Exhibitions

Sisters, Sirens and Saints: Imagining the Women of Beatrice Offor 

Special Exhibition of Portraits by Beatrice Offor (1864-1920) 

Until April 2024 

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Collection portraits of women by Beatrice Offor

Celebrating the artist Beatrice Offor (1864-1920) who lived in Tottenham, this exhibition explores her beautiful portraits and the imaginings and portrayals of the women she painted. 

Bringing together her artworks from the collections at Bruce Castle Museum alongside recently discovered paintings, this exhibition draws on new research, the influences in her life and the recent invigorated interest in her art. 

Beatrice Offor was amongst the first women students who trained at The Slade, going on to become one of the few commercially successful Edwardian female artists. An unusually forward-thinking artist for her time. 

  • Location: Compton Gallery 

The Two Williams 

Violin Maker and Photographer 

17 January 2024 - May 2024 

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exhibition poster with black and white photo of two men in edwardian dress

The extraordinary story of world-class craftmanship, evocative photographs of Tottenham and a secret that went to the grave. Explore the life, work and home of two remarkable men: William Thomas Reed Atkinson (1851-1929), one of Britain's greatest violin makers, and the photographic artistry of his son William Thomas Camper Atkinson (1883-1971), of Church Road, Tottenham.

  • Location: Coleraine Gallery

'Land of Laundries'

By Al Johnson, sculptor

Friday 1 March - Sunday 28 April 2024

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bronze sculpture of hand holding bar of soap

Haringey artist Al Johnson’s ‘Land of Laundries’ considers the symbolism of laundry. Despite a century of feminism, washing continues to be women’s work. Developed on reminiscences and stories of older women, the installation points to the repetitive nature of laundry: soaping, pegging, folding, and ironing. In the past when few working-class women were able to work outside the home, cleanliness of their laundry was evidence of proficiency as a wife and mother. Laundry is rarely mentioned in literature. Al Johson’s work includes embroidered textiles highlight overlooked stories and voices of women and their work.

About the artist: Al Johnson is a sculptor and lecturer.  Her sculpture references recent history and the interplay between politics, power and the collective memory. Al believes in the development of creativity as a founding principle of education, and in the empowerment that results from democratic participation in the arts.

Al has exhibited widely, with work in both private and public collections including: Bruce Castle Museum, Tottenham, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry, and Sea City Museum, Southampton. For images and more information: www.aljohnsonsculptor.com

  • Location: Compton Gallery