Ongoing

Philip Wilson Steer: In Conversation

Williamson Art Gallery Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead

Born in Birkenhead, Philip Wilson Steer was a pioneer of impressionism in Britain during the late nineteenth century. Studying in Paris in the 1880s, he was exposed to this radical way of painting after seeing works by the likes of Degas and Manet. With his...

Free

Albert Richards

Williamson Art Gallery Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead

March 2025 marked 80 years since the passing of Albert Richards, the youngest official war artist to be killed in action during WWII. The Williamson holds over two hundred of his works, spanning from his days at the Wallasey School of Art to the frontlines...

Free

Subterranean Elevator

Williamson Art Gallery Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead

Subterranean Elevator has been conceived by artist Di Mainstone, and developed with a team of inter-disciplinary specialists. The installation invites intrepid visitors to explore the inner worlds of soil and the subconscious mind. On entering a dark, elevator-shaped environment, they will feel a soft earth-like...

Free

Elizabeth Smolen: Trailblazer

Williamson Art Gallery Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead

NOW CLOSING 18TH OCTOBER 2025 Discover the life of local legend Elizabeth Smolen, a Polish refugee who settled in Birkenhead and became a champion scooter racer and successful businesswoman. A keen motorcyclist and engineer, Smolen made a name for herself by repairing, dealing and racing...

Free

Curator Tours: Richards and Steer

Join our Collections Manager Josh for a tour of the two exhibitions curated from our collection, exploring the works of Albert Richards and Philip Wilson Steer. These talks will offer the opportunity for you to find out more about the narrative of each exhibition, the...

Open Studios with Steve des Landes

Open Studios with Steve des Landes

Williamson Art Gallery Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead

Throughout 2025, Steve des Landes is Artist in Residence at the Williamson. With a studio in our Art Room, his intention starting the residency was to work on larger-scale paintings. He will be hosting Open Studio sessions every Friday evening, 6 - 8:30pm. Between these...

Free

Ben Youdan ‘Mask’

Williamson Art Gallery Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead

As part of a series of interventions in our Philip Wilson Steer ‘In Conversation’ exhibition, the Williamson has invited the Liverpool artist, Ben Youdan, to feature a work that contrasts and explores the themes found within Steer’s work. Youdan’s practice employs a wide variety of techniques...

Free

Artist A & Artist B: The Long Haul

Williamson Art Gallery Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead

‘The Long Haul’ is an installation by Jackie Haynes and Heather Mullender-Ross, collectively named Artist A & Artist B. The installation has been commissioned by Wirral Council as part of Liverpool Independent’s Biennial 2025. The net which hangs in the central space is constructed from...

Free

I’ll Tell You Later: BSL Happy Snappers and Emma Case

Williamson Art Gallery Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead

NOW EXTENDED TO 1ST NOVEMBER An inspiring exhibition showcasing the work of the Happy Snappers, a Wirral-based photography group made up of both Deaf and BSL users.  I'll Tell You Later explores the relationship between the Deaf experience and the hearing world. It sheds light...

Free

Broken Grey Wires: Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead?

Williamson Art Gallery Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead

WHO WANTS FLOWERS WHEN THEY ARE DEAD? is a new exhibition by Broken Grey Wires, exploring grief, loss, identity and community. ‘My dad died five years ago, which was a huge shock that I am still suffering with now. Grief is something that I am...

Free

Sounds of the Mandolin with Julian Rees

Julian Rees is a teacher, musician and mandolinist, author of the Mel Bay publication, “Welsh Airs and Dance Tunes for Mandolin”, and composer of “Ymdaith Idris/March of Idris,” as featured by award-winning author, Claire Fayers. Through his YouTube channel, Julian showcases rare and traditional tunes,...

Free