Round and Round the Garden – A Celebration of Horticulture in Art

Closes 29th September 2019

Wixamtree Gallery, Free Entry 

Celebrate all things gardens and gardening in art. Explore our human fascination with them and how they have provided inspiration for artists including Pre-Raphaelite John Everett Millais, Walter Sickert and Joan Eardley. Features 'The Wynding Wixam Tree', a sensory installation with various objects in burrows, nests and hanging from branches.

Here's what some of our visitors have said:

"Thoroughly enjoyed the garden exhibition. Children were enchanted by the tree".

"Incredibly good! We would travel anywhere in the UK to find an exhibition of this quality".

"Wonderfully varied. We have enjoyed seeing so many different artists and styles". 

Working in collaboration with Christiana Payne, Professor of History of Art at Oxford Brookes University and Andy Lawrence from the Theatre of Widdershins.

Enjoy the last of our free garden tours on Saturday 7th September at 11:15am. Explore the Castle Gardens in a free, half an hour tour and discover more about the volunteer-led project to rejuvenate the gardens and grounds. To book your place, email thehiggins@bedford.gov.uk or telephone 01234 718618. 

The Journey from Bunyan to the Brickworks

Closes 29th September 2019,

Connections Gallery, Free Entry

Explore the journey of pride, inspiration and hope made by John Bunyan who was imprisoned for his beliefs, alongside the difficult journeys made to Bedford by those who came to work at the Brickworks after the Second World War. Includes a large 'stained-glass' effect window, and films, recordings and objects collected from the community.

Here's what some of our visitors have said:

"Another great exhibition. Important and really interesting stories".

"When my husband was courting me, he presented me with occasional bricks with personal messages that he carved into the green brick before it went into the kiln. I still keep two on my dressing table".

"A fascinating exhibition and particularly meaningful at the present time. The immigrant workers who came to Bedford have enriched it so much".

This is a collaborative Heritage Lottery funded project between John Bunyan Museum & Library, The Bedford Chronicles, SHARE Museums East, Invisible Folk Club and Greensand Country Festival.

Image: © The Mutual Security Agency

The last of our brickworks-related talks will be on Wednesday 18th September at 2pm, costing £5.90, £4.70 for concessions. Join author Brian Kerr and explore how the extraction industries have influenced Bedfordshire's development. To book your place, email thehiggins@bedford.gov.uk or telephone 01234 718618. 

The museum shop has a bespoke range of items inspired by our current exhibitions including cards, postcards, gifts and more.

These London Brick Company themed soaps, designed by brick sixty, are £6.99 and the Round and Round the Garden exhibition poster is now on offer at a reduced price of £1.99.

Visit the Higgins Shop to find more unique and creative items.

Dreams and Nightmares

Opens 12th October 2019

Wixamtree and Connections Galleries, Free Entry

Discover artists’ depictions of dreams and nightmares. Explore spiritual visions, spectral images, fairies, witches and romantic dreams. Works include Samuel Palmer’s dreams of the village of Shoreham, Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s visions of the flames of hell and more. 

This exhibition has been organised in collaboration with Christiana Payne, Professor of History of Art at Oxford Brookes University.

Image: William Blake (1757–1827) – The Good and Evil Angels Struggling for Possession of a Child c.1793