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Excellent exhibitions to see around Hull and East Yorkshire this Autumn

As the leaves change colours and the air turns crisp, it’s a great time to go check out some of the amazing exhibitions on display across Hull. As a city with a huge focus on creativity and art, there’s always a captivating lineup of exhibitions across the city and the rest of East Yorkshire.

From visual art masterpieces and historic sports memorabilia, to emotionally resonant installations, there is something for everyone! Here’s a guide to the upcoming exhibitions across Hull & East Yorkshire that you won’t want to miss!


Botanical Blueprints at Studio Eleven

Dates: Now – 5 Nov 2023
Price: FREE

Step into the tranquil world of Botanical Blueprints at Studio Eleven, an exhibition featuring cyanotype prints by Angela Chalmers and intricate ceramic sculptures by Adele Howitt. Chalmers channels her admiration for the Victorian era through the ancient technique of cyanotype, which yields stunning blue-toned photographic images. Meanwhile, Howitt explores the value of a wild, living landscape through her delicate ceramic sculptures. Together, their works form a serene and contemplative exhibition experience.

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Making Freedom – The Life of Venture Smith: In His Own Voice at Wilberforce House Museum

Dates: Now – 31 Oct 2023
Price: FREE

This exhibition tells the remarkable story of Venture Smith, circa 1729-1805, a survivor of the Transatlantic slave trade’s Middle Passage. Venture is a rare inspirational figure, providing compelling lessons in overcoming racial injustice.

The exhibition is made possible thanks to almost 20 years of research by the Documenting Venture Smith Project, led by the Wilberforce Institute at the University of Hull with its partners the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, and the Beecher House Center in Connecticut USA.

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Turning the Tide – Dance Project at Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull

Dates: Now – 20 Oct 2023
Price: FREE

In an unusual blend of industry, history, and art, the ‘Turning the Tide’ exhibition at Brynmor Jones Library challenges the future of energy in industry. The project utilizes dance to tell the story of the burgeoning offshore wind industry, aiming to attract more women into this revolutionary field. ‘Turning the Tide’ stands as an emotive tribute to those who fought for gender equality a century ago while advocating for continued progress.

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Amazing Grace at Wilberforce House Museum

Dates: Now – 5 Nov 2023
Price: FREE

Step back in time to explore the impact of “Amazing Grace,” the hymn that became America’s spiritual anthem. The exhibition, housed at the Wilberforce House Museum, tells the story of Reverend John Newton, a former slave ship captain who became a writer and composer. This exhibition is more than just a historical account; it serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of grace and redemption.

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Chasing the Masters Exhibition at Burton Constable Hall

Dates: 7 Nov 2023 – 28 Jan 2024
Price: FREE

Experience the fusion of traditional techniques and modern sensibilities at the Chasing the Masters Exhibition in Burton Constable Hall. This exhibition showcases paintings that draw upon 18th and 19th-century glazing techniques to capture the landscapes of contemporary Yorkshire. The outcome is a unique blend of tradition and modernity, as artists produce works that ooze optical depth and vibrancy.

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Dates: 20 Oct 2023 – 28 Jan 2024
Price: FREE

Art aficionados can dive deep into the allure of Venetian life at the Ferens Art Gallery’s exhibition featuring two paintings by Canaletto. Ten years separate these works, providing a fascinating glimpse into the artist’s evolving technique. The exhibition also features a newly commissioned work connecting past and present through the lens of climate change.

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Dates: 20 Oct 2023 – 7 Jan 2024
Price: FREE

Image: Juneau Projects

Humber Street Gallery brings a spotlight to environmental conservation through the Perches and Flyways exhibition. The project comprises ceramic bird sculptures inspired by species that are becoming rare in the Humber’s environment. Created in collaboration with local artists and disabled communities, the exhibition aims to raise awareness about the declining numbers of specific bird species like the Night Heron and Ringed Plover.

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Dates: 3 November 2023 – 7 January 2024
Price: FREE

Witness the culmination of a year-long artist development program at Humber Street Gallery’s Inter_Change Showcase 22/23. The works on display are as varied as the artists who created them, from painting and sculpture to performance art. Themes range from identity and storytelling to activism and our relationship with nature, marking this as an exhibition that challenges and captivates in equal measure.

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Dates: 20 Oct – 28 Jan 2024
Price: FREE

Drawing on the Ferens’ important maritime art collection, this exhibition explores the effects of environmental change over the centuries.

This exhibition explores Hull and East Riding’s relationship with the sea and highlights 800 years of flooding in a region that exists below sea level at high tide. Themes will explore maritime work and leisure, the move from sailing to steam, exploration and Empire, wrecks, and whaling. The Ferens’ collection will be reimagined as if underwater, raising issues around Hull’s risky future and hopes of defence against the rising tides.

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Dates: 20 Oct – 28 Jan 2024
Price: FREE

The Flood experience, through the eyes of regional artists

Inspired by Hull’s maritime legacy and its history of flooding, this exhibition is made up of newly commissioned artworks, from Future Ferens members, and works by local artists. The exhibition reflects on the power of art in demonstrating personal reactions to local environmental disaster, and the role that art can play in shaping our vision for the future. The exhibition will create a space for visitors to reflect, explore and respond to such impactful environmental events.

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Taking the Knee at Streetlife Museum

Dates: Now – 1 Nov 2023
Price: FREE

Often associated with the Black Lives Matter campaign, taking the knee has a long and rich history, including showing support for the campaign to end the slave trade in the eighteenth century.

Why did people take the knee and why do they do it today? What would you take the knee for? This exhibition, co-curated by members of Hull African and Caribbean Community and the University of Hull’s Wilberforce Institute, explores this enduring and at times radical form of public protest.

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Life Below Stairs Revealed at Burton Constable

Dates: Now – 31 Dec 2023
Price: Free with admission

Explore the hidden world of servants in 18th and 19th-century England at Burton Constable Hall. The exhibition provides an intimate look at the strict social hierarchies and day-to-day operations ‘below stairs.’ From the elegant Lady’s Maids to the hard-working housemaids, discover what life was really like in these grand homes.

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Clive Sullivan Exhibition at Streetlife Museum of Transport

Dates: Now – 31 Dec 2023
Price: FREE

Celebrate the legacy of rugby legend Clive Sullivan and the rich history of Hull’s rugby clubs at the Streetlife Museum of Transport. This new permanent exhibition, created in collaboration with Sullivan’s widow, showcases memorabilia and historical records, providing a comprehensive look at the city’s sporting culture.

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Dates: Now – 4 Feb 2024
Price: FREE

Eight newly acquired works by artist Andy Lock will go on display to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The Orchard Park series captures the abandoned Vernon House tower block before it was demolished.

Andy Lock worked and studied in Hull for over 15 years, with many of his photographs capturing the post-war, everyday architecture in Hull.

For the Orchard Park series, Andy took photographs in every apartment on all 22 storeys of Vernon House. The photographs show seemingly empty rooms, with abandoned furniture and belongings, left behind by the former residents that once called the Orchard Park block their home. Andy Lock’s striking photographs are a result of an experiment with light.

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All information correct at time of publishing. Information gathered from Hull Museums & Gallery, Absolutely Cultured, and Visit Hull.

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