The council has announced that Southampton City Art Gallery is preparing to welcome back visitors following its refurbishment.
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The council said the completion of the refurbishment work ensures that this part of the Grade II listed Civic Centre and the nationally important art collection are preserved for current and future generations.
The gallery is due to reopen on Saturday, March 7, 2026 with an exhibition by acclaimed British artist Emma Richardson, who was born, and lived for much of her life, in Southampton.
‘Levitate Me: Desire, Ecstasy and The Sublime’ is described as “a major solo exhibition of new work which will feature a striking series of oil paintings that continue Richardson’s exploration of desire, euphoria and the awe-inspiring natural world through a female lens”.
Emma Richardson said: “Southampton is my hometown and I have many fond memories of creating music and art here, as well as performing and exhibiting in the city. I frequently visit the gallery and have always been inspired by the exhibition programme and extraordinary permanent collection. To be showing my paintings in this magnificent space is an absolute honour and I am thrilled to be the first artist invited to exhibit at the gallery after the refurbishment.”
As reported, a grant of £2.23m towards repairs was received from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), which is administered by the Arts Council England (ACE).