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...
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...
Digging into the land and lineage of historical sites for the past five years, collaborative artist duo, Angela Stringer and Nicky Perrin present their formative works in an exhibition which reveals the alchemical process of turning raw earth into vibrant expressions of story and place....
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...
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...
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...
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...
Orange Zebra are a six-piece band playing a mix of jazz, blues and rock. They'll be playing music all afternoon on Friday 30th May, from 2pm-8pm, in the Williamson Foyer. This isn't a formal concert, just drop-in whenever you want and stay for as much...
To accompany the display of watercolours by JMW Turner, we welcome watercolour artist Janine Pinion to work live in the gallery for a day. Janine has lived in Wirral for 28 years and takes inspiration from the coastal landscape and sky. She won the Williamson...
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...