It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
_72dpi%20(1).jpg)
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
It’s November, which means it’s my birthday! (Listen, if J.M.W. Turner is getting 12 months of exhibitions because it’s his “birthday year”, then I can milk mine for a month…) What would I like for my birthday? That’s kind of you to ask. I’d like you to get out of London, head to one of the UK’s regional galleries, and buy a postcard and a bun. In the words of Marge Simpson, “It’s good for the economy.”
But where should you go? Well, here is my list of recommendations for exhibitions and museum shows to see this November, outside of the capital. Now I’m off to eat some cake and enjoy being officially “past my prime” if I were a professional footballer…
Whitchurch Silk Mill, Hampshire - DJ Norwood: From Where I’m Standing - until 30 November
Unfortunately, it’s “DJ” as in “Daniel J”, and not as in “Disk Jockey”, for this exhibition at Whitchurch Silk Mill, which might have seen some sick beats added to this lovely exhibition of landscape photographs, taken by Norwood on the riverbanks of Hampshire. With the photographs accompanied by notes Norwood made while he worked on the project, the exhibition encapsulates Greek philosopher Heraclitus’ aphorism “no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” The saying is much like the River Test that runs through Whitchurch Silk Mill, because it is both quite deep and a bit wet. The Silk Mill itself is beautiful and a great spot for those looking for a bit of tranquillity and learning about ribbons.
As the 250th year after JMW Turner’s birth finally draws to a close, the flood of exhibitions celebrating the British icon’s Big Birthday continues. Sounding like what schoolyard bullies would call a weedy geologist, ‘Prince of the Rocks’ is an exhibition of four rare watercolours painted when Turner first visited Bristol and explored the Avon Gorge, aged just 16. The paintings are hung among examples of flora and fauna from the region, which is now a Special Site of Scientific Interest (like Forbes 30 Under 30 for geography). As well as being part of Turner’s Birthday Bash, the exhibition is also a grateful nod to the 1,700+ members of the public who donated money to try to win Turner’s The Rising Squall for the museum when it came up for auction last year. Sadly, the museum was outbid, but the process was evidence of how keen Bristolians are to host Turner in the city - and what a year for it.
The Museum of Making, Derbyshire - EarthBound - until 18 January 2026
How much do you know about bedrock? If you’re anything like me, it’ll ring a bell as the home of the Flintstones, but little else will be stored in your mental “bedrock” file. Derby’s Museum of Making is here to change that. ‘EarthBound’ warns us that if we do not develop a better understanding and respect for the earth beneath our feet (and the micro-organisms that live there), there will be catastrophic repercussions for humankind’s survival on planet Earth. The clue’s in the name! The show features work by a stellar line-up of contemporary artists. Still, for my money, the biggest draw is getting to visit the new Museum of Making, which reopened last year after nearly a decade of redevelopment, inside the old Derby Silk Mill. The Silk Mill (god, it’s a good edition for Silk Mills this month!), opened in 1704, is considered to be the world’s first modern factory, and the museum is now dedicated to celebrating Derbyshire’s role as an industrial powerhouse. There’s little I like more than a reclaimed-industrial-space-turned-museum, so a visit to the Museum of Making is high up on my list.
Firstsite, Essex - Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape - until 18 January 2025
This exhibition has been on the road this year, visiting the Hepworth in Wakefield and The Burton in Bideford, and now it’s Colchester’s turn. A veritable “who’s who” of 20th-century abstractionists, from Henry Moore’s blobby bodies to L.S. Lowry’s blobby bodies, ‘Into Abstraction’ has got it all covered. Spanning the 1920s through the 1970s, with a focus on the stylistic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of both World Wars, 75 artworks by influential British artists are on display, boasting a range of media. Twenty works have been especially selected for the Colchester leg of the tour, from artists with East Anglian links. As if we’ve forgotten, the online exhibition blurb reminds us that we’re living in “unsettled times”, but the art on display promises to serve as a balm and to remind us of the connection and hope that art can offer us.
It's everyone’s favourite socialist trio, the Morrises! Like a scaled-down Arts & Crafts Addams Family (eccentric, lovely big house, rich), the Morrises were at the zenith of Victorian art: William, paving the way with his empowering manifestos and groovy wallpaper; Jane as the leading lady of several of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood’s Greatest Hits and an artist in her own right; and May, embroiderer-extraordinaire and director of the department at her father’s company, which makes her my favourite socialist nepobaby. This November, the Hampshire Cultural Trust is hosting a Morris family reunion, celebrating their love of nature, and exhibiting art and literature they created in its honour. Visitors to Winchester will also be soothed by a recording of the dulcet sounds of the grounds of Kelmscott Manor, the family’s Oxfordshire summer house (being socialist doesn’t make you working class, guys).
Does size really matter? Not when it comes to mid-18th to mid-20th-century British illustration, it doesn’t! Fans of tiny things, this is your moment. Miniature Worlds rebels against the idea that bigger is better, showcasing over 130 objects, including pioneering vignette works and illustrations from iconic children’s books by Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll. With loans from the Tate, the V&A, and the British Museum, the show boasts the cream of the crop when it comes to small landscapes, including work by William Blake, Eric Ravilious, and seven miniature watercolours by JMW Turner (yes, we get it, Happy Birthday JMW Turner, move on). Tracing the developing relationship between text and image in publishing, this exhibition is bound to be genuinely informative, for those who remember to wear their glasses.
Jupiter Artland, Midlothian - Georg Wilson: The Earth Exhales - until 01 March 2026
Another big exhibition for Georg Wilson, who feels like she’s been proving she’s the Next Big Thing for a couple of years now, with solo shows in Pilar Corrias and Hauser & Wirth. I’m not usually fussed by the Next Big Thing, because it’s considerably easier to write about artists who are already dead (sorry Georg), but I do have vested interest here because while Wilson was still a student at RCA, I bought a teeny tiny goblin painting from her, so I am very much rooting for their success so I can show off about it at dinner parties. Jupiter Artland is an incredibly beautiful and fitting venue, too, for Wilson’s ethereal landscapes. If you are making the journey, I beg you to book in to swim in the gallery’s 9-meter pool, made from hand-painted Portuguese tiles designed by Joana Vasconcelos.
Charleston in Firle, East Sussex - Roger Fry - from 15 November until 15 March 2026
It’s been a quarter of a century since the last major exhibition dedicated to Roger Fry, who changed art history forever as an influential critic and accomplished painter in his own right, and as the guy who invented the term “Post-Impressionism” long after almost all of the Post-Impressionists were already dead. (It’s also 25 years since The Sims was first released. Coincidence? Yes. Relevant? No.) Charleston in Firle is undoubtedly The Place to see Fry’s work, as it served as the centre of his artistic and personal life for the last two decades of his life (although the works on display largely come from his time spent in Paris in the 1920s). Fry was involved in his fair share of partner swapping at Charleston, for which the group were famed. While he lived there, he was said to have created brick surrounds for the fireplaces to keep the house better heated. I’ve been to Charleston, and it’s freezing, so actually it’s no wonder they did so much shagging, because otherwise the heating bill would have been enormous.
The Whitworth, Greater Manchester - Performing Trees - until 04 April 2027
Let’s say you’re looking at a painting, Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews, perhaps (because it makes me laugh that she’s clearly already so fed up with him within two years of being married), and you’re asked to describe what you see. Two figures and a dog, around a bench. And what about in the background? Rolling hills, sheep, lots of trees. This autumn, however, Manchester’s Whitworth wants you to rethink how you categorise what you see, and they are pitching for trees to get an upgrade from “backdrop” to “starring role”. Never fear, children cast as Tree #3 in the nativity play at school! Your time is now! Trees are everywhere in art history; they play huge roles in the legends and mythologies of practically every culture and religion on earth, so it’s no wonder they crop up so often in our artworks. Showcasing more than 50 works, including sculpture, craft, and textiles, from the 16th century to today, ‘Performing Trees’ puts our arboreal friends and asks viewers to consider their role in our cultures and our ecosystems.
Modern Art Oxford, Oxfordshire - Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming - until 12 April 2026
I think Modern Art Oxford is one of the best contemporary art spaces out there, and if the installation photographs are anything to go by, Suzanne Treister’s ‘Prophetic Dreaming’ retrospective certainly makes the most of it. Exploring our relationship with technology, the exhibition maps over four decades of Treister’s career, ranging from her early painting practice to pioneering digital artworks, guided by her time-travelling alter ego, Rosalind Brodsky. A standout exhibit is Treister’s Tarot deck and alchemical diagram series, HEXEN 2.0, created between 2009 and 2011, and her more recent addition, HEXEN 5.0, which incorporates AI into the mix. Personally, I would rather draw The Tower, The Devil, and the Ten of Swords (apparently the scariest combo) than a card that suggested there was going to be more AI in my life. What would that card be called? The 500ml of Water (it takes to generate just one AI-generated prompt)? The Destruction of the Arts? The Crypto-Bro?
.png)
.svg){kind=logo}
