2025 Open Exhibition

The annual Open Exhibition at the Ferens Art Gallery has celebrated the creativity of local amateur and professional artists since 1967.

Each year the Open Exhibition provides an exciting opportunity for artists to display and sell artwork.

Visitors can expect to see a fascinating array of artwork including impressive paintings, photography and textiles, as well as a number of striking sculptures and ceramics, most of which will be for sale.

Glam & Gloom – 1970s Britain

Kids, imagine a world before the internet, smartphones and social media and the telly only had three channels. Adults, remember the ups and downs of a less complicated life!

An exhibition exploring the highs and hardships of life in the 1970s, a decade beset by rising inflation and seemingly endless strikes. With power cuts and the three-day week at one end of the decade and the ‘winter of discontent’ at the other, it was a time of increased political awareness when ‘women’s libbers’ and teenage punks were fighting for social change. But the 1970s was also a decade of frivolity and fun. Rising standards of living meant working families could holiday on the Costa del Sol. Teenagers had plenty of pocket money to spend on glam or glitter pop albums and the whole family could sit down together and watch some of the greatest British TV of all time.

Czesc Hull, to my! / Hi Hull, it’s us!

Czesc Hull, to my! / Hi Hull, it’s us! – over 100 years of the local Polish community.

Hull has been a place for people to come and pass through for as long as it has been a port. But what makes it special is that so many people from other cultures and countries find home here.

The Polish community in Hull is one of the oldest and most vibrant our city has – the community has two Polish Schools, The Irena Sendler Polish School, and St Mary’s Polish School, as well as an honorary Polish Consulate at Hull University, University students and several community groups across the city.

This exhibition is a celebration of the Polish Community within Hull and with the help of both schools and members of the community, Hull Museums have been able to share a bit of Polish culture and follow their celebrations throughout the year.

Come and explore the Polish traditions, food, dress, and lifestyle that enrich Hull’s cultural landscape and highlight some of the local legends with Polish heritage.

Family at The Deep

Tranquil Tuesdays @ The Deep

Join us every Tuesday (term-time only) for Tranquil Tuesdays! From 3pm until closing, the lights will be brighter and the audio turned down, creating a tranquil environment for our visitors.

This event is perfect for those who prefer to visit during a quieter and more peaceful environment. Everyone is welcome to attend. Normal admission rates apply.

We have a range of aids available to hire free of charge for visitors with access needs including ear defenders, Braille guides, large print guides, MP3 audio guides, international language leaflets, rollators, electric mobility scooters and wheelchairs. Our access guide and social story can be viewed below.

Different by Design

An exhibition by neurodivergent artists in celebration of 10 years of Matthew’s Hub.

  • Matthew’s Hub is a charity that supports autistic people and those with ADHD who live in Hull and East Yorkshire.

  • This exhibition brings together 10 artists and collectives who are members of Matthew’s Hub to celebrate 10 years of the charity.

  • The exhibition includes photography, sculpture, printmaking, textiles, digital art and works on paper.

  • Many of the artworks in the exhibition speak about neurodiversity in different ways. Some emphasise the importance of feeling safe in natural or domestic spaces. Other artworks reveal feelings of isolation or frustration.

  • Some neurodivergent people make art as a solitary practice, while others use it as a way of coming together. This exhibition celebrates both of these approaches to making.

  • Artists to be announced in January 2025!

About Matthew’s Hub

Matthew’s Hub is a charity that supports autistic people, those with ADHD, and people who are waiting for a diagnosis. They have over 1500 members over the age of 13 from across Hull and East Yorkshire.

The charity was named after an autistic man called Matthew Battye who loved bell-ringing, martial arts, trains and gardening.

Matthew’s Hub employs autistic and neurodivergent people. They support neurodivergent people to best understand their autism and ADHD through peer mentorship, and deliver training to a wide range of people. In addition, Matthew’s Hub offers members opportunities to develop new skills and socialise.

Launch: Friday 17 January 6-8PM

Quiet Openings

Our Quiet Openings will take place every 1st Sunday of the month. On these days we will:

  • Be turning off or turning down sounds
  • Where possible, putting away any strong smells that are part of an exhibition
  • Providing a quiet space at Ferens Art Gallery and the Museums Quarter.

We are also currently changing some lighting in our buildings and this should make the lighting more consistent longer term.

These things will be available everyday;

  • Sensory resources like colour filters, ear defenders, torches fidgets and magnifiers are available to borrow on the front desk
  • Sensory Maps will be available for each site from Sunday November 3rd
These sessions are designed for people who find visiting our museums and gallery difficult because they may be autistic, have sensory sensitivities, experience anxiety or other mental health issues, or are living with dementia for example. If you would prefer to visit when the museum has all it’s sounds on, please avoid these days.

If you are not able to come on the 1st Sunday of the month, our quieter periods are after 2.30pm on a term time weekday, or Sundays, especially during the winter.

Please check our listings for details of events which will affect how busy we are.

Please note that in August 2025, the relaxed opening sessions at Ferens Art Gallery, Streetlife Museum and Hull and East Riding Museum will be on Sunday 10th August 11am-1pm. In all other months, the sessions will remain on the first Sunday of the month. Thank you.

HU Postcode Offer

Calling all HU postcodes- we have a festive treat in store for you this December!

On the 7th & 8th December ONLY, we’re offering all visitors with a HU postcode one-time entry to the attraction at just £5 per person!*

So why not dive in for a fiver on our ‘love your locals’ weekend- we can’t wait to ‘sea’ you.

*£5 offer tickets are valid on the 7th & 8th December 2024 only for people living within the HU postcode area. Proof of address must be provided in the form of a household bill or driving licence. The tickets provided are valid for a single visit only and do not qualify for the Annual Pass. 

Full Terms & Conditions:

Visitors using the HU postcode offer on the 7th & 8th December 2024 are advised to book a date and reserve a timeslot for their visit via The Deep’s website. Please select the number of people visiting using the ‘Existing Annual Pass Holder/Essential Carers/Vouchers’ ticket option.  Payment will not be taken via the website, but instead made in person at The Deep on arrival on the date of your visit.

*£5 offer tickets are valid on the 7th & 8th December 2024 only for people living within the HU postcode area. Proof of address must be provided at Reception in the form of a household bill or driving licence. The tickets provided are valid for a single visit only and do not qualify for the Annual Pass. Not for resale or use with any other offer. 

The Deep Freeze

Dive into a wintery wonderland at The Deep, and explore Earth’s incredible aquatic animals that are able to survive and thrive in extreme polar conditions. 

Cosy up in our giant igloo in Deep Blue One for winter storytelling sessions!

‘Bob’ down to Endless Ocean for daily presentations at 12pm & 2pm. Learn more about the amazing ways in which animals adapt to icy cold environments.

Take part in our ‘Inspiration Station’ games & activities dotted around the aquarium, for the chance to win a super COOL prize bundle!

The Deep Freeze event is included in standard ticket entry, no additional booking is required. Pre-booking is highly recommended for your visit.

Fashion through the Lens of Art

Fashion designer Seguntuyi Mapeganoluwa Onakoya of the House of Tuyi, launches a fashion collection inspired by the Seen and Unseen exhibition, and the work of pioneering artist Nahem Shoa, and his friend and fellow artist Desmond Haughton. Join us for a live fashion catwalk.

The show responds to the outfits portrayed in the artworks in the exhibition, linking them to the heritage of Black people living in Britain. Tuyi’s own approach focuses on the role fashion can play in the fusion of White European and Black African cultures. By doing this, he challenges the marginalization that Black artists have experienced from the art world. Tuyi takes this idea further by inviting volunteers from the Black community and extending the opportunity to white Europeans to work on the collection with him, inspiring local people to become fashion designers. He aims to build a fashion community that brings creativity, developing the potential for future runways, exhibitions, pop-ups and innovative celebrations, and ultimately creative pride in Hull and Yorkshire.

The Fashion Show will take place 2-4 pm.

What do Hospices in England look like? Photographs from the Hospice Architecture in England Study

The photographs in this exhibition come from hospices across the country, from brand-new purpose built sites, to converted homes and manor houses, and even a hospice based in a medieval court. Hospices can be misunderstood and even feared healthcare settings, so our aim with this exhibition is to raise awareness about what hospices really look like in the hope of reducing the stigma which is often attached to these spaces.

 

We would love to know what you think about these photographs so if you visit, please leave us a comment on one of the cards provided.

Funded by Wellcome.

Living Coast

Living Coast is an exhibition of art, music, film, poetry and spoken word about the people, land and sea of Yorkshire’s South Holderness region.

Spurn Point is the southern-most tip of the East Yorkshire coastline whose 700-year history of human habitation came to an end in 2023. This exhibition presents artworks created during a project that took place between January and May 2024, which explored the unique entanglement of the transient geography and human occupancy of the ever-shifting South Holderness coast.

Through interviews with current and past residents (including farmers, artists, historians and ecologists), and working alongside the Spurn Bird Observatory, researchers from the University of Hull have created a series of artistic responses that explore the rapid geogogical, social and environmental transformations of the unique landscape of South Holderness.

 

Open daily 10am-5pm, with late opening to 7pm on Tuesdays.

Feral Reveal #10

Bi-annual exhibition of work produced by students of The Feral Art School, including print, painting, drawing, fashion and textiles.

Opening Friday 20th December 6.30-8.30pm

Though The Leaves Are Many… : INTER_CHANGE exhibition

This October, Humber Street Gallery presents some of Hull’s most exciting emerging artist talent with The Leaves Are Many…, featuring a collection of works by the 2023/2024 participants of Absolutely Cultured’s INTER_CHANGE programme.

 

Including art-forms such as painting, printmaking and installation, The Leaves Are Many… will showcase the work of the 5 participants whose work explores a diverse range of themes. The exhibition features individual pieces by; Maria Donnai, Bronte Teal, Layla Jabbri Harry Newman and Ian Hinley.

 

During the past 12 months, the group has immersed themselves in the activities that have taken place on Absolutely Cultured’s INTER_CHANGE artist development programme. Together they have explored the opportunities and challenges often faced by early-career artists. Through a series of workshops, talks and tours, they have broadened their knowledge and gained insight into the unique aspects of being a creative professional.

 

Marianne Lewsley-Steir, Creative Director commented: ‘We are always incredibly proud to showcase the work of Hull’s local emerging artists and highlight the exceptional talent, creativity, and professionalism that the city continues to nurture. At Absolutely Cultured, we’re deeply committed to creating opportunities for artists to grow and develop their practice through the INTER-CHANGE programme. It highlights a distinctive blend of collaboration and celebration, forming a supportive network amongst these talented artists. I am excited to see where this year’s artists will take their work next, I have no doubt what’s to come will be extraordinary.’

A key steppingstone for the artists involved has been integrating this learning into their practice and career. The showcase has supported the artists in managing the logistics of pulling an exhibition together. From ideation to installation, each member of the programme has had creative and physical involvement in the exhibition’s production to prepare them for future endeavours with other arts organisations.

 

Exhibitions Manager Lauren Wilson shared, ‘Seeing the culmination of the group’s hard work is truly captivating. Having had the privilege to work closely with the artists throughout the programme, it is exciting to present their talents to our audiences. The variety of works on display are a brilliant showcase of talent, voices and styles thriving in Hull. This exhibition highlights how INTER_CHANGE supports and celebrates this diversity, creating a strong local network so artists don’t have to venture further afield to seek opportunities. This exhibition puts us on the path to achieving that.’

 

The INTER_CHANGE group are contributing to the ongoing vitality and criticality of the artistic culture in the Humber region. They have engendered an environment of mutual support and are now equipped with the confidence and skills to navigate the artistic sector.

Gifted

The Christmas Exhibition

7th November 2024 – 25th January 2025

Featuring:

Ceramics

Shirley Vauvelle; Shelton Pottery; Kirsty Adams; Nathan Mullis.

Painting / Drawing

Shirley Vauvelle; Myles Linley; Shirley Vauvelle.

Waves of Wonder: An Exhibition by Hull’s Young Maritime Creatives

This exhibition is part of Hull Maritime’s ‘Young Maritime Creatives’ project. The project launched in May 2023 and has given grants to eight secondary schools across Hull to support students to create an artistic response to Hull’s maritime story.
As well as producing their own artworks, the students have had the opportunity to explore maritime objects and heritage sites, meet with maritime communities to learn about their experiences, and visit Ferens Art Gallery to explore how exhibitions are made.
The eight schools involved in the Young Maritime Creatives project are: The Boulevard Academy, Sirius Academy West, Sirius Academy North, Trinity House Academy, Frederick Holmes School, The Hub School, Venn Boulevard Centre, and Kelvin Hall School.

Lord Mayor’s Christmas Tree Festival

Dozens of decorated Christmas Trees will once again fill the Minster.

Please come and view the trees Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm

There is no entry fee. We work on the donation system.

All monies raised will go to the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal Fund, which is this year supporting Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University and Cruse Bereavement Support.