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Library Exhibitions and Events: Current and future exhibitions and events

The University of Southampton Library offers a varied programme of events and exhibition across its sites.

Welcome to the Library's exhibitions and events page

Find out about our current and upcoming exhibitions and events, which will be taking place in one or more of our gallery spaces at the Hartley Library, the National Oceanographic Library and the Winchester School of Art Library

What's on

Scroll through the gallery below to explore events and exhibitions currently taking place.

Friday 7 March 2025  - Thursday 24th April 2025 (extended)

Seeing through Drawing : Observation, Record and Representation in Art & Science

Curated by WSA Fine Art students

On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library

Find out more

Thursday 20th March 2025  - Wednesday 30th April 2025

TYPE - MONO - TYPE

Printmaker Kate Dicker and visual poet Mark Rutter recently formed a collaboration to create monotype prints in response to Mark’s concrete poetry. These abstract prints interpret the words and layout of the poems and were created using a spontaneous approach that allowed these two artists to share the printmaking process.

On display in Winchester School of Art Library.

Find out more

“My day was not an idle one”: Lord Palmerston and the Broadlands Estate

Special Collections Gallery, Level 4 in Hartley Library

21 October-13 December 2024 and 13 January-18 April 2025, open weekdays from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free. Visitors may be asked for photographic ID at Library reception.

To mark the 240th anniversary of the birth of Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston (1784–1865), Special Collections will be launching the “My day was not an idle one”: Lord Palmerston and the Broadlands Estate exhibition. It will look at aspects of the life of Lord Palmerston and of his much-loved Hampshire home Broadlands. Visitors will also gain an insight into the cultural tastes of those who resided at Broadlands.

We are excited to announce that we will also be providing curator tours to give visitors an opportunity to learn more about the items on display. There is no need to book, just turn up! You can learn about the curator tours here.

 

Our Library sites

Find out more about each of our Library sites.

Check the opening hours to see when all our libraries are open.

Future exhibitions and events

Scroll through the gallery below to explore our upcoming events and exhibitions.

Thursday 1st May 2025  -  Friday 30th May 2025 

A Passion for Collecting: Raymond Turley and the Isle of Wight

An exhibition to celebrate Community History Month

On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library

Find out more

Monday 3rd June 2025 - Wednesday 25th June 2025

Spiritual Wellbeing: Urban meditation as encounters with universal spheres in Taiwan

Curated by Yu-Shan Tseng

On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library

Find out more

Monday 7th July 2025  - Monday 15th September 2025

The Library's 2nd Summer Exhibition will  showcase artwork created by staff from the University of Southampton.  This year's theme is Connection.

On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library

Find out more

Monday 29th September 2025 - Friday 31st October 2025

Discovery 100

To mark the centenary of the RRS Discovery, the exhibition will draw on material from the National Oceanography Library archive to highlight something of life on board in the 1920s.

Curated by Emma Guest (Engagement Librarian), Catherine Polley (Head of Collections Engagement), Peter Webster (Head of Digital Scholarship and Innovation) and Karen Robson (Head of Archives and Special Collections).

On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library

Find out more