The F-Word’s museums and galleries round-up: June and July 2019

Welcome to this month’s round-up! As before I’ve grouped things regionally roughly north to south. If I’ve missed out anything you think should be included, drop me a comment. I haven’t had the chance to see many of these exhibitions; if you have a response to or review of one, let me know. You can also follow me on Twitter for more up-to-date news.

Scotland

First There Is A Mountain reaches Aberdeen on 23 June, where five female artists are on exhibition at Drum Castle until November. The exhibition of Gabriella Marcella’s unique wooden structures (pictured right) at V&A Dundee finishes this month, while the installation celebrating the life of textile artist Marion Stewart continues until July.

There’s a spotlight talk on Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk on 22 June in Edinburgh. Two talks are taking place to accompany the ongoing exhibition of the painter Victoria Crowe; one by Professor David Ingram on 6 July, and a second by artist Naomi Robertson on 22 July. The abstract paintings of Bridget Reilly are now on display, with a visually-impaired tour and workshop on 17 July.

In Glasgow, a retrospective of the life of Linda McCartney begins on 5 July. Domestic Bliss explores “domestic labour and feminism, public and private space, intimate relationships and historical narratives” through the work of 27 artists.

Wales

The colourful sketches of Ann Bridges are now on exhibition in Llandudno, while a number of female artists are on display at Ffin y Parc near Bangor this summer. In Swansea, An Artist Apart explores the art of abstract painter Frances Richards, wife of Ceri Richards.

Northern Ireland

Portraiture in the Post-Truth Era in Belfast includes the photography of Yuka Kihara, whose work mixes reality and fiction. In Armagh the exhibition Steel Stone Bronze features the work of three different artists in different media until September, while the joint exhibition of jeweller Cathy Moore and ceramicist Karen McComiskey finishes this month.

North England

BALTIC “is curious” next month in Newcastle on 7 July, with an evening exploring “gender through queer performance”. Things from Home in Durham features the ceramics of Katrin Moye, “inspired by the objects, landscapes and food that international students miss most”. In York, Suzanne Mcquade’s watercolours of British landscapes are on exhibition until 6 July.

It’s a busy month in Leeds. A few exhibitions are closing, including the display for Feminist Archive North, Helen Beard’s ceramics, Gail Kelly’s prints and Rings. Alongside Helen Riddle’s textile sculptures at Leeds Industrial, there are exhibitions opening on Alice Chandler (craft and textiles), Holly Hendry (sculpture), Lesley Birch (mono-prints), Helen Burrow (photography relating to the Brontës) and feminist public sculpture. There’s also a talk on female engineers on 22 June.

At Yorkshire Sculpture Park near Wakefield the exhibition of Ella Doran’s woolwork is now open, and Kimsooja is giving a talk to accompany her installation on 18 July. The exhibition of Beatrix Potter’s drawings is now open in Bradford, with an accompanying talk on 30 June.

In Rochdale, Sheila Meeks’ paintings are on display from July and there’s a talk on 12 July to accompany the exhibition of Annie Pootoogook’s drawings. Scenes From Long Island at Bolton Museum explores the prints of Mary Nimmo Moran, with a talk on 21 June.

There are a wide range of exhibitions now open in Manchester, including:

The Midlands

Sylvie Franquet’s multimedia exhibition is finishing this month in Nottingham. There’s a talk by Ruth David on 7 July, whose photographs are on display at the National Holocaust Centre. At Nottingham Contemporary Lis Rhodes’ retrospective is now open, with a panel discussion on feminist filmmaking on 25 July.

In Coventry, Mothers Who Make is running on 29 June, the opening day of Wonder: Where Reality and Imaginary Collide. Performing Tibetan Identities finishes in Oxford in July, where Claudette Johnson’s stunning paintings (pictured left) are now on display, with a curator’s tour on 21 June.

A special exhibition on the suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh in Norwich is now open, with an accompanying talk on 25 July. As well as the regular female voices tour, there are also three talks in July, on Julie Mehretu (27 June), Edith Cavell (9 July) and Suffragettes vs. the State (11 July).

In Cambridge Looms of our Grandmothers focuses on picb’il textiles made by Maya women in Guatemala. The works of ceramicist Jennifer Lee are on display from 9 July, with a curator’s tour on 13 July and the artist in conversation on 18 July. The potter Elspeth Owen is also giving a talk on 27 July.

London

There are some fantastic exhibitions on this summer in London. The first UK exhibition of Finnish icon Helene Schjerfbeck is now open, spanning her early naturalistic works to her more abstract portraits. Living Colour explores the paintings of Lee Krasner, whose relationship with husband Jackson Pollock often overshadows her pioneering work in abstract expressionism; there’s also an accompanying talk by her biographer on 20 June and a tour on 18 July. The exhibition of the leading Russian avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova is now open, with a curators’ talk on 24 June and a panel discussion around ballet on 15 July.

Faith Ringgold has spent fifty years challenging “perceptions of African American identity and gender inequality through the lenses of the feminist and the civil rights movements”; her work is on exhibition at the Serpentine, with a curator’s tour on 22 June. A major retrospective of photographer Cindy Sherman opens on 27 June, with a talk on 5 July. Kiss My Genders brings together 100 works by different artists to “articulate and engage with gender fluidity”.

Further out from the centre, Russian-Ghanaian artist Liz Johnson Artur uses sculpture and photography to explore “the richness and complexity of Black British life” in If You Know The Beginning, The End Is No Trouble, while Susan Cianciolo’s complex two-story installation “is both intimate and generous”.

There are also a few one-off events.

On history:

  • a talk on Margaret Thatcher and the Cold War (21 June);
  • a talk on women in Homer (10 July);
  • a talk on the writings of Queen Elizabeth I (12 July);
  • a walking tour on the women’s movement (14 July);
  • a talk on Gainsborough’s painting of Mary Robinson (pictured right, 16 July).

On art:

On design:

  • a talk by the founder of design firm Mecanoo (24 June);
  • a talk by designer Tereza Ruller on performative design (30 July).

South England

Author and illustrator Lauren Childs is in conversation in Bath on 22 June to accompany her ongoing exhibition.

In Brighton, Kate Sherman’s paintings of the Sussex coastline are on exhibition for a week in late June, with a complementary installation of ceramics by Lucy Ogden for the final weekend. Women’s Work at Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft features 100 pieces in a variety of media created in the inter-war period, exploring the contribution women made to different developing industries. Indian Summer: From Kashmir to Kerala finishes on 14 July in Bournemouth. In Exeter, the exhibition of Elaine M Goodwin’s mosaics finishes on 23 June.

There’s a walking tour of Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture in St Ives on 29 June, as well as a curator’s tour on 17 July of the ongoing exhibition of contemporary painter Huguette Caland. On Jersey, Glimpses features the art of three ceramicists, while All Washed Up 2 brings together a number of local artists to explore items washed up on the shore.


I am fully committed to The F-Word’s position on inclusivity and access. Though nothing has emerged from my brief research in compiling this post, if any of the artists or institutions above hold views in contrast to this please let me know.


Header image via Flickr. It shows a high-ceilinged gallery space with paintings on the walls and seating in the centre, with people milling around. First inset via Twitter. It shows a young woman sat playing with wooden blocks in front of a brightly-coloured display, which reads “OF PLAY” at the top. Second inset via Twitter. It shows the pale chin and neck of a woman, with a thin pink line bisecting her throat. Third inset author’s photograph. It shows a semi-realistic, semi-impressionist black-and-white sketch of a woman. Fourth inset via Wikimedia Commons. It shows an aristocratic woman sat in a garden landscape with a dog beside her.