St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery

Here's our calendar of events.
You can also download our brochure HERE

• Last year the Open exhibition made a successful transition to the new gallery spaces and an online entry method that resulted in the largest submission so far. This year there were 428 entries for the exhibition and since the overall quality was so high the judges had a very difficult time making their selection. In the end they chose 105 works which range from vibrant paintings in oil and acrylic to jewel-like prints and quirky sculpture.

  Since it was established in 2000 the St Barbe Open has become one of the highlights  of the local arts calendar, attracting artists from Hampshire, Dorset and beyond. This 19th Open includes paintings, prints, drawings and three dimensional pieces in ceramic, bronze, wood and mixed media. Most works are available for sale and the exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to find affordable art by some of the best artists working in the region.

  IMAGES This page: Ken Nemar - Wildflowers 3 | Home page: John Graham - Mackerel

  This year’s prizes include:

  Specsavers, Lymington People’s Choice Award (£250)

  The Blake Morgan Award for best painting (£250)

  The Mary and John Symons Memorial Award for best print (£250)

  The Coastal Gallery Award for best contemporary abstract work (£100)

  The Ted Marsh Award for best work by an artist aged 18-21 (£100)

  The Beaulieu Fine Arts Award for best work by a non-professional artist (£100 of framing)

• 2018 saw the inaugural Young Artists’ Open providing an opportunity for developing artists from toddlers to 17 year olds. For this year’s exhibition we received 49 entries, all of which will be displayed in Gallery 3 alongside the adult Open exhibition. The exhibition is a feast of colour, featuring landscapes, wildlife, still life and works of imagination in pencil, ink, watercolour, acrylic and mixed media. We hope that in time some of these budding artists’ work will appear in the main Open exhibition.

  Prizes for each age category (under 7, 7-11, 12-17) have been generously provided by Gordon Young in memory of Ted Marsh the first Chairman of Trustees at St Barbe whose vision and energy helped found the museum you see today.

  Image: Flora by Madelaine Curry (12-17 winner)

• Art and craft activities to welcome Spring in the museum and to
  help prepare our window display.
  2.30pm–4pm | PREBOOKED £3

  Please call Paola Palma to book your place 01590 676969

• An introduction to wood engraving. On day one you will look at tools and the marks they can make and how to use them to create tones. On the next day you will engrave your own image onto wood. Suitable for those with some drawing experience. No need to have knowledge of printmaking. All materials provided.

  Peter contributes weekly to The Times ‘Feather Report’ with his wonderful wood engravings of birds.

  Limited places available | £100 | 1 hour break for lunch –not included | Phone 01590 676969 to book

   

• Mike Grocott – Professor of Anaesthesia & Critical Care Medicine, University of Southampton.

  Mike will talk about the Xtreme Everest group that has undertaken field, laboratory and clinical research on human responses to low oxygen levels. He will outline how this improves under-standing of critical illness and improves patient outcomes. He will present results: some leading to changes in practice, and what may be next. He will share anecdotes of his expeditions to climb Everest and in other extreme environments.

  Mike and his family live in Lymington and his research could affect the health and recovery of any one of us.

  Friends of St Barbe Talks are held on the first Friday of each month. Members are free, Guest are welcome £5 per person.
  Held at the Baptist Church, opposite St Barbe on New Street.
  Doors open at 7pm with the talk starting at 7.30pm – lasting roughly an hour

• Follow the chocolatey paw-prints around the museum during the Easter period. Claim your chocolate prize at the finish!

  No need to book, just turn up INCLUDED WITH ADMISSION

• Enjoy a family-friendly jolly craft session and make decorations to help bring in some Easter cheer. Either take them home to decorate your own home or add them to our window display. 

  Drop-In £3

  ALSO ON Tuesday 16 April 11-12.30 - different craft activity

• “Learn to Paint with Wool” – Beginners Class
  Using Merino wool tops, silks and other interesting fibres. You will have the opportunity to create wet felt artworks. Other techniques will also be shown, such as needle felting embellishment.

  ALL SATURDAYS: 13 April | 11 May | 15 June | 20 July | 10 August | 14 September | 16 November | 7 December

  £40pp (£10 non-refundable deposit) | All materials included
  Small group sizes (6 per workshop) | 1-4pm

  Book direct: feltable@yahoo.com | 07925 064571

• Come and join us on World Heritage Day. Led activities around the museum to learn about our unique local - and not so local - heritage.

  Pre-book 01590 676969 | £3

• A chance for older residents to look at photographs and objects and share their memories of times gone by. Bring your friends and join us for a cup of tea and a chat. There is a different theme every time.

  Next Tea and Memories is on Wed 31 July when we will explore local market gardens and nurseries.

• This exhibition brings together local textile artists working in a variety of different media. From felting to lace-making, weaving, patchwork and collage, we are seeking to highlight the range of work being created by talented local artists.

  Jeanne Daniel will be giving Weaving demonstrations on Wednesdays and Fridays 11am-12pm.

  Jan Slatter will be giving Spinning and Weaving demonstrations on Sunday mornings.

  The Barton Lace Group will also be giving ad hoc demonstrations through out the exhibition.

  The works in this exhibition will be available for sale.

  Textile by Pippa Crouch

• Prof. Vincent May will talk about our local coastline 

  With Hurst Spit in recession requiring shingle re-nourishment, the cliffs crumbling at Barton-on-Sea and the Solent shore’s oak tree fringe threatened by increased salinity from sea level rise much of our coast is changing.

  Talks are held at the Lymington Baptist Church, New Street, Lymington SO41 9BH, opposite St Barbe. Doors open at 7pm and talks start at 7.30pm. All welcome. Members free, guests £5

• Professor Vincent May will lead this walk, which will be in two parts:

  First, at Highcliffe where we will see some very active coast as well as the lower part of the Bartonian strata.

  Secondly, at Barton-on-Sea itself where we will see the upper part cliff and the coastal management in action.

  Full details and pre booking will be announced shortly.

• Relax Kids New Forest sessions help children with their concentration and focus, boosts attention levels and lowers unwanted anxiety and stress. Book a place or find out more via New Forest Relax Kids - barefoot_@outlook.com.

• The Battlefield Hospitals of WW1: two inspiring women who made it happen

  Talk by Rose Walkford, Clinical Nurse Specialist from Oakhaven Hospice

  • What is nursing today?
  • We will go back in time and start at the beginning when nursing didn’t exist in its current form. People used to avoid hospital because it would make you sicker!
  • We will look at important nurses in History and gather together their contributions to nursing today
  • We will also be doing some health experiments

  Drop-in | £2.50

  Inspirational talks for children by speakers passionate about their subject

• Drop In | With admission

  Come and let us guide you in the fantastic world of fabrics!

  A blindfolded self-led Sensorial Trail with additional activities about materials quirky facts, their uses and history. Such as the Chinese Legend of Silk, or the science behind the fabrics properties and the environmental impact of producing and recycling clothes.

  There will also be led creative activities for all ages such as nature weaving, rock weaving, yarn weaving, make your own tick tack toe to take home and painting in fabrics.

   

• Creative Café - creative sessions for adults. Would you like to meet new people? Feeling a bit lonely or isolated? Want to be more creative and learn a new craft? If any of the above applies to you come along and join this friendly group. All materials are provided for a small donation and refreshments are available to purchase from the gallery cafe.

  Takes place in the McCarthy Room on the fourth Tuesday each month from 2.30pm-4pm.

  ALL TUESDAYS: 25 June | 23 July | 27 August

  For more information, please contact fran@hart.works or call 01590 435045

• TWO sessions: 11am - 12.30pm & 1pm - 2.30pm | Drop-in | FREE

  Inspired by our textile exhibition, come and help recreate some famous paintings using collage technique and create your own fabric painting to take home.

• Entry by programme price £6 Lymington Open Gardens is organised by the Friends of St Barbe Museum.

  The first Open Gardens day was held in 2010 was a great success; and the Open Gardens scheme is now an established Lymington summer event enjoyed by many Lymington residents and visitors.

  Click here to see full listings of Open Gardens

  Why not make it a day out? You will see the New Forest ponies and their foals as you travel through the Forest. There are lots of cafés and pubs in the town where you can have lunch or pleasant picnic spots down on the Quay or in Grove Gardens park near the High Street. Entry to the gardens will be by programme (£6) on sale from 6 May at St Barbe Museum in New Street and on the day as well as at all other gardens. Many of the gardens are within walking distance of each other - or if you want to see them all a short bicycle ride.

  Kindly sponsored by

  

• Between 1793 and 1815, Britain was at war with revolutionary France. This exhibition will explore some of the key naval battles in the run up to the decisive victory at Trafalgar in 1805, as well as what life was like in the navy at the time. It will focus on the important contributions of three local admirals, Cornwallis, Peyton and Man, all of whom are buried at Milford churchyard. Featuring items relating to these admirals on loan from both national and private collections, the highlight of our show will be JMW Turner’s second sketch for the Battle of Trafalgar, on loan from the Tate.

  Gallery 3 focusses on the New Forest itself, exploring how local timber from the forest was used to construct some of the warships that made up Nelson’s Navy.

  There will be children’s activities throughout the exhibition and a weekend of events in Milford on 5-7 July to commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Admiral Cornwallis.

  This exhibition has been created in partnership with the Milford-on-Sea Historical Record Society and the New Forest National Park Authority.

  Image by JW Turner ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’ . Thanks to

  

• 2-4pm | McCarthy Room | Drop-in | FREE

  For anyone interested in knitting or crochet, come along with your own work or join us as we create signal flags and a knitted nativity scene for Christmas.

  SECOND TUESDAY each month: 9 July | 13 August

• My Dad and I - real stories from the war

  Talk by Alf, who will enthral us with tales of growning up in war torn Britain.

  Drop-in | £2.50

  Inspirational talks for children by speakers passionate about their subject

• An introduction to wood engraving. On day one you will look at tools and the marks they can make and how to use them to create tones. On the next day you will engrave your own image onto wood. Suitable for those with some drawing experience. No need to have knowledge of printmaking. All materials provided.

  Peter contributes weekly to The Times ‘Feather Report’ with his wonderful wood engravings of birds.

  Limited places available | £100 | 1 hour break for lunch – not included | Phone 01590 676969 to book

• Using merino wool tops, silks and other interesting fibres, you will have the opportunity to create two wet-felted artworks. You will also have the chance of working on needle felting embellishments. Intermediate level – for those with some experience of making felt. All materials supplied.

  Limited places available | £75 per workshop | 1 hr break for lunch, not included.

  To book a place or find out more, please call 01425 617651 or email feltable@yahoo.com.

• Xtreme Everest: Life and Health at high altitude.

  Talk by Sarah Hoyden who is part of a dedicated team of intensive care doctors, nurses and scientists. They conduct experiments on themselves and other volunteers at high altitude in order to develop novel therapies to improve the survival rates of their patients.

  Drop-in | £2.50

  Inspirational talks for children by speakers passionate about their subject

• TWO sessions: 11am - 12.30pm & 1pm - 2.30pm | Drop-in | FREE

  A selection of craft and interactive activities inspired by the Festival of Archaeology (Council for British Archaeology) to keep the kids entertained.

• 11am - 12.30pm | Drop-in | FREE

  A collection of craft and interactive activities inspired by the Festival of Archaeology to keep the kids entertained.

• EVERY WEDNESDAY IN AUGUST | Two sessions 11am-12.30pm & 1pm-2.30pm | Drop In | FREE

  A selection of craft and interactive activities inspired by our summer exhibition to keep the kids entertained throughout the summer break.

  14 August  | 21 August | 28 August