March – April 2025
Kit Glaisyer: The Cinematic Landscape is an evolving exhibition of Kit’s immersive West Country landscape paintings in his gallery and studio, including original paintings, drawings, and prints on canvas. Open Saturdays 10am -34pm or by appointment. Kit Glaisyer Fine Art, 11 Downes Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3JR. 07983 465789 www.kitglaisyery.com @kitglaisyer.
7 – 26 March
David Bachmann, Tom Hoar, John Martin An Exhibition of landscpes, cityscapes and still life by these three artists whose distinctive work will create a striking show. The landscape subjects will be paintings of English and European scenes. The still life and interior subjects offer a complimentary balance to the landscape paintings. The Jerram Gallery, Half Moon Street, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 3LN UK. +44 (0)1935 815261. info@jerramgallery.com. Open Tuesday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm.
Until 8 March
Christopher Riisager Paintings of Dorset, Wiltshire & Sicily. Presenting the fourth solo exhibition of new paintings by Christopher Riisager, the result of two years of painting the wonderfully varied landscape of Dorset and Wiltshire, as well as the more arid landscape of Sicily. The Art Stable, Kelly Ross Fine Art, Child Okeford, Blandford, Dorset DT11 8HB.
8 March – 4 May
Nicola Hicks ‘Dressed for the Woods’ the first solo retrospective of Nicola Hicks MBE FRSS – one of the most significant British sculptors of the 21st century. In celebration of the artist’s 65th birthday, the gallery will present more than 30 exceptional works, drawn from each majormajor series of Hicks’ career to date. Messums West Place Farm, Court St, Tisbury, SP3 6LW. Email: west@messums.org. Telephone: (Thurs – Mon) +44 (0) 1747 445042.
8 March – 8 June
Strength and Resilience: Somerset Women in the Second World War. An exhibition exploring the impact of 1939-1945 on the lives of four women with links to the West Country, including photographs by celebrated photographer Lee Miller and spy Odette Hallowes. The exhibition marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Exhibition at Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury.
Until 9 March
Restless Earth Paintings by Anthony Garratt and Frances Hatch ARWS, with paintings and ceramics by selected gallery artists, and furniture by Petter Southall at Sladers Yard, Contemporary Art & Craft Gallery, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4EL. Open: Weds to Sat 10–4pm. All work can be viewed on www.sladersyard.co.uk. Telephone: 01308 459511 or email: gallery@sladersyard.co.uk.
11 March – 4 April
The Blessed Virgin Mary of my Dreams An exhibition to celebrate the latest book from winner of the King’s Gold Medal for Poetry, Selima Hill, in collaboration with Moby Hill (artist), Archie Stokes-Faiers (stonemason), Rod Hill (textiles) and Luke Thompson of Guillemot Press. Free entry. Open Tuesday – Saturday. 9.30am – 3pm. Ilminster Arts Centre, The Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AN. 01460 54973. info@ilminsterarts.org.uk.
Until 15 March
The Dorset Pavillion Celebrating the bounty of Dorset – this exhibition challenges conventional expectations of regional art by offering a powerful, tactile, and evocative exhibition that speaks to deep time; the land: the political; the literary; and the historical. Returning from its triumphant debut in Venice where it had over 7000 visitors from 30 countries – it presents an earthy mix of contemporary artworks from 28 artists and provides a refreshing local, visceral, raw and playful exhibition that celebrates the parish-sized thinking that is both resurgent and under threat. Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport DT6 3NR.
15 March – 11 May
Philip Sutton RA Portrait of the Artist. Seventy years of self-portraits, the places they were painted and more. Sladers Yard, Contemporary Art, Furniture & Craft Gallery · Licensed Café, West Bay, Dorset DT6 4EL. www.sladersyard.co.uk. 01308 459511.
Until 16 March
Artists in Purbeck: Spirit of Place a groundbreaking exhibition at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum in Bournemouth. This first-of-its-kind exhibition celebrates the rich artistic legacy of Purbeck, Dorset, through the eyes of renowned and emerging artists. It is a captivating exploration of the Isle of Purbeck’s diverse landscapes, including quarries, seaside towns, and iconic landmarks like Corfe Castle. The exhibition features over 70 works and provides a unique opportunity to explore the Isle of Purbeck through the eyes of artists. Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth. www.russellcotes.com.
22 March – 26 April
Ashish Ghadiali: Sensing the Planet Debut solo exhibition by filmmaker and environmental artist, Ashish Ghadiali. Through his works, Ghadiali seeks to reveal how racial justice serves as a door towards intimacy with the life of our planet in crisis. Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX thelmahulbert.com. 01404 45006.
Until 23 March
Drawing on Dorset celebrates the county as a source of inspiration for artists. In 2019, Dorset Visual Arts presented an open-call project which invited submissions from artists who make drawings in, of or about Dorset. A launch exhibition also saw the publication of a book of the same name with essays by Tania Kovats and Professor Anita Taylor and accompanying statements from the 35 selected artists. The exhibition then toured around the county, allowing artists and audiences to contemplate and engage with this essential component – the catalyst – of creative investigation. The Sherborne, Newland, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3JG. https://thesherborne.uk/
29 March – 12 April
Tom Halifax Lost Property A Retrospective exhibition. The Allsop Gallery, Bridport Arts Centre, South Street Bridport. Open from 10am – 4pm Tuesday – Saturday Free entry. www.bridport-arts.com
Until 21 April
An Uncommon Thread Featuring Rachael Louise Bailey, Max Boyla, KV Duong, Charlotte Edey, Nour Jaouda, Lindsey Mendick, Jack O’Brien, Nengi Omuku, Tai Shani and Georg Wilson. The exhibition is in collaboration with Alice Black, Berntson Bhattacharjee, Carl Freedman Gallery, Gathering, Ginny on Frederick, Pippy Houldsworth Gallery and Union Pacific. ‘An Uncommon Thread’ features 10 contemporary artists living and working in the UK. Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0NL.
Until 11 May
A British Museum Partnership Exhibition with Colchester + Ipswich Museums delves into the lesser-known history of gladiatorial contests in Roman Britain. The exhibition showcases iconic objects like the Colchester Vase, depicting a real gladiatorial battle, and the Hawkedon Helmet, the only confirmed gladiatorial armour from Roman Britain. These artefacts, along with others, reveal the violent spectacles that entertained the public and underscore the significance of gladiators in Roman culture. The exhibition will feature finds from Maumbury Rings in Dorchester, a unique site originally a Neolithic henge that was transformed into a Roman amphitheatre nearly 2,000 years ago. This adaptation reflects the cultural imprint of the Romans on Britain. Free as part of Museum entry. Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, High West Street, Dorchester DT1 1XA. www.dorsetmuseum.org.
