Following the government roadmap, The Atkinson is reopening in stages with reduced visiting times and limited services. From Monday 17 May 2021 you can visit The Atkinson’s Museum & Galleries, alongside the Box Office, Shop, Café and Library that have already reopened to the public.

Entry to The Atkinson is free and booking is not required. You can visit Monday – Saturday, 11am – 4pm (closed on Sundays & Bank Holidays). Plan your visit here.

What’s On

Journey of One Hundred Years (2017) by Rui Matsunaga

Rui Matsunaga
Until 5 June 2021
In our exhibition of Rui Matsunaga’s intricate, small-scale work, the Japanese artist raises questions about our relationship with nature. Her influences are wide-ranging but are grounded in folklore and story-telling. There are references to early Renaissance painting and print-making, Japanese scroll paintings (emakimono), especially the Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga from the 12th century and the manga films of Hayao Miyazaki, film culture more generally and cybernetics. (Available to view as an online exhibition)

The River Dance, Linda Coulson, Oil, £60, 59×48 cm

The Landing: Hutton Art Society
Until 26 June 2021
Hutton Art Society exists to promote the enjoyment of art in a relaxed environment. Selected artworks are available to purchase through the Own Art Scheme, letting you spread the cost of your purchase over 10 months with an interest-free loan. (Available to view as an online exhibition)

The Atkinson, Egyptology Museum

Discover Ancient Egypt
Permanent Collection
Let us take you on a journey back to ancient Egypt. Our stunning Egyptology museum takes visitors on a journey through what life was like in ancient Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs. The museum showcases Mrs Goodison’s personal Egyptology collection in an intimate exhibition.

The Atkinson, Local History Museum

Between Land and Sea 
Permanent Collection
Our local history museum tells the stories of the people who have lived and worked along Sefton’s coast, from prehistoric times to the present day. Our museum holds over 25,000 pieces of social history, which are displayed in rotation.

Coming Soon

Tryfan No. 2 by Kyffin Williams (1918–2006). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.

Natural High
19 June 2021 – 19 March 2022
Reconnect with nature in this contemplative exhibition of British landscape scenery from The Atkinson’s fine art collection. Take a meditative and relaxing journey through mountains, lakes and seashore as we follow in the footsteps of artists from the early 19th century to the present day. The exhibition also features the winning entries from our poetry and creative writing competition, Inspirations.

Bun Na Spheire, Frame 108, Paul Kenny

Paul Kenny: Seaworks
26 June – 23 October 2021
Working without a camera, Paul Kenny creates abstract compositions on small glass plates with objects found on beaches and crystallised sea water. Building on themes of fragility and transience in the landscape, Kenny’s work deals with the universal through a focus on the microscopic, often overlooked, elements of the landscape.

317 Woodvale. 1942.

Courage & Devotion
26 June 2021 – 12 March 2022
This exhibition remembers the lives of the Polish Airmen based at RAF Woodvale, the iconic Spitfire and some of the stories associated with the area during World War 2. Along with the stories of the airmen and objects to help illustrate the story we have commissioned a replica scale model of a Spitfire Vb AB273 from paper artist sculpture Suhail Shaikh.

Red Rum in training, Liverpool Echo

Red Rum
3 July – 2 October 2021
The regular sight of Red Rum flying over the Southport sands where he trained thrilled many a local resident and this exhibition hopes to capture some of that magic as we tell his unique story. Central to the exhibition is a mural of Red Rum by Liverpool-based artist and Liverpool City Region’s Artist of the Year 2020, Paul Curtis. (Curated by Jane Clarke, Historian of Aintree Racecourse and Curator of The Grand National Museum.)

Safety

The Atkinson takes the safety and wellbeing of their customers and staff seriously, and are closely following advice from the Government and Sefton Council. We’re Good To Go is the official UK mark to signal that a tourism and hospitality business has worked hard to follow Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines and has a process in place to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing. Find out more here.

Online Exhibitions

A selection of The Atkinsons current and past exhibitions are available to view online, including the Sefton Open 2021. The Sefton Open is an annual exhibition celebrating the creativity and artistic talent across the borough of Sefton. For the second time, The Atkinson is pleased to be showcasing this year’s Sefton Open in an online exhibition. Browse online here.

Online Events

The Atkinson’s monthly ‘Object of the Month’ and ‘Ancient Worlds’ talks have temporarily moved online. Find out what’s on. You can watch recordings of selected talks on The Atkinson’s YouTube channel.

Theatre & Studio

In line with the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, the Theatre & Studio will not reopen before 21 June (Step 4).  The Atkinson’s programme for 2021 is full of comedy, music, theatre and dance. Find out what’s on.

Posted on 16 May 2021 under Exhibition, General news, Museum