📢 WHEN: MA Fine Art Exhibition @themerl.bsky.social (17 March – 14 June, 2026) Each year, our staff work with postgraduate students from The School of Art to create and exhibit new work in The MERL's open-access, on-site, storage space. 🔗 Visit now! Or learn more on our Bloomberg Connects guide.

📢 Watercolour Workshop with Linda Saul! 🗓️Thursday 14 May 2026, 12:00 – 16:00. In this workshop, discover how to create imaginative, semi-abstract landscapes using experimental, granulating watercolour techniques. Sign-up: collections.reading.ac.uk/art-collecti... Image Credit: © Linda Saul RWS

🚀 Artist in Residence helps pupils draw on cosmic inspiration! ⭐️ We're excited to share that Anurita Chandola FRSA has been appointed as our current Artist in Residence⭐ 🔗 Read our University of Reading Press Release here: www.reading.ac.uk/news/2026/Un...

Our friends at @unirdg-artcol.bsky.social return with another online fine art talk this Thursday! Join Professor Conor Carville (University of Reading) for a deep-dive into the University's artworks of James Joyce. Free to join. RSVP: merl.reading.ac.uk/whats-on/con...

📢 Our next series of free online art history talks kicks off again next Thursday 5 February! 🎨 Join Professor Conor Carville as he explores our collection of artwork depicting the Irish writer, James Joyce. 🔗 collections.reading.ac.uk/art-collecti...

🎨 It's the final weekend of our anniversary display: 'Paint, Pencil, Print: 10 Artworks for 10 Years' ⏰The display space will be open 10am to 5pm (last entry 4.30pm). Entrance via @themerl.bsky.social *** © Saranjit Birdi, 'Self Portrait: Left-Foot', pencil on paper, 2021, UAC/11030.

Last year our History placement student, Kaiden Underwood, wrote a fantastic blog about our most recent acquisition—a woodcut by Agnes Miller Parker (UAC/11932). Follow the link to read more: collections.reading.ac.uk/art-collecti... **** UAC/11932. © Estate of Agnes Miller Parker.

Happy New Year! 💫 Today we have been researching this remarkable drawing of St Catherine, attributed to Flaminio (1624-84) or Francesco Allegrini (1587-1663). Catherine is the patron saint of scholars. Artists typically depict her with a spiked wheel, but here she is debating 50 philosophers!

Wishing all of our staff, students and followers a restful and joyful Christmas and New Year!🎄 See you in 2026! 💫 *** [Thomas Hofland, A View of Whiteknights from the Park with a Lady Sketching, c.1816, oil on canvas. UAC/10236]

Take a peek behind the scenes of our Paper Conservation studio with our wonderful colleagues in @uorspeccoll.bsky.social 👀🔍

For @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social 's focus week, we're looking at #eyaconservation , with some behind the scenes conservation highlights of James Joyce exhibition prep!

🔍 This month, our former placement student, Caitlin Johnson (BA Museum Studies and Archaeology, 2021-2025), provides a closer look into Walter Sickert’s intriguing drawing — featured in our current exhibition ‘Paint, Pencil, Print: 10 Artworks for 10 Years’ collections.reading.ac.uk/art-collecti...

Missed our recent online talk on Allen Seaby by the fabulous Martin Andrews? Don't worry ... you can catch up on YouTube. Link: youtu.be/cYuBsmK2yP8 [Closeup of 'Magpie' by Allen Seaby. UAC/10860]

Want to terrify an artist for Halloween? Ask them to draw hands! Thankfully Minnie Jane Hardman was up to the challenge. #happyhalloween🎃 [Close-up of 'Study of a hand' by Minnie Jane Hardman, 1883-1889. UAC/10593].

Those of you who visit Park House on our Whiteknights Campus🍻might be familiar with this evocative landscape painting by our alumni and former Professor, Allen W Seaby (1867-1953). If you want to know more about Seaby and his links to Reading, join our free, online talk next Thurs 6 Nov at 7.30pm!

Thanks to everyone who joined us last night as we kickstarted our third series of free, online art history talks! Next up is: 📅 Thurs 6 November 🕣 7.30pm 🐦‍⬛Martin Andrews, printing historian, on the work of painter and printmaker, Allen W. Seaby (1867-1963) collections.reading.ac.uk/art-collecti...

⚡We're back with 'Closer Look: Conversations with a Curator' — our free, online art history talks!⚡ 📅 Thurs 2 October, 7.30pm - Dr Henrietta Hammant (museum anthropologist and curator) on the explorer and mountaineer, Frederick Spencer Chapman (1907-1971). collections.reading.ac.uk/art-collecti...

🏛️ Are you interested in developing a career in museums and galleries? We are looking for a Curatorial Volunteer for 1 day per week. 🖼️ We will help you develop skills in research, collections care, and public engagement. 🔗 For more info, follow the link at: merl.reading.ac.uk/communities/...

⭐ Our Curator of Art Collections has contributed three new biographies on women artists for this month's #ODNB update. Read her Introduction and new entries in the link below! 👇 #ODNB #WomenInArt

Listen to our amazing colleagues at The MERL @themerl.bsky.social on their latest #AbsoluteUnits podcast! 🎧

If you've been following us for a while you may have spotted references to Abby, our Curatorial Volunteer. Sadly it's her last day with us. We're so grateful for all her amazing work, which including the most recent Ladybird in Focus display. Wishing her all the best!

It's #InternationalDogDay 🐶 🔎 Can you spot the dog in this pencil and ink sketch by Allen W. Seaby? ✏️ Read more about Seaby's sketches in our new online exhibition, curated by University of Leicester MA placement student, Cristina Garcia ✨ 👉 collections.reading.ac.uk/art-collecti...

🎨🖌️Do you want to create a mural on this wall that celebrates the University of Reading centenary? ⏰ Don't forget that our call for expressions of interest closes this Sunday 17 August, at midnight! 🔗 Follow the link in our bio for more info. #PublicArt #ArtistsMural #UniversityOfReading

Happy International Cat Day to all who celebrate. [Closeup of 'Tabby Kittens' by George Hooper, watercolour on paper, UAC/10991]. #internationalcatday

Today's @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange is abstract and non-figurative art 🎨 We've chosen Mary Hoad's (1908-68) 'Areas of Colour', whose abstract forms our Curator loves! However, we know little about this artist. Can you shed any light on Mary Hoad and her practice? Let us know! 🔍✏️

Happy Graduation to all of our fantastic University of Reading students!🎓 And so the next adventure begins... (but don't forget to keep in touch!) ✨ [Arthur Stockdale Pope, Alfred Palmer in graduation robes, 1927, oil on canvas, UAC/10056]

💥 We are seeking Expressions of Interest for the design and delivery of a large-scale mural on our Whiteknights Campus💥 🕛 Deadline is Sun 17 August (midnight). 👉🏻 For more info about the application process, follow the link in our bio! #centenarycelebration #publicart #mural #callforartists2025

There are over 1,700 accredited museums in the UK. And now we're officially one of them! If you are looking for us today, we are celebrating. 🎉 For more info: www.reading.ac.uk/news/2025/Un...

It's the final day of term! ☀️🎓 Congratulations to all brilliant students and staff. We hope you have a brilliant summer ahead and look forward to seeing you again in September!

Tomorrow we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Whiteknights Studio Trail with a brand new exhibition: ⭐Paint, Pencil, Print: 10 Artworks for 10 Years⭐ Explore a selection of works that mark the growth of our art collection over the past decade. 🗓️Opens 10am, Sat 6 June - visit our website for info!

Art History in the Archive!🏛️ Today our 3rd year BA Archaeology and Museum Studies student, Zheng Tao Chong, began his volunteer placement with us. We have been working through the University History resources in the Archive and have already found some historical gems!🎨

A sneaky look at one of the artworks that's being using in teaching today. We're talking about how and why we acquire artwork. This is one of our most recent acquisitions. [Close up of 'Perth Bridge' by Sir David Young Cameron, 1889, etching on paper. UAC/11596].

💥New acquisitions news!💥 We're so pleased to announce that we have acquired 10 drawings by the artist, Deanna Petherbridge, CBE (1939 – 2022). This gift was presented by the Trustees of the Estate of Deanna Petherbridge with @artfund.bsky.social support. collections.reading.ac.uk/art-collecti...

Episode #3 of our podcast is here! We speak to documentary filmmaker Dr Shweta Ghosh (University of Reading) about storytelling, good cups of tea, and the links between rural history in England and India. 🔊 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts: merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...

Today's @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange is 'rural' to celebrate @tulliecarlisle.bsky.social show: 'Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs' So we're going to point you to our sister collection @themerl.bsky.social who have *amazing* rural themed artworks, including some #absoluteunits 🐮

Today's #OnlineArtExchange theme by @artukdotorg.bsky.social is rural. This oil painting shows the lush green landscape of the Thames below Reading. 🖌️ unknown 19th century artist 🖼️ was displayed over fireplace in the Dreadnought pub for decades before joining our collection 🏛️ object no. 2020.24.1

Happy Easter holidays to all of our followers! We hope you have a wonderful and restful break 🐰 The University is now closed for the Easter break, so we will be back with you next week! 🐣 [Robert Gillmor, The Running of the Hare, 1992, linocut on paper © the artist's estate.]

Episode 2 of Absolute Units is out now! We speak to Dr Hannah Lyons (Curator, University of Reading Art Collection) about what art teaches us about England’s rural past, and why people painted such giant hogs. 🔊 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...

It's Friday! 🎉🍾 Need to kill the final few hours of work before clocking off at 5pm? Why not read our brilliant new blog on 'Painting Pandoras' by our Art Curatorial Volunteer, Abby: 👉 collections.reading.ac.uk/art-collecti... 'The Light Within the Darkness' © the artist

Today's #OnlineArtExchange is #spring!🏵️ And we're sharing 'Spring' by our alumna, Elizabeth A Talbot, commissioned in 2001 for the University of Reading's School of Agriculture. You can hear more about this artwork on our #BloombergConnects app! 🌱 @artukdotorg.bsky.social #Spring © the artist.

⭐ We are pleased to announce that we are the recipient of the new GEM Arts Scholars Enriching Lives Grant Programme, made possible through the generous support of the Company of Arts Scholars Charitable Trust ⭐

📢 Open today! University of Reading MA Fine Art: Spring Exhibition🎨 We have been working closely with postgraduate students from Reading School of Art and the amazing team @themerl.bsky.social to explore the theme of ‘voices’. 👉Exhibition open until 15 June: merl.reading.ac.uk/event/ma-fin...

Hurry up it's your last chance to book onto our talk this evening (7:30pm GMT, 2:30pm EST) www.eventbrite.com/e/closer-loo...

Tonight! Join us and @unirdg-artcol.bsky.social for our latest free-to-join online talk. We'll be joined by American feminist artist, writer and educator, Linda Stein, exploring her award-winning creative practice. Book now: merl.reading.ac.uk/event/closer...

📢 We are absolutely delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Hallett Independent Acquisitions Award 2025🎉💥🍾 Image: Cornelia Parker, Fox Talbot’s Articles of Glass (all that are left), 2017. Courtesy Cristea Roberts.

There are thousands of women artists represented on Art UK, have an explore for #WomensHistoryMonth 👩‍🎨 Filter artists by gender, discover our A-Z of women artists, or read features and interviews 👉 buff.ly/EpOPvIv 'Self Portrait' by Barbara Walker (b.1964) © the artist. 📷 Usher Gallery

We're back online! 🎉

So ... apparently our website is down. Apologies to anyone who has been trying to book on our upcoming talk. We're working to resolve this. In the meantime, here is a direct link. www.eventbrite.com/e/closer-loo...

Join us on Thursday 6 March for our next free, online talk! 🎨 We are incredibly excited to have New York-based artist, Linda Stein, join us to talk about her work 'Eleven Heroes'. 📍Online, via Zoom 🕖 7.30-8.15pm Sign-up for a free ticket via our website! ⭐ © Linda Stein. All Rights Reserved.

Huge thanks to those of you who helped make some fabulous art collection inspired bunting today at Reading Station! 💙 See the bunting on display at the University of Reading #community #festival on Saturday 17 May!⭐💚 www.reading.ac.uk/about/local-...