The weekly feature rounds up the latest updates in museum appointments, openings, funding and new exhibitions from across the UK.
Museum Moves is supported by DJW Projects Limited: DJW Projects Limited. DJW Projects Limited is recognised as one of the UK’s leading forces in the audio-visual industry, providing creative lighting, Audio Visual and multimedia solutions globally to achieve the ultimate technological experience, using sound, lighting, vision and interaction.
Appointments
Queen Camilla has accepted an invitation to become Royal Patron of the Brontë Birthplace in Thornton.The confirmation came in a letter from Buckingham Palace that arrived on the morning of the Birthplace’s first anniversary celebrations, a year after the Queen’s visit to the site.
Exhibitions
Wilhelmina Barns-Graham
Tate St Ives | St Ives
Opening: 24 October 2026 – Closing: 3 May 2027
A major retrospective dedicated to Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (1912–2004), spanning eight decades of her practice from early landscapes and interiors to abstract and gestural later works. The exhibition brings together over 170 paintings, drawings and prints, alongside archival material and the largest ever museum presentation of her glacier series. Organised by Tate St Ives in collaboration with the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust, the exhibition is curated by Katy Norris and Dara McElligott.
Marking Time
Stanley Mills | Stanley
Opening: 2 July 2026 – Closing: 27 September 2026
‘Marking Time’ explores over 5,000 years of Scottish graffiti, from ancient rock markings to contemporary street art. The exhibition features images from across Scotland’s historic environment, examining the meanings and intentions behind inscriptions related to love, war, creativity, and everyday life. Entry is included in standard admission to Stanley Mills, with free entry for Historic Scotland members and Explorer Pass holders.
HMS Victory Trafalgar Sail
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard |Portsmouth
Opening: 4 July 2026 – Closing: 30 September 2026
The Trafalgar Sail from HMS Victory goes on display at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as part of ‘HMS Victory: The Big Repair’, a £42m conservation project. The sail is one of the largest surviving objects from the Battle of Trafalgar, bearing the stains, holes and damage sustained during the battle. New viewing platforms also open in mid-July 2026, giving visitors closer access to the ship’s inner workings.
Florence Mare: A Record of Yardley
Blakesley Hall | Birmingham
Opening: 3 July 2026
This display presents paintings by Florence Mare, a Yardley-based artist who documented the area’s rural landscapes, footpaths and village life during the 1930s. Mare began painting at the age of 55 and went on to create a significant visual record of Yardley before suburban development transformed the area. Works on display include ‘A Footpath to Sheldon’ (1935). Entrance to the display is free.
Funding
Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery has received a £50,000 grant from The Garfield Weston Foundation towards core operating costs. The funding will support exhibitions, the health and wellbeing programme, artefact care, and educational experiences for school children. The museum is operated by a charity and relies on public donations and grants to thrive.
