2026 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for Hull Museums and Ferens Art Gallery as they announce an exciting exhibition programme.
First up, from Friday 13 February, two exhibitions will open as part of the Ferens Unpacked Season. Into The Stores will invite visitors to explore amongst the crates and storage racks and discover artworks that haven’t seen the light of day for decades, as the collection stores are brought into the public galleries.
Alongside this exhibition, Fixing for the Future, will offer a revealing look at the ‘alchemy’ involved in the conservator’s art, by highlighting a diverse selection of recently restored works from the Ferens’ collection. Visitors will also be asked to share their vision for the Ferens Art Gallery as it heads towards its centenary year in 2027!
As summer arrives, families are invited to step into Moominvalley and celebrate the enduring magic of the Moomins and their visionary creator Tove Jansson. The Wonders of Moominvalley will allow families to wander through beautifully crafted island installations that invite little people to explore big feelings, discover projections of Tove Jansson’s stunning paintings and experience the gentle magic, curiosity and wonder that have captured hearts for generations.
June will see Monet’s masterpiece, The Petit Bras of the Seine at Argenteuil (1872), go on display at the gallery as part of The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour 2025 – 27. The artwork will form part of an exhibition co-curated with Flourish, Ferens Art Gallery’s creative group for children and young people, organised with and for disabled and neurodivergent visitors. Together, they will create a multi-sensory immersive space that is an olfactory, acoustic and tactile experience.
The work of amateur and professional artists will be celebrated in the annual Open Exhibition in Autumn 2026. Running since 1967, the Opensponsored by the Friends of the Ferens and BSB Architecture, provides an exciting opportunity for artists to display and sell artwork. Further details of how artists can submit work for the 2026 Open will be available at www.FerensOpen.co.uk in January.
Young artists will also have the chance to display their artwork in the gallery during the autumn in the Young Artist Open Exhibition, with competition prizes sponsored by Friends of the Ferens and the Arts Society Hull and East Riding. The exhibition is open to children aged 15 and under with a huge variety of work, from paintings and drawings, to pastels, collage and prints submitted each year. Further details on how to enter will be available at www.FerensOpen.co.uk in January.
Over at the Museums Quarter, the year begins with an exhibition exploring 20 Historical Women who changed the world, spanning from the 1500s to the present day. The collection of artworks by Doncaster-based artist Chinwe Russell will be on display at Streetlife Museum and Wilberforce House Museum, depicting well-known modern and historical figures from Marie Curie and Zaha Hadid to Florence Nightingale.
In April, there will be an art exhibition by CASE Training Services followed In the summer, there will be an exhibition presenting the creative outcomes of the V&A led DesignLab Nation project, an initiative working with local secondary schools aimed at inspiring the next generation of professional designers, makers and innovators, on display at Streetlife Museum.
Autumn will see the Hull and East Yorkshire Deaf Centre Centenary Exhibition celebrating the building that has been the heart of Hull’s Deaf community for a hundred years.
At Wilberforce House, modern slavery in Hull and the people working to tackle it will be the focus of the Uncovering Modern Slavery exhibition in spring. An exhibition will showcase projects by members of the Hull Curriculum Schools project in the summer and in the autumn an exhibition curated by the Wilberforce Advisory Board will go on display.
Cllr Rob Pritchard, portfolio holder for culture and leisure, said: “The teams at Hull Museums have really excelled themselves for 2026 with an incredibly diverse programme coming up – something for everyone. I’m looking forward to seeing visitors pouring through the doors to enjoy everything on offer.”
Jane Avison, Hull Museums and Gallery Manager, said: “It’s an exciting year ahead, with a vibrant programme of exhibitions and events designed to inspire and engage. We can’t wait to welcome local residents and visitors to the city in 2026.”
Alongside the exhibitions there will be a programme of talks, tours, workshops and family activities throughout the year and school holidays. Full details can be found at www.HullMuseums.co.uk
Hull Museums and Ferens Art Gallery are open Monday-Saturday 10am-4.30pm and Sunday 11am-4pm, entry is free. Find out more at www.HullMuseums.co.uk
