***There are some empty display cases in Settlement Gallery and Somewhere in England due to flooding. ***
Our fine art collection consists of watercolours, drawings and prints which cannot be on permanent display as they will become damaged from too much exposure to light. We display the collection in themed exhibitions but sometimes your favourites may not be out. If there is a particular work you are coming in especially to see, please call or email in advance to check whether it is on display.
Current Exhibitions and Displays:
Peter Brathwaite – Rediscovering Black Portraiture
Opening April – Free Entry
During the first lockdown in 2020, with all his performances cancelled, local baritone, artist, broadcaster and writer Peter Brathwaite began researching and reimagining more than 100 artworks. These artworks featured portraits of black sitters, as part of the online #GettyMuseumChallenge to use household objects to restage famous paintings. He called the photographic series Rediscovering Black Portraiture.
Brathwaite's exhibition at The Higgins Bedford features a collection of his most fascinating images. His works emphasise issues of power, privilege, and identity, as well as the absence or marginalisation of black individuals in European art.
Peter Brathwaite’s restaged version of The Virgin of Guadalupe, and the original artwork, right. Anon, ‘The Virgin of Guadalupe’. Oil painting, 1745. Wellcome Collection. Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) / Cropped from original and colour saturated.
Opens 17 February 2024
Wixamtree and Connections Galleries – Free Entry
This exciting exhibition celebrates the work of Edward Bawden through the work of a new generation of artists.
The exhibition is curated by Edward’s good friend, illustrator and printmaker, Chris Brown. Chris has chosen twenty well-known artists working today to produce art works inspired by Bawden. This new collection will be shown alongside the works from The Higgins Bawden archive that have inspired them.
Chris has chosen a diverse range of artists and makers from different disciplines to make this exhibition an eclectic, fun loving celebration of Edward’s work.
Upstairs in the Edward Bawden Gallery the exhibition continues with a local group of Bedfordshire illustrators, the Circus of Illustration, who have been commissioned by The Higgins Bedford to support eight local artists to produce a collection of new illustrations inspired by the Edward Bawden Archive.
More information about the exhibition can be found here.
Cultural Roots Sound System Museum
7 October 2023 – 28 April 2024
Outside Somewhere in England Gallery – Free Entry
Recently showcased at The Pride of Place Bedford shop, the Sound System Museum is live at The Higgins this October. Cultural Roots Sound System Museum was started in 1979 by a group of friends in Bedford. This equipment provided valuable entertainment to Caribbean households in Bedford, owing to discrimination excluding them from socialising in local bars and clubs.
The Sound System Museum has preserved this precious memorabilia and hope it will jog the memories and hearts of yesteryear. Visitors can see first-hand what it takes to build and run a reggae sound system and experience this at special events and workshops.
Cultural Roots Sound System Museum Discovery Day
10 August 2024
11am – 4pm
Come and join us for lots of fun activities throughout the day exploring the themes from the Sound System Museum display. The day will include demonstrations of sound system equipment, a discussion panel about Sound System with special guests, and sounds from across the decades with some refreshments to enjoy. More programme information coming soon.
Bedford Car Club
25 May 2024 onwards
Somewhere in England Foyer – Free Entry
This display celebrates the history and heritage of Bedford Car Club. In February 1906 Bedford Automobile Club was founded and in December 1907 were meeting at the Swan Hotel, Bedford High Street. In 1914 the Bedford & District Motorcycle Club was formed and was meeting at The Lion Hotel. By the 1920s these two clubs had merged and became known as Bedford Motor Club. Members took part in competitions, trials, driving tests, gymkhanas, treasure hunts, dinner dances etc. In 1953 some members broke away to form Bedford Automobile Enthusiasts Club concentrating on the competition aspects. For three decades the two clubs in Bedford co-existed, but in the early 1980s united as Bedford Car Club, going on to great success in various forms of motorsport such as autotests and rallying. During the 2000s club motorsport declined and nationally motorsport was suspended over the period of the Covid 2019 pandemic. Bedford Car Club closed in 2023, donating their heritage trophies to The Higgins Bedford, which are shared with visitors in this display.
Let's Be Open About Mental Health to Break the Stigma
Castle Lane Cases Outside The Higgins Bedford, Free Entry
The Higgins Bedford has worked with the Let's Be Open About Mental Health campaign to showcase this display of poems, artwork and messages made by local people, to give encouragment to people who may be struggling with their mental health at this current time.
Find out more about the display here >
Poland: in Bedford
Great Bedfordians Gallery, Free Entry
Explore the stories of Bedford's Polish community in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Polish Independence. Follow their experiences of early life in Poland, memories of migration, journeys to Britain and life after settling in Bedford.
Find out more about the exhibition here >
Spotlight on the Collections
Spotlight Gallery, Free Entry
The Spotlight Gallery currently hosts a display of Greek coins from our collections. Future displays will explore a wide range of themes, including objects and their stories from our stores, recent archaeological finds from around Bedford and the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
Find out more about the display here >
'Paved with Gold': Bedford's Windrush Generation
Online Exhibition
Explore the stories of the people that settled in Bedford, and the contributions they have made to the community in this online exhibition.
Find out more about the exhibition here >
International Women's Day - Pearl Thomson
Online Display
Celebrate the life of one of our Great Bedfordians; Pearl Thomson. Born in Jamaica, Pearl arrived in Bedford in 1956 and became the town's first female teacher from the Caribbean.
Find out more about the display here >