Art
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.
Nadia Huggins Transformation No. 4
A new lightbox commission by Nadia Huggins exploring the marine environment in the Caribbean. You can find this artwork displayed on the right-hand wall as you enter through the main doors.
- Venue:
- BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
- Date:
-
Nov 8th 2025 - Jun 7th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
- Price:
- Free
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
In the Presence of Nature
Giving you longer to view the exhibition which accompanied Monet's The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872), which visited the museum as part of the National Gallery Masterpiece Tour. Although the Monet artwork is no longer on display, the exhibition focuses on the power of art and nature, exploring themes of calm, retreat, and resilience and explores how artists past and present engage with nature. Discover artworks from the collections of South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, Laing Art Gallery, and Shipley Art Gallery, alongside pieces co-created by EBSA young people, teachers and local organisations.
- Venue:
- South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, Ocean Road, South Shields, NE33 2JA
- Date:
-
Jan 17th 2026 - May 30th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Mon-Fri 10:00 - 17:00 , Sat 11:00 - 16:00
- 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
Intimates
A show curated by the MA Curating Art students, exploring intimacy and its relationship to culture, autonomy and the visceral. The exhibition features moving image and photography, spotlighting the intimate thematics present in the work of Yumna Al-Arashi, Phyllis Christopher, and Maisie Cousins. Their works are brought together for viewers to understand the diverse contexts of intimacy, from the platonic and romantic relationships between women, to up close interactions between matter. Intimates reveals intimacy to be a paradoxical, multi-layered concept, through exploring ideas of queerness, orientalism and rawness.
- Venue:
- Hatton Gallery, The Quadrangle, University of Newcastle, 6 Kensington Terrace, Newcastle, NE1 7RU
- Date:
-
Apr 14th 2026 - May 6th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
- Price:
- Free
The Sheer Brass Neck
Presented by Newcastle Contemporary Art and Arcadea Disability Arts, in partnership with North East Museums, The Sheer Brass Neck reflects on the role of disabled artists in shaping the struggle for equality, access, and cultural representation in the UK. The exhibition draws on archival material from NorDAF (Northern Disability Arts Forum) alongside new work by Arcadea’s Hub Studio Artists.
- Venue:
- Newcastle Contemporary Art, High Bridge Works, 31-39 High Bridge, Newcastle upon-Tyne, NE1 1EW
- Date:
-
Apr 17th 2026 - May 9th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Thu-Sat 12:00 - 17:00
- Price:
- Free
Time Well Spent An Exhibition by Alison Diamond
Exhibition of artist and printmaker Alison Diamond whose work explores various printing techniques such as monoprint, linocut, screen printing, wood engraving and etching. Alison loves to explore her passion for drawing, perspective, colour and pattern through the diversity of these print mediums and enjoys the challenges and the surprises each print form can provide along the way.
- Venue:
- Gateshead Central Library, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4LN
- Date:
-
Apr 25th 2026 - Jun 27th 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
Welcome to Teesside
An exhibition of black and white photographs taken between 1968 and 1999, in and around Middlesbrough. During the 1960s and 1970s, inner-city redevelopment was high on the political agenda. Many of the images reflect those times and convey the changes which took place within the landscape of this region; providing a portal to the urban landscape of Teesside’s past.
- Venue:
- The Heritage Gallery at Cargo Fleet, Cargo Fleet Offices, Middlesbrough Road, Middlesbrough, TS6 6XH
- Date:
-
Apr 27th 2026 - Jun 5th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Mon-Fri 09:00 - 17:00
- Price:
- Free
Beyond Coal
Sponsored by and in conjunction with Durham University Energy Institute.
- Venue:
- EDAN Gallery, The Art Block, 74 Church Street, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7HF
- Date:
-
Apr 28th 2026 - Jun 6th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Tue-Fri 11:00 - 15:00 , Sat 10:00 - 16:00
- Price:
- Free
Birds, Brilliant and Bizarre by St Mary's School
This exhibition showcases the imagination of students aged 11-18, featuring exceptional mixed-media works centred on the theme of birds. Linked to their curriculum, the students' bold and colourful pieces explore diverse perspectives, with themes including the environment, folklore, and street art.
- Venue:
- The People's Theatre Gallery, Open only on performance nights, People's Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF
- Date:
-
Apr 28th 2026 - May 22nd 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Mon-Sat 18:30 - 21:00
- Price:
- Free
Broken
That’s the first 25 years and everything has changed. The Sunderland Indie looks up and finds nation fighting nation, epidemic and pandemic, climate change and riot, fire and flood, storm and rupture, Brexit and drowned boys, and everything is BROKEN. The Sunderland Indie, 25 years on: still searching, still questioning, still creating in the spaces where the world comes apart. Broken brings together new and recent works from local contemporary artists who respond to the fractures of modern life with honesty, urgency, and imagination.
- Venue:
- Arts Centre Washington, Biddick Lane, Fatfield, Washington, NE38 8AB
- Date:
-
Apr 30th 2026 - Jun 6th 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
50 Faces of the Holy Land
A photographic exhibition, curated by Friends of the Holy Land, designed to highlight the lives of the Christian people in Israel and Palestine. The exhibition, featuring photos by Marcin Mazur, tells the stories of 50 people living in the Holy Land – Israeli and Palestinian, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Samaritan, and Druze.
- Venue:
- Newcastle Cathedral, St. Nicholas Sq, Newcastle, NE1 1DF
- Date:
-
May 2nd 2026 - May 12th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Sat-Sun 08:00 - 17:00 , Mon-Fri 08:00 - 18:00
- Price:
- Free
Barnard Castle and Teesdale Art Society
Barnard Castle & Teesdale Art Society is a group of friendly enthusiastic amateur artists with varying levels of experience meeting on Monday afternoons throughout the year. This exhibition is an opportunity for the Art Society to showcase who they are and what they do.
- Venue:
- The Witham, 3 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8YL
- Date:
-
May 6th 2026 - May 30th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Tue-Sat 10:00 - 16:00
- Price:
- Free
The Late Shows
Award-winning late-night free culture crawl. During The Late Shows, open art studios, music and performance venues, galleries, museums, studio collectives and landmark historical buildings come together to host intriguing interactive events for visitors. It’s all about encouraging people to do something cultural with their evening.
- Venue:
- Various venues across Newcastle and Gateshead,
- Date:
-
May 8th 2026 - May 9th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
8th - 9th May 2026 18:00 - 22:30
- Price:
- Free
Nat Hardy: ISM - Art with Heart
Nat won the 2024 Spotlight: Washington Open Exhibition. She uses a range of mediums – needle felting, textiles, watercolour, acrylics and soft pastels – to depict and capture the complexities of living with ISM’s and the vibrant joy she experiences working a 12 Step program, one day at a time.
- Venue:
- Arts Centre Washington, Biddick Lane, Fatfield, Washington, NE38 8AB
- Date:
-
May 8th 2026 - Jun 6th 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
Rooted
An exciting exhibition of new work made by Newcastle University’s first-year Fine Art students. Rooted promises a vibrant showcase of patterns, sensations, and creative expression through both traditional and contemporary media, featuring photography, sculpture, painting, video, text and installation.
- Venue:
- The NewBridge Project, Shieldfield Centre 4 - 8, Clarence Walk, off Stoddart St, Newcastle, NE2 1AL
- Date:
-
May 8th 2026 - May 9th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
8th - 9th May 2026 18:00 - 22:00
- Price:
- Free
James Needham Exhibition
James Needham was born in Rugby, England in 1983 and currently lives and works in Sydney, Australia. He studied at the Oxfordshire College of Art in the UK, graduating with a Diploma in General Art & Design in 2002 and received a Bachelor of Fine Art from Sydney’s National Art School in 2018.
- Venue:
- The Old School Gallery, Foxton Road, Alnmouth, Northumberland, NE66 3NH
- Date:
-
May 8th 2026 - Jun 8th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Daily 10:00 - 16:00
- Price:
- Free
Spring Open Studios
5 floors of select studios open! Buy direct, see behind the scenes, workshops, demos.
- Venue:
- 36 Lime Street, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ
- Date:
-
May 9th 2026 - May 10th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
9th - 10th May 2026 11:00 - 16:00
- Price:
- Free
Immersion: Artist-at-Sea Weekender
Explore the intersection of art and ocean science through film screenings and immersive installation in this special weekend event, developed in collaboration with Schmidt Ocean Institute as they celebrate ten years of their world-renowned Artist-at-Sea programme. The event features films by SOI Artists-at-Sea including Marco Barotti, Julian Charrière, Anne Duk Hee Jordan, Max Hooper Schneider, and Emilija Škarnulytė.
- Venue:
- BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
- Date:
-
May 9th 2026 - May 10th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
- Price:
- Free, drop in
Streets Alive
A celebration of The Forth & Pink Lane Urban Galleries, a collaborative project between Creative Central NCL, NE1, Project North East (PNE), Elements Arts, Vanguard Newcastle CIC & Newcastle Arts Centre. Since its opening in 2024 in Forth Lane, this project has grown and spilled out into Pink Lane, and has strived to invest in artists, provide public art, and to platform civic pride as a means of regenerating two of the city’s most historic streets. This exhibition showcases the evolution of the project, its vision for the future, and the artists involved. Preview on 9th May, 6-10pm as part of The Late Shows. Guided by artists involved in the project, visitors will be able to contribute to new artworks for the Lanes; two panels, one a collection of Community Portraits, the other a compilation of creative responses to the Urban Landscape.
- Venue:
- Newcastle Arts Centre, 67 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SG
- Date:
-
May 11th 2026 - May 30th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Mon-Sat 09:30 - 17:00
- Price:
- Free
Many Hands
Many Hands considers the societal pressure to constantly work or ‘do’ something, versus our post-pandemic understanding of human fragility; we are not machines, we are created to rest regularly. Featuring an illuminated paper & photographic installation, the exhibition asks questions about life defined by production, consumption and commodity; participation in community; and the gift economy. How could many hands support change? You are invited to take a moment to think and contribute to our sculpture, by folding a paper brick. Many Hands is part of our ongoing Creating Fallow programme.
- Venue:
- Shieldfield Art Works, Formerly The Holy Biscuit, Opposite The Biscuit Factory, 1 Clarence Street, Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1YH
- Date:
-
May 8th 2026 - Jun 11th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Tue-Thu 11:00 - 16:00
- Price:
- Free
Our Freedom: Then and Now
A vibrant photography exhibition that brings together images from 60 locally-led projects, marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War. A nationwide portrait of people, place and belonging, this exhibition reveals communities’ thoughtful and varied take on freedom across the UK.
- Venue:
- Arc, Dovecot Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1LL
- Date:
-
May 13th 2026 - Jun 11th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Mon 12:00 - 16:00 , Wed-Sat 10:00 - 20:00 , Tue 10:00 - 16:00
- Price:
- Free
Asylum: A Long and Painful Process (Photography Exhibition by Walking With, North Tyneside)
How long do those seeking sanctuary in the UK wait for the Home Office decision that will determine their future?Six months? Six years? It is rarely six months. It is often six years. Soon, it may be much, much longer. Created by artist Sadia Sikandar – herself a refugee – with the campaigning group at Walking With charity, this exhibition of images will be displayed ahead of Refugee Week 2026, featuring heartbreaking personal accounts that lay bare the journeys of people seeking sanctuary in the North East.
- Venue:
- Newcastle Cathedral, St. Nicholas Sq, Newcastle, NE1 1DF
- Date:
-
May 15th 2026 - Jun 7th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Sat-Sun 08:00 - 17:00 , Mon-Fri 08:00 - 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
Pete McKee exhibition + The Everly Pregnant Brothers: Live
A special event with renowned UK artist, Pete McKee followed by a performance from Pete’s band, The Everly Pregnant Brothers! For the first time, Pete is bringing his two greatest passions together with his latest exhibition, ‘The Boy With A Leg Named Brian’, on display during the day and a ticketed performance by his band, The Everly Pregnant Brothers in the evening. The exhibition, ‘The Boy With A Leg Named Brian’, takes visitors on a journey through Pete’s childhood in the 70s and 80s. Although this is the story of Pete’s life, his memories and tales of everyday life and pop culture, are relatable experiences shared by many across the UK.
- Venue:
- The Cluny, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle, NE1 2PQ
- Date:
-
May 17th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
17th May 2026 TBC
- Price:
- Exhibition Free/Gig £17.50
BXNU Fine Art Graduate Exhibition
The culmination of three years of student-artist learning on Northumbria's BA (Hons) Fine Art degree. Platform artists whose work spans painting, sculpture, photography, moving image and installation.
- Venue:
- BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
- Date:
-
May 22nd 2026 - May 31st 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
- Price:
- Free
Northumbria University Fine Art Graduate Exhibition
This exhibition is the culmination of three years of student-artist learning on Northumbria's BA (Hons) Fine Art degree. The exhibition will platform an upcoming generation of multidisciplinary artists whose work spans painting, sculpture, photography, moving image and installation.
- Venue:
- BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
- Date:
-
May 22nd 2026 - May 31st 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
- Price:
- Free
Extravaganza
Open Exhibition: subject and medium to be decided by artists.
- Venue:
- EDAN Gallery, The Art Block, 74 Church Street, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7HF
- Date:
-
Jun 9th 2026 - Jul 25th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Tue-Fri 11:00 - 15:00 , Sat 10:00 - 16:00
- Price:
- Free
Rose Ferraby Exhibition
Rose’s work is trans-disciplinary, drawing on research and practice in archaeology, geology, ecology and nature recovery, and art. She uses these skills together to carry out a range of ongoing research projects and commissions.
- Venue:
- The Old School Gallery, Foxton Road, Alnmouth, Northumberland, NE66 3NH
- Date:
-
Jun 12th 2026 - Jul 13th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
Daily 10:00 - 16:00
- Price:
- Free
Tick Tock Marvels: The Playful World of Automata
Step into a world of fantastical characters that move as if with a life of their own. Turn handles, set figures in motion, and watch stories spring to life before your eyes. Every twist, spin, and click brings something surprising, magical, and delightfully mechanical into action. 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
Stronger Seams: Beyond Coal
Members of East Durham Artists’ Network (EDAN) have worked in collaboration with the Durham University Energy Institute and their interdisciplinary Geothermal Energy from Mines and Solar Geothermal heat (GEMS) project team in delivering this mixed media exhibition. It focusses on East Durham after coal. Coal was not only a source of energy as fuel, but also the source of industrial, economic and social energy that shaped the physical and relational landscape. EDAN have looked at the transition to a world ‘beyond coal’, examining issues such as what is happening now in terms of energy as fuel, how the coal past is being incorporated into the post coal present in terms of social life, community, former mining sites, buildings and spaces.
- Venue:
- Arts Centre Washington, Biddick Lane, Fatfield, Washington, NE38 8AB
- Date:
-
Jun 19th 2026 - Jul 25th 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
Chitra Ganesh: Journey to the Great Below
Ganesh’s work draws on South Asian visual traditions and semiotic theory, as well as canonical contemporary feminist and queer scholarship, science fiction, popular Indian comics, graphic design and old Bollywood movies. She creates richly layered worlds, subverting traditional forms of storytelling to open up new, speculative narratives, centring queer and femme protagonists. The exhibition will include a selection of work spanning Ganesh’s career, alongside new work developed especially for the exhibition including an animation, sculptural works and a site-specific wall drawing.
- 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
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
Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Having already captivated millions worldwide, the spectacular event will bring more than 300 of Van Gogh’s iconic works to life using cutting-edge projection technology and a specially curated musical soundtrack. Visitors will be able to meander through masterpieces including The Starry Night, Sunflowers and Café Terrace at Night as the artworks come to life, swirling and blooming across walls and floors, creating an awe-inspiring and fully immersive experience.
- Venue:
- Utilita Arena, Arena Way, Newcastle, NE4 7NA
- Date:
-
Jul 12th 2026 - Aug 9th 2026
- Opening Times:
-
12th Jul - 9th Aug 2026 10:00 - 17:00
- Price:
- £26.33/child £15.77
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
