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MK Gallery’s Inclusion Team receive Marsh Award for Excellence in Visual Arts Engagement 

We are delighted to announce that our Inclusion Team, Sophie Bennett (Producer of Inclusion) and Rosie May (Inclusion Coordinator) have jointly received a Marsh Award for Excellence in Visual Arts Engagement.   Over the past four years, they have collectively grown and reimagined MK Gallery’s multi-award-winning Inclusive Practice in the Arts (IPA) programme, widening opportunities for local disabled and neurodivergent children, young people and adults, and contributing to national conversations around disability, inclusion and representation.     Their work has broadened MK Gallery’s wider access programme, engaging communities often excluded from the arts,  whilst influencing organisational change and exhibition programming.    IPA is rooted in providing innovative and bespoke creative opportunities for individuals with additional and complex support needs, as well as their families and support networks. The team’s approach is built on prioritizing long-term exchange and developing meaningful, impactful relationships with participants. Activity has included:   

• Art and Us, weekly family workshops  
• Our Studio, supported studio space for young adults   
• Art Together, holiday workshops   
• Sensory Exhibition Tours, for early years and SEND audiences   
• Sensory Boxes, outreach offer   
• Tactile Art Workshops, for adults with visual impairment   
• Partnership projects with local SEND schools and disability organisations   
• Audio Described and BSL exhibition tours   
• Relaxed exhibition viewings and cinema screenings  

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Our Studio 2025 Reflections

As we begin the new year, we wanted to look back on an exciting year of growth for the Our Studio programme at MK Gallery 2025 saw a number of highlights for Our Studio including: Converting the Project Space into a dedicated onsite studio to run weekly sessions, which was made possible by funding from Milton Keynes Community Foundation Running a series of sessions exploring Andy Warhol: Portrait of America and making a zine artworks in response to the exhibition Artworks from our Andy Warhol sessions have been made into a zine has been printed by the brilliant Silly Gooze Editions, which can be purchased online and in the MK Gallery Shop* Visiting Coventry to see This is me, This is us (a free outdoors Augmented Reality art exhibition created by disabled artists from Art Riot Collective and Coventry University’s Disabled Staff and Carers Network) and Obsessions, Possessions at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum Hosting the first Open Studios event in December to celebrate the festive season and the amazing work that our young artists have made this year We can’t wait to see what 2026 holds!

Find out more about Our Studio

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Announcing our 2026 exhibition programme

MK Gallery is set to present three major exhibitions by artists whose work encapsulates the spirit of the 20th century. 2026 marks the largest solo exhibition of British painter Euan Uglow in 40 years, an exploration of iconic French photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue’s use of colour and the biggest career survey of L. S. Lowry in fifty years to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Visitors to MK Gallery will have the chance to enjoy Uglow’s obsessive painting from life, Lartigue’s ground-breaking experiments with the photographic image and the full range of Lowry’s subjects and techniques.

Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye

Saturday 14 February – Sunday 31 May 2026

Jacques Henri Lartigue: Life in Colour

Saturday 20 June – Sunday 4 October 2026

L. S. Lowry

24 October 2026 – 28 February 2027

Become a member today

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Exhibition Announcement: L. S. Lowry

Announcing our 2026 exhibition programme MK Gallery is set to present three major exhibitions by artists whose work encapsulates the spirit of the 20th century. 2026 marks the largest solo exhibition of British painter Euan Uglow in 40 years, an exploration of iconic French photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue’s use of colour and the first career survey of L. S. Lowry in fifty years to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Visitors to MK Gallery will have the chance to enjoy Uglow’s obsessive painting from life, Lartigue’s groundbreaking experiments with the photographic image and the full range of Lowry’s subjects and techniques. L. S. Lowry 24 October 2026 – 28 February 2027 Fifty years after the death of Laurence Stephen Lowry in 1976, this will be the much-loved painter’s first major exhibition in over a decade. In addition to his well-known scenes of industrial life, this significant overview explores the full breadth of Lowry’s subject matter, including portraits, seascapes, early academic studies in pencil, charcoal and pastel and enigmatic later works recalling Surrealism. Lowry’s career ran alongside huge changes in British society, with much of the industrial landscape he depicted closed, cleared and replaced during his lifetime. The artist’s technique involved just five colours of undiluted oil paint: ivory black, vermillion, Prussian blue and yellow ochre; his use of flake white as a background colour is synonymous with Lowry’s landscapes. Become a member today Discover our exciting programme of exhibitions and exclusive behind-the-scenes access as a member of MK Gallery. Our members get unlimited entry to all exhibitions as well as exclusive invites to previews, talks, behind-the-scenes content and discounts in our café and shop. All income goes towards supporting our mission to make MK Gallery more accessible to all; from £1 Tuesday tickets for residents, to pay what you can Sundays and our Inclusive Practice in the Arts programme. Sign up today and support a blockbuster year of art at MK Gallery  

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Announcing Jacques Henri Lartigue: Life in Colour

MK Gallery is set to present three major exhibitions by artists whose work encapsulates the spirit of the 20th century. 2026 marks the largest solo exhibition of British painter Euan Uglow in 40 years, an exploration of iconic French photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue’s use of colour and the first career survey of L. S. Lowry in fifty years to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Visitors to MK Gallery will have the chance to enjoy Uglow’s obsessive painting from life, Lartigue’s ground-breaking experiments with the photographic image and the full range of Lowry’s subjects and techniques. Jacques Henri Lartigue: Life in Colour Saturday 20 June – Sunday 4 October 2026  Best known for his black and white scenes of Parisian society during the Belle Époque, Jacques Henri Lartigue was a pioneer of what later became known as street photography. Lartigue captured an age of innovation in the early twentieth century on camera, documenting car racing, aviation and early tourist resorts on camera. This exhibition – the first in the UK in over ten years – focuses on a little-known and rarely seen aspect of Lartigue’s work and explores his lifelong experimentation with colour. The exhibition brings together more than 150 prints, photographs and unique works on paper from the 1900s to the late 1980s that shine a light on Lartigue’s innovative use of colour photography.  This exhibition has been organised in collaboration with the Association des Amis de Jacques Henri Lartigue, Ministère de la Culture, France and diChroma photography.   Become a member today Discover our exciting programme of exhibitions and exclusive behind-the-scenes access as a member of MK Gallery. Our members get unlimited entry to all exhibitions as well as exclusive invites to previews, talks, behind-the-scenes content and discounts in our café and shop. All income goes towards supporting our mission to make MK Gallery more accessible to all; from £1 Tuesday tickets for residents, to pay what you can Sundays and our Inclusive Practice in the Arts programme. Sign up today and support a blockbuster year of art at MK Gallery

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Our Studio Festive Open Studios!

Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th December, 2025 | 2:30-6pm MK Gallery Project Space | Free entry, no reservation required drop in Celebrate the festive season and explore works created by artists who attend Our Studio at their first open studios event! Our Studio is a supportive creative space for disabled and neurodivergent young people aged 14-25yrs. Groups meet twice weekly on a Wednesday and Thursday, as well as monthly on a Saturday and are supported by our artist facilitators to develop their practice, experiment and grow in a friendly and sociable space.   There will be opportunities to get hands on with some making yourself, the chance to meet some of our young artists, and sample some seasonal refreshments !   Christmas cards and limited-edition zines designed by Our Studio artists will be available to purchase, with all proceeds going towards supporting the studio.  For any questions about the event, or if you are interested in attending with a group, please contact Rosie on rmay@mkgallery.org. Discover information on the Our Studio programme, please see here.     Our Studio is generously funded by Milton Keynes Community Foundation.  

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Lynette Yiadom-Boakye in Conversation

“I’ve selected things that I love by dint of their poetry, their beauty, their refusal, their internal logic and, above all, their power. Each artist here invents the language they need, and there is magic in it.” – Lynette Yiadom-Boakye   Join us this November to hear Lynette Yiadom-Boakye in conversation at MK Gallery’s Sky Room with Anjalika Sagar and Kodwo Eshun, interdisciplinary artists and founders of The Otolith Group.  As the curator of our upcoming exhibition, To Improvise A Mountain, Yiadom-Boakye has selected works by 17 artists, including The Otolith Group, working internationally from the nineteenth century to the present day. Artworks on display—featuring painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and film—have been personally chosen by the artist and shine a light on Yiadom-Boakye’s artistic process. This in conversation event will give audiences the chance to hear from one of Britain’s most exciting figurative painters and will offer a rare insight into her creative practice.   Lynette Yiadom-Boakye (b. 1977, London) depicts imagined subjects, inspired by stories, memory and images that the artist collects, and which are interwoven into oil paintings and charcoal sketches. Her work is inspired by painting, music and poetry—an interconnectedness that informs the process of selecting works on display at MK Gallery.  To Improvise A Mountain: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye Curates is inspired by a phrase/line in Miles Davis’s song, ‘Inamorata’ (1971): “Who is this music that which description may never justify? / Can the ocean be described?” For Yiadom-Boakye, painting—like poetry—translates the intangible into images.   Lynette Yiadom-Boakye will be in conversation at MK Gallery Sky Room, Saturday 8th November, 2:30pm.   Guests can also visit To Improvise A Mountain: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye Curates at a discounted rate.  Tickets from £10 Book now

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Funding Announcement: Jerwood Foundation Grant for Euan Uglow exhibition

We are delighted that Jerwood Foundation is to fund a catalogue accompanying the first major survey exhibition of British painter Euan Uglow’s work in over 20 years, taking place at MK Gallery from 14 February to 31 May 2026.   The catalogue will accompany the first major survey exhibition of British painter Euan Uglow’s work in over 20 years. This grant builds upon Jerwood’s previous support of a Vanessa Bell catalogue, which accompanied MK Gallery’s exhibition in 2024.   The Euan Uglow catalogue, comprising of newly commissioned writing by the show’s curator Catherine Lampert and Dr Kate Aspinall, as well as contributions from artists John Stezaker, Ellen Altfest and Robert Dukes, will feature beautiful reproductions of Uglow’s works. As Catherine Lampert says, “The most radical of his pictures continue to set a benchmark for art nominally in the Western tradition.”   Euan Uglow (1932-2000) was one of Britain’s most significant 20th century painters, known for his sustained observation and painstaking technique, often taking months, if not years, to complete a work. He was shortlisted for the Jerwood Painting Prize in 1994 and the forthcoming exhibition will feature two works on loan from Jerwood Collection: The Blue Towel, 1982-83: and Study for Blue Towel, 1982. These will be shown alongside works from public collections including The Government Art Collection, Southampton Art Gallery and Tate as well as generous loans from private collections. The exhibition will featuring over 40 of his most ambitious paintings, as well as drawings and examples of work by his artistic influences, Paul Cézanne, Alberto Giacometti and his former tutors William Coldstream, Victor Pasmore and Claude Rogers.  Anthony Spira, Director, MK Gallery said: It is thanks to Jerwood's generous grant that MK Gallery can research and commission an extensive Euan Uglow Exhibition Catalogue presenting a lavishly illustrated overview of the artist's remarkable career, with newly commissioned writing intended to deepen and extend the appreciation of his paintings and drawings to new audiences. Lara Wardle Executive Director and Trustee Jerwood Foundation said:  I am delighted that Jerwood Foundation will be supporting the forthcoming and long overdue UK survey of Euan Uglow’s work at MK Gallery through funding the accompanying catalogue. Euan Uglow was shortlisted for the first Jerwood Painting Prize in 1994, and we will be loaning both of our works by him from the Jerwood Collection as part of our proactive loaning programme.  Euan Uglow: An Arc from the Eye exhibition will be open from 14 February to 31 May 2026.  Find out more about Jerwood Foundation Book your tickets now

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Profound and Multiple Exhibition

Join us for a unique, interactive exhibition where sensory experiences tell powerful stories and make history. Created by and with people with Profound & Multiple Learning Disabilities. Part of MK Disability Awareness Day, this event is perfect for families with young children and/or SEND, adults with learning disabilities, and students or professionals in social work and care, youth work, teaching, counselling, health, community, and the arts. Everybody’s welcome to explore a free, colourful, multi-sensory space where history is more than words. Drop in, relax, connect, be! Taking place: Event Space, MK Gallery | Sunday 13 & Monday 14 July 10am - 3pm Created by Collar & Cuffs Co, in partnership with Heritage Horizons at the University of Bedfordshire, and funded by Heritage Lottery. Collar & Cuffs Co are Associate Artists of MK Gallery, designing and delivering the gallery’s sensory tours as part of the Inclusive Practice in the Arts programme. For enquiries contact Rosie: RMay@mkgallery.org

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Funding announcement: Milton Keynes Community Foundation

MK Gallery has received a Large Strategic Grant from the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, to support with the development of the 'Our Studio' programme! Our Studio offers a creative, social and supportive space for young people aged 14-25yrs, who identify as neurodivergent or as having additional support needs.   Thanks to the £108,000 grant from Milton Keynes Community Foundation, we can run new, twice weekly, sessions from MK Gallery’s Project Space, which has been transformed into a dedicated studio space for the programme. With guidance from lead artist facilitators Sarah Hunt and Emily Stapleton-Jefferis, participants will explore, experiment, and develop their own unique artistic practices.    This funding will also support the continuation of the Our Studio regular sessions on the third Saturday of the month, as well as enrichment opportunities including guest artist workshops and offsite trips.   Jake Geelan, Philanthropy Director at MK Community Foundation stated:

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Funding Announcement: ARTIST ROOMS

MK Gallery is thrilled that our partnership with ARTIST ROOMS will enable us to extend our Inclusive Practice in the Arts programming this spring around our upcoming exhibition, Andy Warhol: Portrait of America.  ARTIST ROOMS, Tate and National Galleries of Scotland’s touring exhibition programme, gives young people across the UK the chance to get involved in creative projects, discover more about art and artists, and learn new skills. With Art Fund and Henry Moore Foundation support, ARTIST ROOMS is a catalyst for access and engagement with young people in museums and galleries. An ARTIST ROOMS bursary will support the delivery of IPA’s monthly Our Studio sessions, for neurodivergent young people aged 14-25 yrs and those with additional support needs, until June 2025.   It will also enable two exciting guest artist workshops delivered by Silly Gooze Editions, an artist-led Risograph studio and artist book makers in Northamptonshire. The young people’s creativity will culminate in a pop-up exhibition at the end of June to celebrate this specially themed series of workshops and exploration of Andy Warhol’s practice.   The bursary will also make possible two additional days of Art Together workshops during the Easter and May school holidays. Art Together provides an open and friendly space for families who have a child or children with additional or complex support needs, to make, play and explore their creativity.  ARTIST ROOMS presents the work of international artists in solo exhibitions drawn from a national touring collection jointly owned by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Its programme reaches audiences across the UK and is developed through local partnerships.   Find out more: www.nationalgalleries.org/artistrooms www.tate.org.uk/artist-rooms   The ARTIST ROOMS national collection and programme is managed in partnership by Tate and National Galleries of Scotland with the support of Art Fund, Henry Moore Foundation and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Creative Scotland.  

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Contributors Announced for Vanessa Bell Conference

The contributors for MK Gallery's upcoming Vanessa Bell Conference have been announced. The gallery is thrilled to be joined by an exciting line up of experts and enthusiasts for this one-day conference, held in the 150-seat Sky Room auditorium. Further details on the contributors can be found below: Dr Rebecca Birrell is a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow at the University of St Andrews and writer of This Dark Country: Women Artists, Still Life and Intimacy in the Early Twentieth Century (Bloomsbury, 2021). Dr Darren Clarke is Head of Collections, Research and Exhibitions at the Charleston Trust. He has curated several exhibitions including Orlando at the present time (2018), and Post-Impressionist Living: The Omega Workshops (2019). Rob Gifford is a cultural activist and co-curator of StonyWords, an annual community literary festival in Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes. Dr Wendy Hitchmough is emeritus senior lecturer at the University of Sussex. She is the author of The Bloomsbury Look (Yale, 2020) and former curator at Charleston (2001-13). Dr Hana Leaper is Reader in History of Art and Exhibition Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. She completed her PhD Vanessa Bell and the Significance of Form in 2014. Frances Spalding is an art historian, biographer and cultural historian. Projects include the biography Vanessa Bell (Bloomsbury, 2006) and an exhibition on Virginia Woolf (National Portrait Gallery, 2014). Dr Claudia Tobin is a Senior Research Associate at the Intellectual Forum, Jesus College Cambridge, and curator of Gardening Bohemia: Bloomsbury Women Outdoors (Garden Museum, 2024). Additional contributors will be announced in due course. The conference will be taking place on Friday 24 January, from 10am - 5pm, with an option to watch via live stream online. Tickets to the in-person conference will also include access to the Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour exhibition. Vanessa Bell (1879–1961) was a pioneering modernist painter and founding member of the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of influential English artists, writers and intellectuals in the first half of the twentieth century. Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour at MK Gallery – her largest-ever solo show – provides an in-depth overview that includes drawings, paintings, ceramics and furniture. Tickets to the Vanessa Bell Conference are available here. Tickets to live stream the Vanessa Bell Conference are available here.

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