We are reopening!

15 April 2021

We are delighted to announce that after several months of closure due to the pandemic, we now have a confirmed date on which we can welcome visitors back. The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum and Coventry Archives will reopen to the public on Monday 17 May 2021, subject to government guidance.  

Our refreshed spaces, and permanent galleries await – but that is not all! We will also launch two major exhibitions to mark the start of UK City of Culture 2021. ‘2 Tone: Lives & Legacies’ and ‘UnNatural History’ will open to the public on Friday 28 May.  

‘UnNatural History’, curated by art and environment organisation Invisible Dust, will explore how artists have enabled us to learn about nature. The exhibition features over 20 international artists from Belgium, Germany, India, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Turkey, UK and USA, including four newly commissioned works responding to the Herbert’s Natural Science Collection by Frances Disley, Dubmorphology, Tania Kovats and Gözde İlkin. 

‘2 Tone: Lives & Legacies’ the first-ever major exhibition in the UK devoted to the music sensation, will examine the formation of the record label and its philosophy. The exhibition will also look at 2 Tone’s continuing influence on music, fashion, politics, and culture, and include interviews with original band members and feature fashion items and memorabilia.  

The new look café will open on Monday 17 May and the new retail area will reopen on Friday 28 May alongside the two major exhibitions. 

Over the next few weeks we will share further guidance on the measures we are putting in place, alongside useful videos, and Frequently Asked Questions. 

We cannot wait to welcome you back!