2 April – 20 May
David Brooke – Painter: An exhibition of mythical wonderment. David Brooke is a well know local painter with a very individual style. His imagination allows him to stylise his characters and landscapes to achieve a mythical or fantastical feel. His works have a hidden cleverness that immerses you into the story being told and often have you smiling at the results. If you are looking for something different with lots of character David has it. Open 10 am – 4 pm daily at Jenny Penney Local Makers Shop & Gallery, Mangerton Mill, Mangerton Lane, Mangerton, Bridport DT6 3SG. Free entry and car parking. Access for all. Contact : www.jennypenneyart.net.
4 April – 16 May
Georgina Allen Landscapes 2010-25 The Art Stable, Child Okeford, Blandford, Dorset DT11 8HB. kellyross@theartstable.co.uk. 07816 837905.
Until 12 April
Airborne over Sherborne Quentin Blake’s drawings have always carried lift — lines that leap, figures mid-flight, stories that rise off the page. Airborne over Sherborne invites you into that feeling of flight and freedom with a vibrant new series of works made in 2025: birds, contraptions, and impossible inventions that somehow feel completely believable in Blake’s world. The Sherborne, Newland, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3JG. www.thesherborne.uk.
100 Portraits Created exclusively for The Sherborne, 100 Portraits offers a rare chance to meet Quentin Blake’s imagination now: vivid, warm, and unmistakably his. These are not “likenesses” of specific people, but encounters — characters discovered through drawing, where a tilt of the head, a glance, or a single line can spark an entire personality. The Sherborne, Newland, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3JG. www.thesherborne.uk.
The Folke Altarpiece: The Resurrection Painted in Baroque drama and light, The Resurrection shows Christ rising above the tomb as angels flank the scene and Roman guards recoil below. Known as the Folke Altarpiece, this newly conserved work attributed to Sir James Thornhill returns to view on loan from St Lawrence Church, Folke — a striking counterpoint to Blake’s airborne imagination within the exhibition. The Sherborne, Newland, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3JG. www.thesherborne.uk.
18 April – 6 June
Frances Hatch: Sensing Place An exhibition of ‘place palettes’, sketchbooks and paintings made along the Jurassic coastline over the last 20 years. The Alsop Gallery, Bridport Arts Centre, 9 South Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3NR.
25 April – 6 May
Colours of Light An exhibition by local artists in card, paint, clay and glass. A stunning display of art in 4 disciplines. Jenny Penney works in card. Using an inspired technique, she creates recognisable pictures in relief, mainly of the Dorset Landscape and its wildlife. Lindsey J Cole paints in oils, acrylics and watercolours and also creates works in mixed media on a variety of subjects. She draws her inspiration from the natural world, the New Forest and surrounding coastline, responding to atmosphere and light. Katy Tunstall is a ceramicist who creates inspirationally shaped and decorated vases often with images of flower and seed-heads. Gillian McCormick is a stained glass artist, specialising in painted fired and fused glass. Her beautiful colourful images are mainly of birds and British mammals. Open 10 am – 4.30 pm daily at Eype Centre for the Arts, Mount Lane, EYPE, Bridport DT6 6AR. Free entry and car parking. Access for all. Contact : www.jennypenneyart.net.
28 April – 22 May
Peter Ursem – Eye Heart Hand This exhibition brings together recent works by artist and writer Peter Ursem. Meet the Artist – Saturday 2nd May 11:30-1:30. Story Reading from his book ‘The Bigger Picture, Forty Friendly Fables’ – Friday 8th May starting at 12:15. Tuesday – Saturday 9.30am – 3.00pm. Free Entry. Ilminster Arts Centre, The Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 0AN.
Until 2 May
Sally McLaren RE Retrospective: A Passion for Printmaking. Original aquatint, carborundum, drypoint, line and deep etchings 1959 – present. Distinguished printmaker, painter and etcher, Sally McLaren was born in London, studied at the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford and at the Central School of Art in London. She won a scholarship to study in Paris at the famous Atelier 17 of Stanley William Hayter, returning to teach at Goldsmith’s College of Art. She is a Fellow and Founder Member of the Printmaker’s Council of Great Britain, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers now known as the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers (RE). Sladers Yard, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4EL Open: Mon to Sat 10 – 4pm. All work can be viewed at www.sladersyard.co.uk t: 01308 459511. e: gallery@sladersyard.co.uk.
Looking for Appearance Featuring 34 contemporary artists alongside historic works by Euan Uglow, also Claude Rogers, Graham Bell, Victor Pasmore and William Coldstream, Euston Road School co-founders and contemporaries of Thelma Hulbert. Tuesday to Saturday, 10 to 5. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX. thelmahulbert.com / 01404 45006. Free admission.
Until 3 May
Grayson Perry: Aspects of Myself A new exhibition of one of Britain’s most influential contemporary artists. Standard ticket – £7, Book online – £6, NUS cardholders and MA Members – £4, ArtFund – £3, Under 19s and carers free. Some works in the exhibition will depict adult themes. The Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery is Queen Street, Exeter, EX4 3RX. 01392 265858.
9 – 21 May
The Lyme Regis Art Society Annual Exhibition will be held at the Malthouse Gallery, The Town Mill, Lyme Regis. DT7 3PU. The opening times are 10.30 – 4.30 daily and entrance is free. Art work from a variety of mediums and cards will be on sale. website: www.lymeregisartssociety.org.uk
Until 10 May
People Watching Over a hundred years of British portraiture with The Ingram Collection and Dorset Museum & Art Gallery. Exploring the concept of image and portraiture in British art, ‘People Watching’ will feature approximately 50 works of sculpture, paintings, drawings, and photography from 1915 to the present day. Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, High West Street, Dorchester DT1 1XA. Open Daily: 10:00am – 5:00pm. Last entry to the Museum is at 4:00pm.
Legacy in the Making This new exhibition celebrates the remarkable breadth of contemporary and historic craft in Somerset. Bringing together former members and masters of the Somerset Craft Guild, along with the 2025 Somerset Art Works × Somerset Craft Guild Emerging Maker Bursary artists, the exhibition reveals a vibrant creative community shaped by heritage, experimentation and deep connection to place. Somerset Rural Life Museum, Abbey Farm, Chilkwell St, Glastonbury BA6 8DB..
16 May – 27 June
All This Useless Beauty: Mellony Taper Exhibition of work by artist Mellony Taper, winner of the THG Open 2025. The works span themes of inheritance, vintage and found objects reveal the hidden domestic lives of women. Tuesday to Saturday, 10 to 5. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX. thelmahulbert.com / 01404 45006. Free admission.
11 July – 29 August
Printmaking Tradition and Transformation Exhibition celebrating 30 years of the Double Elephant Print Workshop featuring stunning contemporary works by Double Elephant members showcasing printmaking processes. Tuesday to Saturday, 10 to 5. Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell St, Honiton EX14 1LX. thelmahulbert.com / 01404 45006. Free admission.
