun 11:00 - 16:00 , Mon-Fri 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free

Discovering Dark Skies

Northumberland has some of the most pristine dark skies in England, inspiring awe and wonder in thousands who come to stargaze in our region every year. Working with partners, including the Kielder Observatory, Kielder Partnership and National Park Authority, this exhibition celebrates the rich cultural and natural heritage of the night, a heritage we are at risk of losing in an increasingly over-illuminated world. A programme of special events and activities will accompany the exhibition, with more details to be announced soon. Keep an eye on our website for updates.

Venue:

Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, NE46 3LS

Date:

Jul 18th 2026 - Sep 19th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Rhonda Fenwick, Diana Raw and Marion Thompson

Venue:

rePUBlic Gallery, Access Through The King's Head Cafe, 85 Bridge Street, Blyth, NE24 3AE

Date:

Aug 22nd 2026 - Sep 19th 2026

Opening Times:

Tue-Sat 09:00 - 15:00

Price:

Free

Studio 70 Artists

New paintings by Alison Minney, Denise Smithson and Graham Parker, Ushaw-based studio artists.

Venue:

Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH

Date:

Aug 29th 2026 - Oct 25th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00

Price:

£14/under 18s £8/under 5s Free

Rhonda Fenwick, Diana Raw and Marion Thompson

Venue:

rePUBlic Gallery, Access Through The King's Head Cafe, 85 Bridge Street, Blyth, NE24 3AE

Date:

Aug 22nd 2026 - Sep 19th 2026

Opening Times:

Tue-Sat 09:00 - 15:00

Price:

Free

Masala Festival – Playback / Rewind: South Asian Sound & Memory

Bringing together a new body of work by artist Jimmy Turrell, developed through research into Bollywood vinyl, printed ephemera, and the lived histories of South Asian communities in Gateshead. Working with collected albums, archive material and visual fragments, Turrell reinterprets these sources through collage, print and large-scale compositions. The works explore how music travels across generations and geographies, carrying memory, identity and cultural connection.

Venue:

Gateshead Central Library, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4LN

Date:

Jul 4th 2026 - Oct 10th 2026

Opening Times:

Sat 09:00 - 13:00 , Tue-Wed and Fri 09:00 - 17:00 , Mon and Thu 09:00 - 19:00

Price:

Free

Chitra Ganesh: Journey to the Great Below

Ganesh’s practice is rooted in drawing and painting and has a distinctive multidisciplinary approach. Over the past twenty-five years, she has developed an expansive body of work that encompasses wall drawings, collage, animation, installation, and sculpture. Informed by her studies in literature, semiotics, and contemporary social theory, her visual vocabulary also draws from histories of surrealism, science fiction, anime, and South Asian visual culture including ancient statuary, popular Indian comics and graphic design.

Venue:

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA

Date:

Jul 4th 2026 - Jan 17th 2027

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00

Price:

Free

Swing Bridge 150

A display celebrating the iconic Swing Bridge that connects Newcastle and Gateshead, for its 150th anniversary using images of archival material. Unveiled in 1876, Lord Armstrong’s hydraulic Swing Bridge across the River Tyne was the largest of its kind — a bold symbol of Victorian ingenuity that still stands proudly today. A brilliant example of engineering brilliance and Tyneside heritage, now a Grade II listed structure.

Venue:

Discovery Museum, (Closed on all Bank Holidays) Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4JA

Date:

Jun 13th 2026 - Dec 20th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Fri 10:00 - 16:00 , Sat-Sun 11:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Strike!

The General Strike of May 1926 rocked the country with King George V declaring a state of emergency. Around 1.5 to 2 million workers went on strike in support of ‘locked-out’ miners. This display marks 100 years since the General Strike.

Venue:

Discovery Museum, (Closed on all Bank Holidays) Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4JA

Date:

May 17th 2026 - Jan 17th 2027

Opening Times:

Sat-Sun 11:00 - 16:00 , Mon-Fri 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Norman Cornish: A Life in Sketchbooks

Step inside the working imagination of Norman Cornish in this intimate exhibition, bringing together finished drawings, paintings and watercolours alongside the preparatory sketches that shaped them. Across a lifetime, Cornish filled 269 sketchbooks, capturing the streets, people, and communities of the Durham coalfield with remarkable insight and warmth. His belief that sketchbooks should “have a life of their own… to teach people to look at things” comes alive in this display, which also features a major new acquisition made possible with the legacy funds of the Friends of the Bowes Museum, strengthening the museum’s collection of one of the North’s celebrated twentieth-century artists.

Venue:

The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8NP

Date:

Jun 26th 2026 - Jan 3rd 2027

Opening Times:

Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

£19.50/under 18s Free

When Britain Stood Still: The General Strike at 100

To mark the 100th anniversary of the British General Strike, this exhibition reveals how workers, politicians and trade unionists faced the challenge of the General Strike and how its opponents organised to resist it. What emerges here from the documents, photographs and oral histories is a narrative of solidarity and sacrifice during Britain’s largest industrial dispute, as well as the hostile response from the government.

Venue:

Philip Robinson Library, Jesmond Road West, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE2 4HQ

Date:

May 8th 2026 - Oct 18th 2026

Opening Times:

8th May - 18th Oct 2026 TBC

Price:

Free

Emerson Mayes – A Fleeting Presence

A Fleeting Presence brings together the quiet practice of landscape painting and wildlife printmaking; where observation becomes something softer, more intuitive, more immediate. Paintings unfold in layers of colour, tracing shifting skies, open ground, moving water and the hush of distant horizons. Expressive, gestural brushstrokes in a summer palette of greens, yellows and blues, render the glare of sunshine. Field, river, hedgerow and coastline are captured in high season.

Venue:

The Biscuit Factory, 16 Stoddard Street, Newcastle, NE2 1AN

Date:

Jul 10th 2026 - Sep 6th 2026

Opening Times:

Daily 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free

The Northern Summer Exhibition 2026

Now a staple of Newcastle Arts Centre and The North of England Art Club’s calendar, this annual, open submission exhibition invites entries from all North Eastern and Cumbrian artists. Each year it strives to introduce new artists and to further enrich the network of practicing creatives at home in the North.

Venue:

Newcastle Arts Centre, 67 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SG

Date:

Aug 3rd 2026 - Sep 12th 2026

Opening Times:

Mon-Sat 09:30 - 17:00

Price:

Free

Matisse: Drawing with Scissors

A joyful new exhibition celebrating one of the most important and influential artists of the twentieth century. Matisse: Drawing with Scissors invites visitors of all ages to step into the bold, playful and colourful world of Henri Matisse, a French visual artist who was responsible for key innovations in painting and sculpture in the 1900s. The exhibition offers an engaging introduction to one of art history's most recognisable styles. Created during the final four years of Matisse's life, when ill health confined him to bed, these cut-outs are among his most celebrated works.

Venue:

Preston Park Museum, Yarm Road, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 3RH

Date:

Jul 15th 2026 - Oct 15th 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Tue-Sat 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

£12/£8/under 3s Free

Through the Lens - Photographs by Anna Miller

To mark the 10th anniversary of GemArts Masala Festival, this special exhibition showcases a vibrant collection of photographs by Anna Miller capturing the festival's most memorable moments. From spectacular performances to joyful community gatherings, the images celebrate a decade of artists, audiences and the creativity that makes Masala Festival one of the UK's leading celebrations of South Asian arts and culture.

Venue:

Gateshead Central Library, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4LN

Date:

Jul 4th 2026 - Oct 10th 2026

Opening Times:

Sat 09:00 - 13:00 , Tue-Wed and Fri 09:00 - 17:00 , Mon and Thu 09:00 - 19:00

Price:

Free

Celebrating WanBel

On 16 September 2025, Papua New Guinea celebrated their 50th Anniversary of Independence. To mark this important milestone, museums around the world are sharing their collections of cultural artefacts from the country. Great North Museum: Hancock is delighted to contribute to this global exhibition and take part in honouring Papua New Guinea’s cultural legacy and artistic wonders. ‘WanBel’: a Tok Pisin phrase meaning community spirit, it literally means ‘one belly’.

Venue:

Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4PT

Date:

Jun 16th 2026 - Sep 20th 2026

Opening Times:

Sat 10:00 - 16:00 , Sun 11:00 - 16:00 , Mon-Fri 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free

Make & Mend at Belsay Hall

This summer, Belsay Hall hosts a new exhibition in partnership with Northumbria University. Make and Mend invites artists to produce creative responses to Belsay’s rich heritage through a range of disciplines, including textiles, furniture, photography, and architectural studies. The exhibition blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques, celebrating both the history of making and the ongoing art of preservation.

Venue:

Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, Belsay, Nr Morpeth, Northumberland, NE20 0DX

Date:

Jun 27th 2026 - Sep 27th 2026

Opening Times:

Daily TBC

Price:

From £12.12

North East Festival of Blossom 2026: Blossom Through a Wearside Lens photography exhibition

As part of the North East Festival of Blossom, and in connection with the Sunderland Connecting Through Nature project, Sunderland City Council’s Sustainable Regeneration Team organised a photography competition: Blossom Through a Wearside Lens - Celebrating the beauty of nature in Sunderland. Come along to see a selection of photographs from the winner and runners up displayed around Washington Old Hall gardens.

Venue:

Washington Old Hall, The Avenue, District 4, Washington, NE38 7LE

Date:

Jul 5th 2026 - Sep 20th 2026

Opening Times:

Sun-Mon and Fri-Sat 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free, normal admission applies

CHROMA: A measure of colour

Interface Arts members have been exploring the possibilities and layered dimensions of colour to present a body of unique, original artwork celebrating the joy of colour. Research and intuition have inspired new, emerging colours, contrasts, depths and subtleties, taking the form of both figurative and abstract artwork created in a wide range of mediums.

Venue:

Arts Centre Washington, Biddick Lane, Fatfield, Washington, NE38 8AB

Date:

Aug 7th 2026 - Sep 19th 2026

Opening Times:

Fri-Sat 09:00 - 16:00 , Wed 09:00 - 17:00 , Thu 09:00 - 21:00 , Tue 13:00 - 21:00

Price:

Free

Nature Up North

A selling exhibition of paintings by Donna Slyfield juxtaposed with ash-glazed stoneware ceramics by Carol Metcalfe, inspired by the natural world and landscapes. The diversity of landscapes is a constant inspiration for Donna. Working in various media, her intention is to work intuitively to capture an emotional connection to those elements that keep her captivated by their power and energy. Carol explores different plant species as ingredients for new ash glazes. She captures the essence of the Yorkshire countryside using textures, oxides, coloured slips, and overlapping layers of her glazes, to produce intriguingly rich and complex surfaces – from leaves to landscapes.

Venue:

The Witham, 3 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8YL

Date:

Sep 2nd 2026 - Oct 3rd 2026

Opening Times:

Tue-Sat 10:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Prints from the Collection

Studio Prints, led by Dorothea Wight and Marc Balakjian, was at the heart of printmaking in London for 40 years. Their work is shown alongside a selection of etchings produced by the studio in collaboration with artists such as Lucian Freud and Frank Auerbach.

Venue:

Northern Print, Stepney Bank, Newcastle, NE1 2NP

Date:

Jul 25th 2026 - Sep 12th 2026

Opening Times:

Wed-Sat 12:00 - 16:00

Price:

Free

Gone But Not Forgotten: Remembering Britain's Vanished Species Through Art and Science

Gone But Not Forgotten brings together museum specimens and original artwork by Stephen Livingstone to explore the stories of animals that have disappeared from Britain or become increasingly rare. Drawing on rarely displayed objects from Durham University's Natural Science Collection, the exhibition features skeletons, skulls, taxidermy and paintings that reveal the traces animals leave behind and invite us to imagine the lives they once lived. From the giant deer and Great Auk to wolves and lynx, these remarkable species help tell a story of change, loss and survival.

Venue:

Museum of Archaeology, Museum of Archaeology, Palace Green Library, Palace Green, Durham, County Durham, DH1 3RN

Date:

Jul 18th 2026 - Sep 21st 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Tue-Sat 10:00 - 17:00 , Mon 12:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free

Light and Fire: 500 Years of Tyndale’s New Testament

This special exhibition marks the 500-year anniversary of William Tyndale publishing his English translation of the New Testament. Banned by the authorities, this dangerous book was smuggled into England, where it helped to shape the English Reformation and transformed the very language we speak today. This is a unique opportunity to see an edition of Tyndale’s New Testament produced just months before his cruel execution as a heretic, displayed alongside other significant books, including a series of rare sixteenth-century Bibles.

Venue:

Faith Museum, Auckland Palace, Market Place, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7NR

Date:

Jul 15th 2026 - Dec 31st 2026

Opening Times:

Sun and Wed-Sat 10:30 - 16:00

Price:

Free with Auckland Palace Admission £18/child £5

Stanley Davison: A Decade in Paint

Davison is a self-taught Hartlepool artist who started painting at ten and never stopped. He grew up partly in Dumbarton, moved to Hartlepool as a child, worked in the steelworks and then spent twelve years framing pictures at Classic Art on Park Road, painting in every spare hour. His first exhibition was in 1981 at the Gray Art Gallery. This is his most substantial show since.

Venue:

Hartlepool Art Gallery, The Tourist Information Centre, Church Square, Hartlepool, TS24 7EQ

Date:

Jul 18th 2026 - Oct 10th 2026

Opening Times:

Tue-Sat 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free

V&A DesignLab Nation

A display of artwork by secondary school students in partnership with V&A. The title of this year's project is 'Chairs for Change: Designing for outdoors'. Between November 2025 and May 2026, students from Benfield School and Heworth Grange School worked with North East Museums and local installation artist, sculptor and designer, Victoria Franka, on this year’s DesignLab Nation design challenge. Inspired by the historic and contemporary chairs displayed at the Shipley Art Gallery, students were tasked to rethink what sitting together could mean in their own community by designing seating for their outdoor school spaces.

Venue:

Shipley Art Gallery, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4JB

Date:

Jul 16th 2026 - Sep 5th 2026

Opening Times:

Tue-Fri 10:00 - 16:00 , Sat 10:00 - 17:00

Price:

Free