Building the New Ashmolean: Drawings and Prints by Weimin He

Wednesday, November 4th 2009

4 November 2009 - 28 February 2010. Weimin He from China is the Ashmolean artist-in-residence. During the Ashmolean's transition period from the demolition of the old building in 2006 to the completion of the new building this year, Weimin He was on hand to record every detail. His unique observations were made using ink, pen and woodblock prints. The artist joined the builders on the construction site and chronicled everything from welding to the pouring of the cement. He employed traditional methods, used in China for over a millenium, and his drawings were made on pi, xuan papers or album leaves. Tues-Sun: 10.00-18.00 more

Crossing Borders: Hebrew Manuscripts as a Meeting-place of Cultures

Tuesday, December 8th 2009

8 December 2009 - 3 May 2010. The winter exhibition at the Bodleian draws on the library's extensive Hebrew archive which is one of the largest and most important collections of Hebrew manuscripts in the world. This exhibition relates the fascinating story of how Jews, Christians and Muslims have all contributed to the development of the book. Through cultural collaboration, social interaction and religious toleration during the Middle Ages, the exhibition illustrates how this pooling of knowledge combined to create the revolutionary concept of the printed book. The Bodleian Library is the central research library at the University of Oxford. Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00, Sat 09.00-16.30, Sun 11.00-17.00 more

Miroslaw Balka: Topography & Pawel Althamer: Common Task

Saturday, December 12th 2009

12 December 2009 - 7 March 2010. Two exhibitions take place concurrently in Modern Art Oxford. Considered one of the most innovative artists of his generation, Pawel Althamer merges traditional sculpture with radical modern elements, utilising whole communities of people into his work. Acclaimed sculptor Miroslaw Balka has been producing cutting-edge video performances for the last ten years. His practice has been described as 'extending a sculptural language that is rich in associations with history and his native Poland'. 'Topography' by Althamer and 'Common Task' by Balka run concurrently in Modern Art Oxford. Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00 more

University of Oxford Botanic Garden

Monday, November 30th 2009

Until 1 March 2010. The Botanic Garden at the University of Oxford offers visitors a series of events over winter, including an exhibition of fibre-inspired artworks which promotes Fairtrade clothes. This collaborative event has been organised between students from the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art and the ethical fashion outlet 'Trading for Development'. In addition, a family-friendly fibre afternoon is planned which includes a celebratory 'knit-off'. Impressive glass houses can be found within the walled gardens, while outside the walls can be found the water garden and rock garden. Daily: 09.00-16.30 more

John Bradford - Pioneer of Landscape Archaeology

Friday, October 2nd 2009

2 October 2009 - 31 January 2010. John Bradford (1918-1975) was an archaeologist with the Pitt Rivers Museum, who specialised in the pioneering use of aerial photography to facilitate landscape archaeology. Bradford's reconnaissance career with the RAF in World War II later led directly to innovative breakthroughs in this field of discovery. This exhibition displays Bradford’s aerial images of Etruscan cemeteries, Italian neolithic sites and ancient Roman sites in Italy and the UK, all of which formed the basis of his celebrated 1957 book, 'Ancient Landscapes'. The recently re-opened Pitt Rivers Museum is home to one of the world's great archaeological and anthropological collections. Tues-Sun: 10.00-16.30 Mon: 12.00-16.30 more

Crossing Cultures Crossing Time: The Ashmolean Museum Re-Opens

Saturday, November 7th 2009

From 7 November 2009. Founded in 1683, the Ashmolean museum of art and archaeology re-opens on Saturday 7 November 2009 following a major redevelopment. The new building comprises 39 new galleries, including four temporary exhibition galleries, a new education centre, state-of-the-art conservation studios, and Oxford’s first rooftop restaurant. A new approach to displaying its vast array of treasures, which date back to the neolithic era, has been christened as 'Crossing Cultures Crossing Time'. This promises to transform the way visitors experience the Ashmolean's collections, allowing them to view the museums' exhibitions in a more accessible manner while highlighting its first-class collections. Among its precious artifacts are the world's largest group of Raphael drawings, the greatest Anglo-Saxon collections outside the British Museum and the foremost collection of modern Chinese art in the Western world. Weekend of Opening: 7 November: 10.00-22.00, 8 November: 10.00-17.00. For further opening hours and visitor's information: www.ashmolean.org more

Steam Punk

Tuesday, October 13th 2009

13 Oct 2009-21 Feb 2010. Steampunk is an artform which came in to prominence in the 1980s and combines an unusual combination of Victorian steam power with a Jules Verne type of fantasy and science fiction. Curated by Art Donovan, this exhibition showcases the work of 18 international Steampunk artists and includes such eclectic pieces as steam-powered computer mice, clockwork hearts, brass goggles - even a steam-operated ipod! The museum's exhibition publication includes a specially commissioned Steampunk comic strip by Sydney Padua. more

Karla Black Exhibition

Wednesday, September 30th 2009

30 Sept - 29 Nov 2009. Glasgow artist Karla Black (born in 1972) makes process-based sculptural pieces using household materials such as clothing, flour and lipstick, in a style that incorporates aspects of both minimalism and classical sculpture. Described as possessing a 'precarious fragility' her works invoke previously traditional feminine roles such as nursing and baking. This exhibition is Black's most comprehensive to date and comprises an ambitious series of sculptures made specifically for the upper galleries of Modern Art Oxford. Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 12.00-17.00 more

Some Like it Hot!

Sunday, September 13th 2009

13 September - 17 October 2009. The Oxfordshire Museum hosts an exhibition focusing on the ancient art of enamelling. The process of enamelling involves smelting powdered glass onto precious and non-precious metals, which then forms a glassy lustre finish. Promoted by the British Society of Enamellers, the exhibition examines the skills behind this age-old craft, which was in widespread use by the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Celts, Russians and Chinese. Many of the items on show are for sale. Tues-Sat 10.00-17.00, Sun 14.00-17.00 more

Carolyn Drake: Photographs of Central Asia

Thursday, May 14th 2009

14 May - 15 November 2009. Carolyn Drake is an award-winning photographer whose wide selection of photographs and documentary work from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are on show in the Pitt Rivers Museum. Her work highlights the difficult lives of the citizens of Central Asia in these post-Soviet times; her photographs reveal their daily struggle with the inheritance of failed environmental, political and economic policies. The Pitt Rivers Museum has recently reopened having successfully completed a redevelopment project. Tues-Sun 10.00-16.30, Mon 12.00-16.30 more