Southampton City Art Gallery enters exciting next phase of restoration works
Southampton City Art Gallery will be temporarily closing from Saturday 22 February as the next phase of the planned restoration works begins. This phase will include internal repairs and a heating upgrade in the Main Hall, alongside the installation of new windows.
Southampton City Art Gallery will be temporarily closing from Saturday 22 February as the next phase of the planned restoration works begins. This phase will include internal repairs and a heating upgrade in the Main Hall, alongside the installation of new windows.
Many residents and visitors will have seen the enormous scaffolding outside the front of the Art Gallery entrance over the past few months – it is one of the largest free-standing scaffold roof spans in the UK to date, and images of the work that has been taking place underneath can be seen on the Art Gallery website.
The restoration work will ensure that the Grade II* listed Civic Centre and the nationally important art collection are preserved for current and future generations. A grant of £2.23m was received from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), which is administered by Arts Council England.
During this next stage of works the Gallery will be fully closed at different periods over the next 12 months. From Saturday 5 April, the West Wing will reopen with a limited offer for the public, while prioritising access for schools and educational parties. The Gallery is due to reopen fully early in 2026.
This means that Saturday 22 February is the last opportunity for visitors to see the exhibition 'From the Renaissance to the Present Day: Highlights from Southampton’s Collection'. The exhibition includes some of the best examples of painting, drawing and sculpture from Southampton’s important collection, ranging from the earliest work, a 14-cenury altarpiece by Allegretto Nuzi, to contemporary art by Turner Prize winning artists. It also includes works by J.M.W Turner, Pierre-August Renoir, L.S. Lowry, Walter Sickert, Helen Chadwick, Gillian Ayres and Fiona Rae.
To align with the closure, Southampton City Art Gallery has successfully secured a £26,000 grant to digitise a major part of the art collection in partnership with Southampton Solent University. This project is being supported by grant funding from ACE through its Unlocking Collections campaign within National Lottery Project Grants. During the closure, the digitised images will be used to maintain the gallery’s visibility and engage audiences, which will include virtual exhibitions on the Gallery’s website, the Art UK website, and a social media campaign.
Councillor Lorna Fielker, Leader of the Council, said:
“We're thrilled this work can take place with the support of DCMS and ACE funding to preserve this nationally important gallery. We know that visitors will be disappointed that this Southampton jewel is going to be closed for a while but do come and visit us when we are able to open the doors in the intervening months; and when we fully reopen in 2026 to view our incredible collection.“
Phil Gibby, Area Director, Arts Council England, South West, said:
“Southampton is a place of strategic importance to Arts Council England and we’re proud to invest in the City Art Gallery's journey towards a fully accessible public collection. We know museums and galleries provide a vital space for the public to discover the past, engage with the present, and imagine new possibilities for the future. The same is true online and once digitized, each work will be preserved for both local and international audiences to enjoy.”
