If you are looking for something to lift your spirits during this grey and wet January, I seriously recommend a trip to Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery, where, from Friday, January 23rd, you can immerse yourselves in 200 years of British posters.
From bold Victorian designs to striking modern graphics, this is an exhibition that brings together an exceptional selection of 19th and 20th-century advertising posters, many from the collections of the gallery and Bath Record Office.
I was lucky enough to sneak in today while everyone was very busy setting things up to get a preview of what will be on show in the company of Collections Manager, Katharine Wall.
Poster Power! runs from 23 January until 10 May 2026 at the Victoria Art Gallery, Bath. Tickets are £9 for adults, £4 for children over 6, and free for children under 6 and residents of Bath & North East Somerset with a Discovery Card.
A free guided tour of the exhibition will take place every Thursday from 1.30 pm to 2 pm, included with an exhibition ticket.
Event: Clifford & Rosemary Ellis: Poster Artists Extraordinaire
Wednesday 25 March, 6-8 pm / Tickets £15 (£7.50 with Discovery Card) and include admission to the exhibition.
Join former Victoria Art Gallery manager Jon Benington for an evening talk exploring the Ellises’ unique design partnership and their work for Shell, BP, London Transport and others. Jon oversaw the gift of the Ellis Family Archive to Bath & North East Somerset Council in 2016.
Alongside Poster Power!, the Small Gallery will host Thea Dupays: A Life of Painting, an intimate celebration of the artist’s remarkable 92‑year creative journey.
Bringing together expressive still lifes, landscapes and portraits, the exhibition showcases Dupays’ signature use of rich colour and bold, confident composition.
Free to enter, it offers visitors the chance to explore — and purchase — works spanning a lifetime devoted to painting.
PS. Katharine mentioned a current production of The Rivals. It actually opens at the Theatre Royal on Tuesday, January 27th!
