A curator-led talk exploring nine paintings from The Box's collection that were previously on loan to Downing Street, featuring works by Stanley Spencer, Alfred Wallis and others.
The Box is bringing nine of its own paintings back from Downing Street for a curator-led talk on Wednesday 14 October, from 1.00pm to 1.45pm in the North Gallery. The works had been on loan to the Prime Minister's official residence under the Government Art Collection's 'Museum in Residence' scheme, so this is a chance to see them back in Plymouth rather than in London.
It's a guided session, and you'll follow the gallery's art curator, who introduces the paintings and the artists behind them. The names on the list are a real mix: Stanley Spencer, Jack Pickup, Robert Borlase Smart, Alfred Wallis, Charles Ginner and Reginald Brill. If you're not familiar with them all, it's a good way to get a handle on who they were and where they fit in.
For a bit of context, The Box is Plymouth's main museum, art gallery and archive, just a short walk from the city centre. It's a big place, and it's been nominated for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2026. Inside you'll find thousands of natural history specimens, a full-size replica woolly mammoth, works of art, and archive film and photography. There are also research facilities for anyone tracing Plymouth's history or their own family tree. Entry to the museum itself is free and no booking is needed, so you can easily make a day of it and wander through the other galleries before or after the talk.
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The session runs from 1.00pm to 1.45pm on Wednesday 14 October in the North Gallery, and tickets are £3.00.
