Starfish Galaxy rises again on the solstice at Salthouse Church, 21 June - 5 July

Asteroidea, a 2 meter diameter galaxy of starfish will be hung against the east window of Salthouse Church after a gap of 23 years.  It was made by artists Margie Britz and Liz McGowan in 2003 as part of a group exhibition, but this time it will hang on its own.  Evolving from and revolving around it will be a series of multi-media celestial/marine events. 

“We took starfish from the bottom of the sea and threw them up into the air as a galaxy” says Margie Britz.

Asteroidia silhouette

Gazing at the stars inspires a sense of awe, and the artists want viewers to experience that awe in relation to these extraordinary sea creatures, along with their unique chalk reef habitat.  As above, so below.

Asteroidea is the scientific name given to starfish.  It comes from the Greek Aster, a star, and eidos, like. Starfish are very ancient creatures. They predate dinosaurs and have survived 5 mass extinctions.   Every now and again, a combination of strong winds and high tides leave thousands of starfish stranded on the beach; unable to get back to the sea, they expire rapidly. These starfish were collected  from local beaches between Holkham and Weybourne.

Asteroidia includes a supporting programme of music, projected image, storytelling, poetry, talks and workshops. Details below.

For all bookings, email margiecbritz@gmail.com

Please bring cash for refreshments.

Open daily Monday to Saturday 10am - 5.30pm

Sunday 11am - 5.30pm.

Supported by ncas and Norfolk County Council.

Held Together - an ncas artist members' show: open call

ncas is delighted to announce Held Together – a Members’ group exhibition of 70 small works to celebrate ncas’ 70th anniversary. 

The exhibition will take place from 29 September to 11 October 2026 at Anteros Arts Foundation, Fye Bridge Street, Norwich. 

ncas members are invited to submit works, on a subject of their choosing, measuring no more than 30cm x 30cm x 30cm.

For more information and to apply, click here  

Deadline for submissions is midnight on Wednesday 1 July 2026. 

Wraps and Stacks: work by Trevor Burgess at South Quay Gallery, Great Yarmouth 1 - 24 May 2026

Following Burgess’ large series of colourful, bustling figurative canvases depicting street markets in London, Europe, South America and India, Wraps and Stacks depicts an unpeopled urban landscape after markets close, when stuff, whether it is the crates or the food, must all be tidied away, secured, ready to remerge the following day.

South Quay Gallery opens from Wednesday to Sunday, 1000 to 1800. Entry is free.

What is the Meaning of Life? at The Sainsbury Centre, 16 May - 4 October 2026

The Sainsbury Centre continues its innovative series of investigative exhibitions engaging with fundamental questions of life with two new seasons.

What is the meaning of Life? launching in May delves into the fundamental questions of human existence, from rule-making, to time and play and How do We Find Love? opening in November, explores the profound complexities of human relationships, desire, and intimacy.

For further information click here

The Sainsbury' Centre’s new Universal Ticket allows access to the entire gallery. This ticket operates on a ‘Pay If and What You Can’ basis. Upon arrival, please go to Gallery Reception. No pre-booking necessary.

From Shangri-La to Cromer: Work inspired by Derrick Greaves, 9 - 20 April 2026

After the eminent British painter Derrick Greaves died in 2022, his wife and studio assistant, Sally, invited a group of artist friends to his studio for life-drawing. Most of them had studied at Art Academy East, with Mark Mann and Claire Frances Smith.

The show features work by Evin Dilber, Tom Ellis, Alison Greenwood, Donna Holmes, Polly Johnson, Peter Ross, Linda Sonntag and Andrea Wells-China.

The title of the show comes from James Hyman’s book, Derrick Greaves: From Kitchen Sink to Shangri-La.

The show runs from Thursday 09 April– Monday 20 April 2026

11:00 am – 4:00 pm daily

Location: Artspace on the Prom, Cromer

This is event is free for everybody.

A new Art Gallery for Great Yarmouth

The South Quay Gallery & Learning Centre is a new creative space in the heart of Great Yarmouth.

This beautiful, light-filled and atmospheric three-floor Grade II listed building now begins a new chapter as a setting for inspirational local and international art, with a changing programme of exhibitions throughout the year.

The new gallery brings together a dedicated exhibition space, a light-filled area for workshops and classes, and a small, welcoming café. 

The first exhibition, Our Life in Art, is the fascinating, eclectic personal collection of the owners, Pete and Moira Huggins. The exhibition is open 4 -19 April.

For a full listing of the 2026 South Quay programme, go to www.southquaygallery.com

Seven Decades of Contemporary Art: Norfolk Contemporary Art Society at Norwich Castle, 28 March 2026 - 28 February 2027

This exhibition celebrates the 70th anniversary of Norfolk Contemporary Art Society (ncas). Since its founding in 1956, ncas has supported the Castle to present work by innovative contemporary artists including Eduardo Paolozzi, Colin Self, Bridget Riley and Roger Ackling. Their work features in this display of more than thirty of the artworks ncas members have helped to collect over the past seven decades.

Derek Morris, Five Windows with Sky, 2005, stainless steel. Purchased with the support of an anonymous donor, The Art Fund and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation © The Estate of Derek Morris.

Recently supported acquisitions include Florence Peake's performance-based figurative paintings and photographic work by Daniel & Clara, which explores imagined narratives in a country estate. Work from Wall Existing, a multi-layered photographic survey of Norwich's medieval city walls by Robert Filby and Glen Jamieson is also exhibited.

These new additions to the collection are shown with highlights from the early decades of ncas' activity including Landscape with Farm Buildings (1954) by L.S. Lowry, a purchase which inspired the formation of ncas; and Man entering a Boiler House (c.1957) by Prunella Clough, which was the very first work collectively acquired by ncas members. Other artists featured in the exhibition include Ruth Ewan, Maggi Hambling, Nigel Henderson, Allen Jones, Frances Kearney, Penny Slinger, Mary Webb and many others.

The exhibition runs from until 28 February 2027 in the Timothy Gurney Gallery.

ncas members enjoy free admission to the Castle Museum & Gallery.

Being Woman, Mandells Gallery, Norwich, 8 March - 18 April 2026

This exhibition unites intergenerational female artists from across Norfolk and Suffolk, offering a profound look at female archetypes and the human condition.

Spanning disciplines from printmaking and collage to sculpture and textiles, the works on display capture the evolving perspectives of women at different points in their lives and practices.

A captivating journey through the histories and subjectivities of what it means to be ‘woman’.

Evocative Images. Nicholas Simington RA, Diss Corn Hall, 10 January - 7 February 2026

An exhibition of still, magical compositions; works of true serenity quite exceptional in contemporary painting featuring work of Nicholas Simingon RA.

The exhibition is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 4pm and admission is free.

Watercolour Now, Norwich Castle Museum, 4 October 2025 - 1 March 2026

Watercolour Now explores the distinctive qualities of painting in watercolour. Selected by artist Simon Carter, the exhibition brings together an exciting range of contemporary approaches to watercolour in the Timothy Gurney Gallery at Norwich Castle. The eight artists featured share a fascination with how watercolour can capture diverse and often fleeting relationships with light, colour, landscape and history.

The exhibiting artists are Simon Carter, Christoper Le Brun, Alf Löhr, Barbara Nicholls, Melanie Russell, Mark Stewart, Charlotte Verity and James Faure Walker.

As part of the exhibition, the artists selected works from Norfolk Museums Service's historical collections that they felt resonated with their own approaches to watercolour. These paintings, which are mostly from the nineteenth century, are on display in the Colman Watercolour Gallery at Norwich Castle.

Open daily including Sundays: 10am to 5pm. Last entry at 4.30pm.

ncas members free entry.

Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature, Norwich Castle Museum, 18 October 2025 - 18 January 2026

One of the great printmakers and storytellers of our time, Paula Rego drew inspiration from a vast range of sources - from traditional folklore and fairy tales, to literary classics and nursery rhymes.

Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature will present three of the artist’s most ambitious and profound series of works in printmaking: Nursery Rhymes, Peter Pan and Jane Eyre, made across a decade of the artist’s life. Each series will be accompanied by a variety of personal items from the artist, many of which have rarely been publicly displayed. Preparatory sketches, etching plates and Rego’s very own childhood copy of Peter Pan will offer audiences an intimate portrayal of the artist's lifelong fascination with literature and insight into how the artist transformed this material into startlingly original and unexpected pictures.

Presented by Hayward Gallery Touring, Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature showcases the artist’s remarkable printmaking practice, taking a deep look into the literary influences that have inspired Rego’s works.

Open daily including Sundays: 10am to 5pm. Last entry at 4.30pm.

ncas members free entry.

Art in the Close, Norwich Cathedral September 2025 - Spring 2026

Ancient architecture and contemporary sculpture combine in an exciting new exhibition of outdoor art by John Maine RA and Lynn Chadwick

Art in the Close will run from September 2025 to Spring 2026 and will see the Norwich Cathedral Close become the inspirational setting for a mix of works by both artists. Visitors can enjoy discovering works in three different areas of the Close - the Cloister, the Lower Close and Almary Green.

Entry to the exhibition is free.