Events & Exhibitions
Weekly Sessions
Memory Works Dementia group
Wednesdays 2 - 3pm
CST helps people living with mild to moderate dementia maximise cognition, independence, and wellbeing. The sessions will provide mental and memory stimulation, allowing participants to experience the learning process once again. CST is a group approach and builds self-esteem and confidence to join conversations and share interests. Some sessions will use images and items from our heritage collection. Carers will be able to enjoy a cuppa in our café and a chance to share their ups and downs.
January
The Close
24-01-25 to 09-03-25
The Close in Thorney Hill was a temporary cul-de-sac of prefabricated homes erected by Hampshire County Council and in operation between 1964-1974. Its purpose was to act as a stepping stone to ‘assimilate’ Gypsy families into permanent council house accommodation. We will be displaying the finds from a recent excavation of the site and telling the story of this forgotten chapter in the long history of New Forest Romani Gypsies.
March
Pathways from Protest to Purpose
14-03-25 to 06-04-25
Dr Jo Nurse (local artist, Fellow of the World Academy of Art & Science) and Damian Kelly Basher (local writer-performer and Hampshire Poet Laureate) will be using painting, poetry and film to explore the idea of choosing our path to create the world we want and a New Forest preserved for future generations.
March
Mother's Day Lino Stamp Printing
30-03-25 10.30am - 4pm
Bring your Mum along to create a memory print together. We'll design and carve stamps of images that mean something to you both. You'll then be able to put them together to create final prints for you to take home.
April
New Forest Marque
11-04-25 to 05-05-25
New Forest Marque is a food and produce scheme championing local food and craft producers and promoting traditional practices. This exhibition will profile and showcase the work of several members who use material from the Forest in their work.
April
2 Colour Botanical Lino Printing
27-04-25 10.30am - 4pm
Learn how to add more than 1 colour to your lino printing with this beginner's jigsaw printing technique. We'll be taking inspiration from budding Spring blooms.
May
Booksigning by John Leete
31-05-25
To coincide with the 80th Anniversary Month of VE Day, author and journalist John Leete will be joining us to sign copies of the latest of his 3 books on the New Forest in wartime. World War II, New Forest Discovered builds on John’s earlier works, including information on sites and investigations gained from the New Forest National Park Authority’s “The Wartime Memories Project”.
May
Exhibition by the New Forest Camera Club
09-05-25 to 08-06-25
Based between Totton and Ashurst on the edge of the New Forest, NFCC will be displaying members’ images of Forest scenes in our gallery
May
Alice Talk by Angela Trend
09-05-25
Local historian and expert on the real Alice and her life in Lyndhurst, Angela Trend will be giving a talk in the Community Centre. Angela will be focusing on the Alice’s life as a Hargreaves and the family home, Cuffnells. Ticketing details to be released in due course and will be able to be purchased via a button which will appear here.
May
Alice Walk by Mark Davies
10-05-25
A country walk with Lyndhurst-born Mark Davies, a trustee of the Lewis Carroll Society, author, and Oxford guide. The route will include sites in Lyndhurst and Emery Down associated with the real Alice, with - naturally! - a mid-walk tea break during which Mark will explain the factual Oxford inspiration for 'The Mad Tea-Party'. Some steep and possibly muddy paths. Details of how to book will follow in due course
May
Print Your Own Alice in Wonderland Image from Lino
11-05-25 10.30am - 4pm (to be confirmed)
Using imagery from Lewis Carol's classic tale we'll be carving lino prints inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Create your own prints to take home and frame.
May
Fossil Walk with Dr James Barnet
24-05-25
James is a paleoceanographer who was born and brought up in Bramshaw, where he was fascinated from an early age in the New Forest’s little-known fossil deposits. James is now a lecturer in the Earth Sciences Department at St Andrew’s University. Last year, his fossil walk was oversubscribed, so he will this year be guiding another fossil-hunting trip to a different part of the Forest.
Details and booking arrangements to follow here.
June
Exhibition by Brockenhurst College students
13-06-25 to 30-06-25
Our gallery will be used again this year by Design and Photography students from Brockenhurst College to display their final-year projects in a professional setting. Their work is inspired by items and themes from our library and object collection.
June
Learn Lino From Scratch
29-06-25 10.30am - 4pm
Join Kate for this fun workshop to learn how to design an image, transfer it to lino, carve and print to take home. She'll be sharing her tips on carving, inks, tools and papers.
July
Forest Walk and Lino Print Workshop
27-07-25 9.30am - 4pm
We'll be taking a walk around the Bolton's Bench area to sketch and take inspiration from the New Forest. We'll then take our drawings back to the workroom to learn how to turn them into lino print designs which we will carve and print.
August
Hampshire Open Studios - New Forest Marque Inspired
16-08-25 to 14-09-25
New Forest Marque Inspired members will be coming together again under the Hampshire Open Studios initiative, which promotes artists and craftspeople across the county. Last year’s event involved over a dozen local talents displaying and selling their work in our gallery. It was extremely popular and successful, and we will be continuing our support this year.
August
2 Colour Sea Life Lino Printing
31-08-25 10.30am - 4pm
Learn how to add more than 1 colour to your lino printing by using the multi block and registering processes. We'll be taking inspiration from sea life.
September
A Life Through Art - Barry Peckham Memorial Exhibition
20-09-25 to 12-10-25
Barry Peckham was one of most talented New Forest artists of his generation, and an immensely kind and modest man. His passing last autumn was a moment of great sadness but in this exhibition, which will be put together by his family, the man and his work will be remembered.
September
The Barry Peckham Memorial Lecture – Artists in the New Forest: Past Masters
25-09-25
Writer, speaker, and lifelong New Forest resident Georgina Babey is an expert on the history of New Forest art and literature and the author of several local history titles, including 'New Forest Painters' (Langford Press) and 'New Forest Through Time' (Amberley Publishing). In Barry’s memory, Georgina will give a lecture on New Forest artists of the past, such as William Shayer, John Emms, Heywood Sumner, Frederick Golden Short and Lucy Kemp-Welch, who were strong influencers in Barry's early career. She will also look at a few early Forest book illustrators. e.g. Wilfrid Ball, Walter Tynedale and Ernest Haslehust talk about the 1875 New Forest Art Exhibition in London, which played a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Forest and of Barry's own artistic legacy.
September
Autumn Leaf Relief Printing
28-09-25 10.30am - 5pm
For this autumn inspired workshop we will be printing using fallen leaves to help create designs for lino prints. We will then transfer our designs to lino, carve and print them onto textured papers to take home and frame.
October
Law & Order
In the New Forest
17-10-25 to 02-12-25
An Exhibition charting crime and justice from 1087 to present day.
October
NPA Walking Festival Walk and Lino Printing Workshop
Date and time to be confirmed
Details to be confirmed
November
Linocut Christmas Cards Workshop
16-11-25 10.30am - 4pm
Join us for this popular workshop to learn how to design a Christmas image to carve from lino and print onto your very own cards.
December
Exhibition by Kamil Woj
05-12-25 to 31-12-25
Kamil came to the UK from Poland in 2005 for artistic and personal development. He is a professional musician by trade and has recently found a passion for painting. He spends much of his time painting in the New Forest. His art reflects his emotions and his own life experiences. This is the first opportunity he has been given to exhibit his work in a public space.
December
Linocut Wrapping Paper Workshop
7-12-25 10.30am - 4pm
Come and make eco-friendly wrapping paper with your own Christmas designs. Kate will teach you how to design a repeating pattern stamp that you will carve from lino and use to print your own paper to take home and wrap your Christmas presents with.