15 Art Days Out in the UK and Ireland this Summer!
From the home of the Bloomsbury Group to a legendary potter at Houghton Hall.
Summer in England! It may be cold and rainy, but don’t let this stop you from venturing out to discover the wondrous world of art. Scroll on for some of the best days out: from Chatsworth and Charleston, to the world of Leonora Carrington. These will keep you busy, cultured, and sheltered from the inevitable rain. Enjoy!
1. Charleston, East Sussex
It wouldn’t be summer without visiting Charleston. The hand-painted house (and gardens) of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant is a masterpiece in itself. On view in the contemporary galleries is an exhibition by Anne Rothenstein (until 13 October).
Less than a 10 minute drive away is Berwick Church, the interior of which was painted by Bell and Grant in 1941.
Friend of the GWA Podcast, Olivia Laing (listen here) wrote a fascinating piece about this unusual commission for The World of Interiors: read here.
Don’t miss: Virginia and Leonard Woolf’s Sussex home, Monk’s House, a 20 minute drive away!
2. Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, St. Ives
Heading west? The house and studio where the artist lived and worked from 1949 until her death in 1975 is now the Barbara Hepworth Museum.
While you're in St Ives, take a visit to the Leach Pottery, founded in 1940 by Bernard Leach (the "Father of British studio pottery"), it continues today as a working studio, shop and gallery.
3. Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh
Located on crossing Lay Lines, Scotland’s Jupiter Artland features a swimming pool by Joana Vasconcelos, Tracey Emin’s “I Lay Here For You” (that I wrote about a couple years back), and so much more.
4. Farley's House and Gallery, East Sussex
Lee Miller’s house was a meeting place for the 20th century’s leading artists — from Dorothea Tanning to Eileen Agar. Today, it holds spectacular events, such as their Annual Surrealist Picnic (25 August).
Check out my conversation with Miller’s granddaughter, Ami, for the GWA Podcast. PS. I can’t wait for the movie.
5. Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection at the V&A, London
Is this my pick for the best show in London this summer? I’ve already been three times. So yes. It made me look at images anew, and fall in love with photography (of all sorts) time and time again.
A room is dedicated to Nan Goldin, plus photographs by Lynsey Addario, Diane Arbus, Cindy Sherman, Sam Taylor-Johnson, and more.
6. Women Impressionists - National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
A beautiful survey of some of the greatest Impressionists. Plus, don’t miss works at the NGI by Lavinia Fontana and Alice Neel.
7. Bharti Kher at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Nestled in the gorgeous parkland of Bretton Hall is this indoor and open-air gallery space and sculpture park. Don’t miss a new sculpture show, Alchemies, by Bharti Kher (until 27 April 2025).
8. William Morris Gallery, London
Dedicated to the trailblazing Arts and Crafts artist, and early socialist, William Morris, the WMG is just north of London and set in the grounds of Lloyd Park. Don’t miss the current exhibition, Art Without Heroes: Mingei, of the folk art movement of Japan in the 1920s and 30s (until 22 Sept)
9. Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, Tate Modern, London
This is the exhibition of our times: powerful, imaginative, mind-bending and interactive. You can play chess; write your wishes and hang them on a wish tree; "take a piece of the sky" – and watch SKY TV! (Until 1 Sept)
10. Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920, Tate Britain
Spanning 400 years of work by women artists, this show is an exhibition through time. As you walk into the next room, and the next, you see women get a little bit closer to liberation (until 13 Oct).
11. Gardening Bohemia: Bloomsbury Women Outdoors, Garden Museum
This summer the Garden Museum presents the first exhibition to explore the gardens of the Bloomsbury group (until 29 Sept).
12. Imaginary Conversations: An ERDEM collection inspired by Duchess Deborah, Chatsworth House, Derby
Explores how the legacy of the late Duchess Deborah Devonshire and the Devonshire Collections inspired the S/S 2024 Erdem collection (until 20 Oct).
13. Magdalene Odundo at Houghton Hall, Norfolk
The legendary potter’s work beautifully interjects in this splendorous stately home. You can also listen to Magdalene Odundo on the GWA Podcast here (until 29 Sept).
14. Leonora Carrington: Rebel Visionary, Newlands House, West Sussex
A deep dive into the legendary Surrealist – who was recently the subject of a GWA Podcast (until 26 Oct)
15. Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent
The garden was designed by poet and writer Vita Sackville-West in the 1930s. At the time an amateur gardener, Sackville-West transformed the grounds into a world-famous Arts and Craft style garden, and composed of a number of garden ‘rooms’.
That’s it from me! Happy GWA’ing. I hope you make it to one of these place this summer! Thank you for reading this Substack. If you think someone else might enjoy this too, please spread the word and share this article. If you have any feedback, please comment below. Love Katy xoxo
A wonderful selection and on my bucket list!
Very nice suggestions. Thank you!