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
Scroll through the gallery below to explore events and exhibitions currently taking place.
Turner Sims at 50 : All for the Joy of Music
Turner Sims, the University's music venue, has big ambitions to build an inclusive world through the joy of live music.
Opened on Highfield Campus in 1974, this exhibition celebrates Turner Sims over fifty years, from iconic images and objects from its past, to its role in nurturing Southampton and the region's cultural scene today.
Curated by Kevin Appleby, Louise Coysh and Sara Lock (Turner Sims).
On display in the Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library.
Image credit: Baby Panna performing with Music students in the VIbe Lounge 2024 C.Nosa Maicolm
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.
Find out more about each of our Library sites.
Check the opening hours to see when all our libraries are open.
Scroll through the gallery below to explore our upcoming events and exhibitions.
Ukraine: the Price of Freedom
Featuring photos taken by international award-winning photographers documenting the devastating conflict during the first year and a half of the invasion of Ukraine. The exhibition has 5 thematic sections of which a selection of photos have been taken from each section: The Siege of Mariupol, Defense Azovstal, Portraits of the Ukrainian Military, Battle for Bakhmut, Undermining the dam of the Kakhova reservoir
Curated by John Bernasconi, Director of the University Art Collection, Hull in collaboration with Olena Hutton, Ukrainian Journalist and Anastasia Manina, Ukrainian Playwright.
On display at the Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library
Nonsuch Memory Of My Birth Artists’ Books
Twenty artists’ books made from crochet and clay. Each book contains one tile of twenty, referenced in an installation, Nonsuch Memory Of My Birth. The installation, artists’ books and performance, document the experiences of the artist working through the book, ‘Surviving A Borderline Parent’. The artists’ books are contained within a specially designed and built suitcase.
Curated by Joshua Raffell
On display at Winchester School of Art Library
Into the Fold artists' book and zine fair
Our successful artists' book and zine fair Into the Fold is returning in 2025. Taking place at Winchester School of Art, the two-day event will include an opportunity to browse and purchase artists' books and zines, talks, tours of WSA Library and our Artists' Books Collection, and more.
Photograph by Dave Gibbons
Seeing through Drawing : Observation, Record and Representation in Art & Science
Curated by WSA Fine Art students
On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library
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 will be on display at Winchester School of Art Library.
Community History Month - a glimpse from Special Collections
On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library
The Library's 2nd Summer Exhibition will showcase artwork created by staff from the University of Southampton. Theme has yet to be announced.
On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library
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 Karen Robson and Emma Guest
On display at Level 4 Gallery, Hartley Library
Explore some of our past exhibitions:
Paint Outs, Cut Outs, Tear Up Erasures
19th-century Southampton: a glimpse from the Cope Collection
Transformation: Student Experience Directorate (SED) Summer Exhibition