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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

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@localhost. Discover information on the Our Studio programme, please see here.  

Our Studio is generously funded by Milton Keynes Community Foundation.  

“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

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

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@localhost

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:

Lead artist facilitator, Sarah Hunt, commented: 

“This grant from Milton Keynes Community Foundation is an exciting development for Our Studio. The young people are delighted to finally have a permanent studio space to make their own and to be able to meet more regularly. It is an incredible opportunity for them to explore their creative ambitions and build new friendships.” 

Producer of Inclusion at MK Gallery, Rosie May, noted: 

“Having a dedicated studio space at MK Gallery hugely raises the visibility of the Our Studio programme, and the creativity of the young people attending sessions. We’re excited to see the impact of more frequent encounters for our participants, and for all of the learning which will take place over the coming two years.” 

Established in 2022, Our Studio is part of MK Gallery’s wider Inclusive Practice in the Arts (IPA) programme, which is committed to providing opportunities for children, young people and adults with additional and complex support needs.  

The IPA programme is generously supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation Milton Keynes Community Foundation, Art Fund, and ARTIST ROOMS. 

To find out more, please see here: Inclusive Practice in the Arts – MK Gallery

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.

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.

We are delighted to to share that MK Gallery has been awarded a grant through Art Fund’s Reimagine programme.

This funding will help us to strengthen our approach to strategic partnerships and explore new ways to engage with our communities.

Building on MK Gallery’s innovative approach to tour programming, Sensory Exhibition Engagement will increase opportunities for disabled and neurodivergent adults, children, and young people to access and engage with exhibitions.

Click here to find out more about the Reimagine programme and our plans for the grant.

Art Fund

Art Fund is the UK’s independent charity for art, helping museums and people to share in great art and culture for 120 years. Art Fund raises millions of pounds every year to help the UK’s museums, galleries and historic houses. The charity funds art, enabling the UK’s museums to buy and share exciting works, connect with their communities, and inspire the next generation. It builds audiences with its National Art Pass opening doors to great culture; and it amplifies the museum sector through the world’s largest museum prize, Art Fund Museum of the Year, and creative events that bring the UK’s museums together. Art Fund is people-powered by 135,000 members who buy a National Art Pass, and the donors, trusts and foundations who support the charity.

The National Art Pass provides free or discounted entry to over 400 museums, galleries and historic places, 50% off major exhibitions, and Art Quarterly magazine.

www.artfund.org

In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, MK Gallery is delighted to present Andy Warhol: Portrait of America, an ARTIST ROOMS Partnership Exhibition with Tate and National Galleries of Scotland, opening Saturday 15 March 2025.

Almost 25  years since Andy Warhol: Cars was shown in 2001, MK Gallery is set to exhibit the seminal pop artist’s work once again in Milton Keynes. This upcoming exhibition will be a survey of over 130 of Warhol’s most iconic artworks, including the renowned Marilyn series, and two paintings of British art duo Gilbert & George, who were the focus of MK Gallery’s inaugural exhibition in 1999. 

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a leading figure in American Pop art. This exhibition of works from the 1950s – 80s includes early drawings, painted-silkscreens and photographic series featuring Warhol’s collaborations with artists, friends, filmmakers and celebrities. Images of Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, and Warhol himself, feature alongside icons of American consumerism as well as symbols of the artists fascination with mortality: guns, skulls and war. 

Warhol’s fascination with celebrity and commercial culture produced some of the most recognisable images in 20th century art. Finding success living and working in 1950s New York as an illustrator for magazines, Warhol developed styles and techniques which propelled him to the centre of America’s cultural scene.

About ARTIST ROOMS

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. 

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.

Andy Warhol: Portrait of America is open 15 March – 29 June 2025 at MK Gallery, Milton Keynes.

Click here to book tickets.

Supporting and celebrating women playwrights, this third edition of the Taking the Stage festival will showcase an exciting lineup of new plays, discussions and talks.
​
Taking the Stage will include a keynote speech from leading British playwright Winsome Pinnock, a headlining play from Suzette Coon and a talk from Lesley Gannon from The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain on how to protect your intellectual property.

The programme of the four-day festival is as follows:

Day 1: Wednesday 16 October

7pm: Festival opens with a keynote speech by Winsome Pinnock award-winning playwright
7.30pm: In a Key of Her Own by Suzette Coon
8.30pm: Fifty Cups of Tea by Rosemary Hill
9pm: Q&A – ‘Where do we go from Here?’

Day 2: Thursday 17 October

6pm: Four Weigh-ins and a Funeral by Emma Burnell
6.45pm: The Memory of Snow by Sian Rowland
7.30pm: Tales From the Confined by Tam Gilbert
8.15pm: Echo by Subika Anwar Khan
8.45pm: Q&A, ‘Where are we with diversity and inclusion now?’

Day 3: Friday 18 October

7pm: Change of Engagement by Carly Halse
7.30pm: The V-Word by Lisa Stenhouse
8.30pm: Persuasion by Chloe Wade
Q&A ‘Do we tell enough LGBTQ stories in theatre?’

Day 4, Part 1: Saturday 19 October

1pm: Protecting Intellectual Property, Lesley Gannon, Writer’s Guild (Event Space)
2.30pm: MK Theatre Young Company presents MY WORLD
3pm: Q&A, ‘Where are our future theatre makers?’
4pm: The Role of the Intimacy Co-ordinator, Ita O’Brien (Event Space)

Day 4, Part 2: Saturday 19 October

7pm: Festival closing speech by Suzette Coon
7.30pm: In a Key of her Own by Suzette Coon
8.30pm: Fifty Cups of Tea by Rosemary Hill
9.00pm: Q&A “Where do we go from here?”

Get ready for a summer of cinematic magic with Summer Replay! Perfect for the whole family, our programme features a spectacular lineup of the latest and greatest children’s films, guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages.

Film Lineup:

• Butterfly Tale: Experience the beautiful transformation and adventures of a butterfly in this visually stunning story.
• The Garfield Movie: Get ready to laugh with everyone’s favourite lasagna-loving cat in a hilarious new adventure.
• Inside Out 2: Dive back into the mind with Riley and her emotions in this heartwarming sequel.
• Kung Fu Panda 4: Follow Po and the Furious Five as they take on new challenges in this action-packed, hilarious journey.
• Migration: Embark on an epic journey with a flock of birds in this breathtaking animated adventure.
• Scarygirl: Join Arkie on her adventure to save her city in this enchanting and thrilling tale.
• Wish: Follow a young girl as she embarks on a magical quest to make her dreams come true.
• Wonka: Discover the whimsical origins of the beloved chocolatier, Willy Wonka, in this imaginative prequel.

Ticket Details:

• Price: £6 per ticket
• Includes: A popcorn or hot drink to enjoy during the movie

Why You’ll Love It:

• A diverse selection of the newest family-friendly films
• Affordable entertainment for a perfect summer outing
• Enjoy tasty treats with every ticket

Spend the Day at MK Gallery

Spend the day at MK Gallery and explore our summer exhibition, MK Calling 2024. With over 120 established and emerging artists, this vibrant showcase delves into themes like identity, inclusivity, possible futures, heritage, and significant moments across five unique gallery spaces. Tickets are free for under-21s and just £3 for adults.

Grab your tickets today and let the summer fun begin!