Visit Ipswich instead! 🌈

Hartigan’s works, some of which are now on display in Colour Shape Pattern, buzz with vitality. Come and experience the force of Grace Hartigan’s vision now until 22 February 2026. Let your eyes follow the chaos and find the beauty in it: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

She painted alongside Pollock and de Kooning but refused to be overshadowed, forging a style that blended bold brushwork with hints of figuration, myth and memory. She once said, “I cannot expect even my own art to provide all the answers — only to hope it keeps asking the right questions.”

Objects like this remind us that even centuries ago, artists sometimes captured expressions that feel instantly familiar. We’ve all pulled a face like this when words just won’t do.

Come and explore more quirky pieces in our collections at Christchurch Mansion: buff.ly/sC5oAKT

But beyond the style, portraits like this signalled family legacy. For the Veseys, Hintlesham Hall tied them to Suffolk’s gentry. The portrait, purchased from W. H. Booth, is now on display in the North Corridor at Christchurch Mansion. Visit and see it in person: buff.ly/sC5oAKT

A clock still marks the hour, now part of Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre. And though the trolleybus wires are long gone, the street remains a key part of Ipswich’s town centre life.

Did you ever visit the Picture House? Or queue under those awnings for a sale at H. Samuel?

Visit our Online Collections to explore more stories of everyday life in Roman Suffolk: cim-web.adlibhosting.com/ais6/search/...

Britain was known for exporting hunting hounds to the Roman world, yet figurines of dogs are rare. This is the only one so far found in Suffolk. The blunt-nosed features suggest a bull terrier type. A reminder that people then, just as now, kept dogs not only for work but for companionship.

Come and explore Ben Nicholson’s unique vision at Colour Shape Pattern, on display at Christchurch Mansion until 22 February 2026: ipswich.cimuseums.org.uk/colour-shape-pattern

Born to a family steeped in creativity, Ben broke with tradition, gravitating towards European modernism. He rubbed shoulders with Mondrian, Picasso, and Barbara Hepworth (whom he later married) and forged a style that was as much about form as feeling.

You can spot four tiny rivet holes that once fixed it to leather or wood, and the garnets that remain catch the light even now.

Love early medieval craft? Meet the Anglo Saxons at Christchurch Mansion on 18 Nov and get hands on with the period. Come along and say hello: buff.ly/Ps6rqpN