Blog article Articles
Press Release - Jul 2026
‘Where’s Your Head At?’ display celebrates children and young people’s creativity
Imaginative artworks by 172 children and young people from across the Southwest are now on display at The Box as part of ‘Where’s Your Head At?’.
Art - Jul 2026
Gillian Ayres: Feasting on beauty
Gillian Ayres (1930-2018) once said: ‘To me, art – colour in art – is wonderfully indulging. I don’t see why you shouldn’t be filling yourself up, making yourself happy. Enjoying yourself. Feasting on beauty. I want an art that’s going to make me feel heady, in a high-flown way.’ Presented across three galleries, 'A Life in Colour' is a timely exploration of her phenomenal legacy through paintings made over the course of seven decades – highlighting the power of painting as a means of nonverbal expression. Here’s an insight into five of the works in the show.
Family - Jul 2026
Great British Summer Savings: cheaper things for families to do!
It's that time of year again! We're heading towards the summer holidays and little ones are nearly out of school for the summer. If you're organising things to do for you and your kids over the summer break that won't break the bank, we've put together a blog on enjoying our activities that will help you and your family save some pennies.
Press Release - Jul 2026
Enjoy a 'Summer of Expression' filled with major exhibitions and celebrations of young creativity
We're inviting audiences from across the Southwest to enjoy a vibrant ‘Summer of Expression’ here at The Box, featuring new exhibitions, family-friendly activities and inspiring displays showcasing the region’s creative talent. At the heart of the season are two major shows: 'Echoes of Us' (20 June-20 September) and 'Gillian Ayres: A Life in Colour' (4 July-4 October). Together, they explore the power of creativity, connection and self-expression while highlighting the South West's rich artistic heritage.
Press Release - Jun 2026
The Box Plymouth wins £120,000 Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026 Award
The Box Plymouth has been announced as Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026. Victoria Pomery, CEO and members of the team were presented with the £120,000 prize – the largest museum prize in the world – by June Sarpong OBE, broadcaster and judge for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026, at a ceremony aboard Cutty Sark in Greenwich.
Art - Jun 2026
125 years of art, diplomacy and identity: Why the Government Art Collection matters
For 125 years, the Government Art Collection has quietly played a remarkable role in representing Britain to the world. This summer, visitors to 'Echoes of Us' at The Box have a rare opportunity to see works from this extraordinary national collection outside their usual diplomatic settings.
Press Release - Jun 2026
Beryl Cook exhibition smashes visitor target
We're delighted to announce that the hugely popular 'Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy' attracted nearly 104,000 visits during its run – exceeding its original target of 75,000 by almost 30,000. The exhibition, which celebrated the life and work of artist Beryl Cook and marked the centenary of her birth, proved to be the most successful show staged at The Box Plymouth since it opened in late September 2020.
News - May 2026
Beryl's Influences
Although artist Beryl Cook was self-taught, she didn’t create her paintings in a vacuum. She actively mined newsreels and local papers, was an avid reader who owned many books, captured hundreds of photographs and gained inspiration from a wide variety of materials and artists. There's a section in our ‘Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy’ exhibition which shows her work alongside some of these and demonstrates just how well-informed and considered her practice was. Discover more here!
History - May 2026
Tribute to June Marlow
When singer and actress June Marlow was invited to record ‘the voice’ of the Elizabethan House just a few weeks before her 90th birthday, she may not have known it would be her last professional role but she did know it was one she could perform with pinpoint accuracy, drawing from her earliest experiences and channelling the voices and dialect of her birthplace: New Street on Plymouth’s historic Barbican. June sadly passed away in late February but her legacy lives on. Here we explore her life in a wonderful article featuring her own writing and recollections and compiled by her granddaughter Lauren Vandike.
News - Apr 2026
Beryl's Travels
Beryl Cook painted Plymouth as it had never been seen before and the city influenced the way she saw and represented the wider world too. With the success of her first exhibitions and growing reputation she travelled to other places - for work as well as leisure. Here are some of the paintings in our ‘Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy’ exhibition that were inspired by her visits to other cities.
Press Release - Apr 2026
The Box makes history: shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026
The Box Plymouth has been named one of five finalists for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026, the world's largest and most prestigious museum prize, putting the city on the national cultural map.
Art - Apr 2026
Collections Insight: A new display in North Hall
A new display featuring four paintings from The Box's art collection has just gone on display in our North Hall gallery. The paintings provide a glimpse into the breadth and depth of the collection and are also giving us an opportunity to share the stories behind them and some new research. Discover more about them here.