‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
‘Not London’ does what it says on the tin: 10 exhibitions for you to catch this month, not categorised by theme, not categorised by medium, not even categorised by region. The only thing that matters is that they’re not in London. I’m fed up with “must-see exhibition” lists where all of the recommended shows are exclusively in London (which are typically either expensive or shit or a magical combination of the two that the capital manages to do so well). Down, I say, with London-based critics who believe that any gallery above Camden is technically in the North and you should probably bring a heavy coat!
Welcome to the good stuff: great shows, anywhere but London. This month’s roster includes ancient Egyptian craftspeople, disapproving Edwardian daddies, and the Brontë sisters (my dream party invite list).
VOLT, East Sussex - Marie Sahy & Flo Wright: The Haunted House Slug - until 11 April
When I’m doing the research for which exhibitions will make the cut for Not London, sometimes it can be as simple as the show title being an absolute banger, so ‘The Haunted House Slug’ at VOLT was a no-brainer. Showcasing work by two members of the Devonshire Collective, who run community-first arts operations across Eastbourne (so get additional Not London brownie points for being A Good Thing), ‘The Haunted House Slug’ sees Marie Sahy and Flo Wright explore the overlap between the domestic and the ghoulish. The show incorporates found materials, installations, and paintings, with tongue-in-cheek humour galore. But make note, Devonshire Collective is, confusingly, not in Devon, so don’t be tempted to turn down the M5.
Hauser & Wirth, Somerset - Don McCullin - until 12 April
Don McCullin is one of the UK’s most significant photojournalists - particularly celebrated for his work in conflict zones - and Hauser & Wirth have been chosen to host his birthday party this year to mark the big 9 0. Celebrating his genre-defining career, featuring several rarely-exhibited works, including the artist’s only self-portrait, which will be exhibited for the first time ever in the UK, the show is a comprehensive retrospective bound to satisfy long-time fans and first-time introducees to McCullen’s work. Rather than focusing on McCullin’s commercial photojournalistic work, this exhibition is dedicated to the images he took in the gaps between the action - moments of quiet beauty and fleeting tenderness, as well as pieces from his body of work of Roman statuary. Don’t forget Don’s birthday present when you go!
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridgeshire - Made in Ancient Egypt - until 12 April
The Fitzwilliam has been receiving a lot of praise online for having successfully avoided stereotypes that many exhibitions resort to when putting on a show about ancient Egypt: ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ does not lazily centre around the pyramids and mummies. In fact, no pyramids or mummies in sight! There are, however, exquisite examples of jewellery, ceramics, Books of the Dead, and decorated coffins on display, promising to guide viewers “from the domestic to the divine,” which is a lovely line that I wish I’d written. You might have seen a lot of this exhibition online already because a shipment of content creators were sent for a press view, so there’s lots of footage on Instagram available if you want a sneak-peak before your visit.
Pallant House Gallery, West Sussex - William Nicholson - until 10 May
‘William Nicholson’ is another absolute belter from Pallant House Gallery, guaranteed to be right up your street if you like early 20th-century printmaking, extravagant dressing gowns, and distant fathers. A landmark exhibition spanning Nicholson’s career, from posters and portraits to stage costumes and still lifes, it's a joyful journey through the early 20th century. His son, poor old Ben Nicholson, gets a good few look-ins for being cross and disappointing. My favourite display, though, was of sheet designs for Nicholson’s book ‘Clever Bill’ - a 1920s story of a toy soldier forgotten by his owner as she packed her suitcase to stay with her auntie, causing Clever Bill to chase through the countryside to catch up with her, a plot which, surely, spells a nasty lawsuit for Woody and the gang at Pixar.
MK Gallery, Buckinghamshire - Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye - until 31 May
MK Gallery is one of the UK’s best arts spaces, and I’m not just saying that because when I go, I am often with my mum, and we also go to the shops. ‘An Arc from the Eye’ is the first solo institutional exhibition of Euan Uglow’s work in 20 years, and for many of us will be the first time we have encountered his work. This exhibition promises to be a perfect introduction, with 40 nudes, landscapes, and still lifes by Uglow (who took months or even years to complete each one, so this really is a life-long retrospective) on display. MK Gallery showcases the meticulous lengths Uglow would go to create his compositions, which he measured out with mathematical precision. Bolstering the exhibition are examples of work by the artists who inspired him, including his art school tutors, but also Art Historical Big Boys like Paul Cézanne and Alberto Giacometti. I have not seen this one yet, but I am going in March (yes, with my mum, and we will go to the shops.)
Compton Verney, Warwickshire - Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder - until 28 June
I love Compton Verney, and I did work experience there when I was 19 and got to look at a lot of big old maps, so pretty much anything they do gets the green light from me. ‘Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder’ has over 60 Dutch and Flemish drawings on display, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, examining how these artists were able to use their craft to make sense during times of political turmoil, and manifest fantastical aspirations for their nations. This is a must-see for lovers of the Old Masters, boasting work by Bruegel, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Jordaens (very much the Ringo of the squad), with many of the works included never having been on display before in the UK. While you’re there, Compton Verney has beautiful grounds filled with excellent contemporary sculptures which rival the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (plus it’s a lot flatter than YSP, which I think is a real bonus).
Ashmolean, Oxfordshire - In Bloom - from 19 March until 16 August
Paintings of flowers can often be seen as a bit twee (thanks largely to misogyny, which saw flowers associated with women and therefore with vapidity, and that flowers were the most suitable subjects for delicate-but-brain-dead lady artistes). But fear not! ‘In Bloom’ is here to get down in the dirt of botany’s history and get to the root of our relationship with flowers. [Other flower puns are available, and please do send in your own to hello@gowithyamo.com.] The exhibition includes artworks and artefacts from across the globe and spanning the centuries, exploring how significant botany has been to world culture. The exhibition at the Ashmolean takes special interest in Oxford’s own contribution to our relationship with flowers, thanks to the University’s Physic Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in Britain, founded in 1621. So that means that by visiting this exhibition, you’re sort of managing to visit two places I was broken up with in university, in one go!
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more major influence on late 19th and early 20th-century European art than Japanese woodblock printing. Like Van Gogh? Like Gauguin? Like Monet? You can thank Japanese woodblock printing for their colour choices, compositional framing, and the ‘pioneering’ areas of flat colour we’ve been giving them credit for for years. Looking back at over 100 works from over 3 centuries of Ukiyo-e prints, the York Art Gallery are also displaying traditional armour, costume, and literature to create a wonderfully immersive exhibition. Works include prints by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro – the Destiny’s Child of Japanese woodblock printing.
Brontë Parsonage Museum, West Yorkshire - The Colonial Brontës - until 01 January 2027
I’m sure the Brontë Parsonage Museum (the former home of the literary sisters) is particularly popular at the moment, thanks to Emerald Fennell’s new ‘Wuthering Heights’ remake that has got everyone horny and disappointed (typical Friday night, am I right?), but this exhibition will surely be worth facing the crowds. ‘The Colonial Brontës’ examines the sisters’ fascination with Britain’s military campaigns abroad and the work of British missionaries getting up in other people’s businesses. The sisters even invented their own fictional colonies, which they called the Glass Town Federation, which saw them exchange letters, magazines, and poems from toy soldiers. God, think what they could have written if they’d have had an iPad… Back on ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a major aspect of Heathcliffe’s character (ignored by Fennell) is his non-whiteness, and ‘The Colonial Brontës’ rigorously explores the history of people of African descent living and working in Yorkshire in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Sometimes, when museums need to have a rehang of their artworks, they just pop a few things into storage, take a few things out, and hit the curatorial “shuffle” button: job done. Not the Graves Gallery. ‘Revolution, Revelation, Reinforcement’ completely reframes the artworks and objects in Sheffield’s collections to bring out the LGBTQ+ histories that have shaped the city and its artists. The exhibition is also hung on newly commissioned and very satisfying wallpaper by local artist Lisa O’Hara, highlighting themes and motifs from throughout the exhibition. The show has been curated by Jon Sleigh, who is exactly who you want to be curating a show like this - who treats his projects with such genuine care that I’m sure that this show will truly touch a lot of people.
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