📢 We're hiring! Travel Trade and Events Coordinator ✨ Help grow group visits ✨ Work with travel trade partners ✨ Support museum events 📍 25 hrs/week 📄 Permanent 🗓 Apply by 25 June 🔗 thebowesmuseum.org.uk/jobs-and-vol...

📢 We’re hiring at The Bowes Museum 👋 Welcome Team Supervisor 🍽️ Chef ☕ Catering Assistants Join a team creating welcoming experiences for visitors every day. Apply now: thebowesmuseum.org.uk/jobs-and-vol...

👗 Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary Rare garments, deconstructed designs & bold fashion storytelling from Vivienne Westwood From punk to couture, discover the creativity that changed fashion forever.

🏆 The Bowes Museum is in the top 10% of attractions worldwide We’ve received a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award for the second year running. Thank you to everyone who visited & shared their experience 💛

Have Palanquin, Will Travel for #PalacesAndGardens theme of #travelandtransport Photograph details in the alt text. #EastCoastKin #photography #ECK #Palanquin #Norimono #MidC18th #TheBowesMuseum #CountyDurham #travels @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social (Android phone camera)

🛡️ Time Machine, 1988/89 Inspired by armour in the The Wallace Collection, Vivienne Westwood reimagined structure through fashion. Articulated sleeves echo armour plates — history in tweed. 👗 See it in Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary

Twisted Fishing for #PalacesAndGardens theme of #Twisted 'Twisted' info in the alt text. #EastCoastKin #photography #ECK #TheBowesMuseum #BarnardCastle #CountyDurham #SilverSwan #fish #C18th #mechanicalwonder @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social (Android phone camera)

Read about Joséphine Bowes, a French actress who built a world-class art collection for the north of England. 👉 https://artuk.org/discover/stories/josephine-bowes-a-french-actress-who-built-a-world-class-art-collection-for-the-north-of-england 🧑‍🎨 Joséphine Bowes (1825–1874) 📷 The Bowes Museum

👑 Your first look: Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary Our most ambitious Westwood exhibition yet featuring rare pieces from private collections. Discover calico toiles, deconstructed garments & iconic looks, paired with objects from the collection. Now open.

Had a chance to visit the launch of the latest @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social exhibition during the week. Impressive stuff, and not just for fashionistas. So a slight departure for Talking Northeast this week. Read more at open.substack.com/pub/talkingn...

👑 Opening this week: Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary Our most ambitious Westwood exhibition yet, exploring the fusion of rebellion and tradition. Developed with Peter Smithson & private collectors.

📚 Teacher CPD Join us on Zoom, 26 March, for a specialist session exploring how artworks, artefacts and museum stories can bring local history to life in the classroom. Focusing on the North East of England. Learn more & book: thebowesmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/bri...

We’re delighted to share that The Bowes Museum has been shortlisted for Community Engagement Programme of the Year at the Museum + Heritage Awards for Unheard Voices, a collaborative project bringing the museum to HMP Deerbolt. 🎉

✨ Coming soon to The Bowes Museum… Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary An exhibition at The Bowes Museum exploring how Vivienne Westwood rewrote the rules of fashion with storytelling and radical style. Opens Saturday 28 March 2026: thebowesmuseum.org.uk/exhibitions/...

We’re hiring! ✨ The Bowes Museum is looking for two Welcome Team Assistants to join our team. If you enjoy working with people and want to help create memorable visitor experiences, we’d love to hear from you. 🧵

Sleep Tight for #Two by #BlueSkyArtShow 'Two Sleeping Children' by Carl Fredrich Holbeck (1857) #EastCoastKin #photography #sculpture #marble #culture #TheBowesMuseum #sleeping #CountyDurham @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social (Android phone camera)

It’s LGBTQIA+ History Month 🏳️‍🌈 Explore The Bowes Museum through a different lens with our LGBTQIA+ Trail, sharing the stories and emotions held in objects through LGBTQIA+ lived experiences. Pick up a trail at the Welcome Desk or learn more here: thebowesmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/lgb...

🎨 Brand new trail launching this weekend! This weekend, families with children aged 9+ can explore The Bowes Museum in a new way with Art School… in a trail! A free spotter trail packed with creative missions 👀✨

Anna in Paris for #PalacesAndGardens theme of #TimePassages (Anna wasn't in Paris!) #EastCoastKin #photography #clock #antique #C18th #CountyDurham #TheBowesMuseum @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social (Android phone camera)

🌟 Volunteer Opportunity at The Bowes Museum 🌟 We’re looking for local volunteers to join us as Gallery Storytellers in our newly reimagined Founders’ Galleries.

Great gig by the unique Fyfe Dangerfield in the grand setting of the @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social last night. Honoured that he played ‘Birdwatcher’ for @yolobirder.bsky.social and I!

✨ Coming up in 2026… ✨ We’re so pleased to share our exhibition line-up for next year; three must-see shows celebrating creativity, cultural exchange and heritage. 🖼️

Moonlight & bonfires 🌙🔥 Aert van der Neer (18th century) captures the magic of night and the cold glow of the moon against the warmth of a bonfire. A perfect scene to share this Bonfire Night ✨ Will you be enjoying fireworks tonight?

‘In Concert @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social transforms the museum’s elegant Jubilee Room into an intimate venue for unforgettable evenings with internationally acclaimed musicians. thebowesmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/

Join The Bowes Museum, Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, and Watts Gallery as part of the Founding the Future network. The role involves researching works across all three collections to shape the content and narrative of a new touring exhibition.

The Museum Renewal Fund is live 🏛️ From Trowbridge to Tyneside, the £20 million DCMS fund will support museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards sustainable and thriving futures. Read our full news story 👇

Join @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social on Sat 11th Oct for an intimate evening In Conversation with Nathan Coley, the internationally renowned & Turner Prize-nominated artist. Find out about his career & explore the themes behind his installations. thebowesmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/in-...

🦢 Today The Silver Swan had her health check, thanks to The Cumbria Clock Company. Regular care keeps her magic alive for future generations. ✨ #SilverSwan #TheBowesMuseum

Join Turner Prize–nominated artist Nathan Coley at The Bowes Museum for an evening in conversation about his powerful installations & creative practice. 📅 Sat 11 Oct | 🎟️ £18 | 🔗 thebowesmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/in-...

🎄The Bowes Museum Winter Market returns 12–14 Dec 2025! Explore 100+ stalls with unique gifts, food & drink, enjoy festive workshops, carollers & free entry to exhibitions. Tickets £7 before 8 Dec / £8 after. Under-18s go free. 🎟️ Book: thebowesmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/win...

There is a fab resource room (The Hive) @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social and it’s the perfect place to sit and #sketch the amazing ceiling.

Stopped off @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social for a scone and some art. Perfect

🐱🐶 Ever wondered what inspired the giant squishee Cat and Dog in Pippa Hale: Pet Project?

Pippa Hale: Pet Project opens TOMORROW. Join us for a summer of play and creativity with squishee sculptures based on our ceramic collection. Fun for all the family → thebowesmuseum.org.uk/exhibitions/...

After an 11-month tour of Japan, Regatta on the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy by Canaletto (c.1730–1739) is back at The Bowes Museum. This 18th-century masterpiece has returned from top museums in Shizuoka, Tokyo, Kyoto and Yamaguchi and is now on display daily, 10am–5pm.

🗓️ Save the date. Dressed for Departure: Fashion in the Age of Rail Opens 27 September at The Bowes Museum.

Opening 26 July: Pippa Hale: Pet Project 🐾 This fun, interactive exhibition invites you to play with art. From giant ceramic-inspired beanbags to community displays, this is one for all ages — turning the idea of fragile art on its head.

Now on view: Tate Modern on Fire (2017) by Nathan Coley. A powerful abstract model of the London museum that explores the fragile relationship between art, institutions and society. See it in the Blue Picture Gallery until 1 March 2026.

Our Young Curators created a mural for the S&DR200 bicentenary.🚂🎨 It’s now on display at Locomotion. A brilliant creative celebration of local history.

Now in the Blue Picture Gallery: Nude Pop-Up, a new intervention by our LGBTQIA+ working group Be You at The Bowes. This installation asks visitors to reflect on the collection and their place in it. Hear more from Co-Production Curator Eleanor Thirlway.

Just installed: You Create What You Will (2014) by Nathan Coley, now on display outside The Bowes Museum. A striking 5.5-metre structure reflecting on the nature of art. See it until February 2026.

Final chance to apply for a fully funded PhD with The Bowes Museum + Northumbria University, studying the Blackborne Lace Collection. Open to UK & international applicants, full or part-time. Starts Oct 2025. 🔗 thebowesmuseum.org.uk/jobs-and-opp...

For our BFFs @romanpalace.bsky.social. ❤️ The head of a Roman soldier. 🏛️ But look closer…it’s embroidered! 🤯 What’s more it was made in the 18th century by textile artist Mary Linwood. 🪡 In the collection @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social. 😍

The Silver Swan performs twice a day this week—at 11:45am and 2:00pm. Don’t miss this incredible 18th-century automaton in motion, only at The Bowes Museum.

Join artist Charlotte Hodes on 24 May, 2:30pm at The Bowes Museum to explore how archives inspire her ceramic and papercut art. Part of From Joséphine Bowes: Trendsetters and Trailblazers. 🎟️ Book: thebowesmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/exh...

Two weeks until Volunteer Open Day at The Bowes Museum – join us on 3 June. No experience needed—just a positive attitude. 👉 Read Event Volunteer Beverley’s story: thebowesmuseum.org.uk/meet-event-v... 📧 Book now by emailing: [email protected]

Coming soon…Pippa Hale: Pet Project Opening 26 July, this joyful and immersive exhibition sees artist Pippa Hale reimagine the museum’s renowned ceramic collection. Expect playful interpretation, bold colours, and interactive elements designed to spark curiosity in visitors of all ages.

Join us on 15 May for Paintings Collected by Madame Bowes, a talk by John Findlay exploring how Joséphine Bowes built a remarkable art collection. Using purchase records and archival materials, John will share stories behind key acquisitions and reveal how the founders shaped the collection.

Looking forward to representing @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social #CountyDurham #NorthEastEngland speaking at the #AAM2025 conference in #LosAngeles today about purpose-led and people-centred museums. The last few days full of fantastic conversations based on this year’s vital theme of Museums + Trust.

Only 5 days left to submit your ceramic pets for Pippa Hale: Pet Project! We’re showing quirky, handmade, or heirloom ceramics alongside our collection. Email a photo, your name, address + 100 words answering: What is it? Why is it important to you? [email protected] (Deadline: 13 May)