C. Neville Bertram, Bluecoat Courtyard, 1945, wood engraving

Art History Festival: Greening the Bluecoat

Bryan Biggs presents a selection of material from the Bluecoat archive relating to this year’s festival theme of Art and Nature.

Time

6:00pm - 7:00pm

Date

Thu 18 September 2025

Thu 18 Sep, 6pm.

The Bluecoat is the UK's oldest arts centre, with a century-long history presenting contemporary art. This illustrated talk by its Director of Cultural Legacies, Bryan Biggs, explores the theme of art and nature through the lens of the building's 300-year history and artists who have worked or exhibited there, drawing on material from the Bluecoat archive. From trees planted at the front of the building and the rear court being landscaped into a popular garden oasis in the city centre, to artists whose work exhibited at the venue explores the natural world, the arts centre’s connections to nature are revealed.

This event is part of Art History Festival 2025 organised by the Association for Art History.

C. Neville Bertram, Bluecoat Courtyard, 1945, wood engraving