Past Exhibitions

8 July – 11 September 2024

The River Don is Amazing was an interactive sculpture and mixed-media installation from Doncaster-based sculptor Dan Jones. It was inspired by the improvements in the river’s biodiversity and celebrates the diversity of the communities that live alongside its banks. The gallery at The Point was transformed into a magnified slice of the River Don. Vibrant and captivating, the exhibition featured large-scale floating sculptures, moving image, words and sound.

3 May – 21 June 2024

The Pollinators was a new family-friendly sensory exhibition by visual artist Bethan Maddocks, celebrating pollinating insects and ancient folk traditions around bee-keeping.

Inspired by the tiny pollinators who help produce our food and flowers, from the honey bee to moths, wasps and beetles, the exhibition explored the meaning of pollination – sharing, transferring knowledge, play and reflection.

In a series of interactive installations visitors of all ages were encouraged to engage their senses through soundscapes, light and shadow installations, hands-on activities and a making space.

19 February – 19 April 2024

Right Up Our Street, Doncaster’s community-led Creative People and Places arts programme funded by Arts Council England, has committed to delivering a three-year programme of work within the Balby Bridge estate to get to know the community on a deeper level.

Photographer Jamie Bubb was the first artist appointed to the area for this residency. During 2023, Jamie spent time connecting with the residents and photographing individuals to share their story and creativity. The exhibition featured sitters from six community groups based on the estate.

Sitters were given the opportunity to customise their portrait with coloured lighting and some chose to take their own image with the use of a remote control. Everybody was encouraged to bring something to their photoshoot that they felt says something about them; a precious, important, meaningful object used to help tell their story without words.

8 December 2023 – 9 February 2024

Produced since the onset of the pandemic by NHS campaigners and members of the public, Threads of Survival continued the proud tradition of documenting important historical events and protest in quilts and textiles. The quilts combined craft and activism as a way for makers, audiences and authorities alike to reckon with Covid-19, and the effects on the public and the NHS of the government’s response to the virus. A powerful collection, the resulting quilts and textile art pieces were made by hundreds of people across England from East Anglia, West & South Yorkshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Somerset, Cornwall, Devon, County Durham, Surrey, London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.

For more information visit the Threads of Survival website.

18 September – 24 November 2023

Image: Cornelia Parker, Fox Talbot’s Articles of Glass (tagged glasses), from: Fox Talbot’s Articles of Glass, 2016. Courtesy artist and Cristea Roberts Gallery, London © Cornelia Parker, 2023. Photo: FXP Photography, London, 2017.

Cornelia Parker’s latest experiments in photography and printmaking were presented in this exhibition of twenty large-scale photogravures from three series: Thirty Pieces of Silver (exposed) (2015), One Day This Glass Will Break (2015) and Fox Talbot’s Art.

One Day This Glass Will Break arose from Cornelia Parker’s investigations into the photogravure – a photomechanical process which produces images through the exposure of a photographic positive onto a copper printing plate. Parker reinvented the technique by substituting the photographic negative for three-dimensional objects that are laid directly onto the copper plate.

A Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition from The Southbank Centre, London.

1 July – 2 September 2023

The Point and Danum Gallery, Library and Museum collaborated to bring the Brick by Brick exhibition to Doncaster. Both city centre venues displayed different artworks by 18 artists, designers and photographers from around the world who use LEGO® bricks as their medium or inspiration. Taking this simple plastic construction block as their starting point, these artists have created stunning, thought provoking and often humorous artworks to appeal to art enthusiasts and LEGO® fans alike.

Brick by Brick is a 20-21 Visual Arts Centre Touring Exhibition.

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group which does not sponsor, authorise, endorse or otherwise support this exhibition or related events. The LEGO Group does not accept responsibility for any unforeseen outcomes linked to this exhibition or related events.

17 April – 16 June 2023

This exhibition of works selected from printmakers, film makers and textile artists, questionned how our places have changed and how we look at our natural world.  Six artists: Tracy Hill, Andrew Warburton, Liadin Cooke, Sarah Duncan, Jemma Gunning and Clare Carter; from across the UK, were selected for this exhibition as they respond to our changing landscapes and our place in the world through their artistic practice. 

Works include representations of fires in the Amazon, a hand tufted rug which draws attention to the increase of colossal icebergs, some the size of New York, breaking off from Antarctica in ‘calving events’ as a result of climate change; as well as changes to our own UK landscapes such as the threat to our wetlands from urbanisation and perceptions of wetlands as ‘wasted lands’, and the threat to our woodlands from HS2. 

A touring exhibition from West Yorkshire Print Workshop.

6 February – 31 March 2023

The Glasshouse Project by Visual Artist Mandy Keating, explores 90 years of the little-known social and glassmaking heritage of Pilkington Glass in Doncaster, whilst celebrating those ‘ordinary’ people who worked for or had a connection with the factory; an homage to the glass, the designs and most of all the people.

The installation included a collaborative 3D artwork inspired by the glass factory and its use of textures, pattern and colour created with local people, vibrant collaged portraits of people connected to Pilkington UK and large-scale black and white photographs from a rarely seen collection documenting the workers and factory.

14 November 2022 – 27 January 2023

Selected from open submission, the 12th Flourish Award for Excellence in Print brought together the best of printmaking from across the UK. The exhibition showcased a diverse range of printmaking techniques and themes with a rich mix of abstract and figurative work exploring local and global issues.

A touring exhibition from West Yorkshire Print Workshop.

27 July – 28 October 2022

Regarding Forests, Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine #9, Yakushima, 2017, Chrystel Lebas. Wellcome Collection. (CC-BY-NC)

In 2019 photographer Chrystel Lebas travelled to the Hoh Rain Forest in Washington State, USA, and then on to the Japanese island of Yakushima, known for its Yakusugi or ancient cedar trees. The large-scale photographs Lebas took on these visits were presented in this multi-sensory installation accompanied by an ambient soundscape recorded on location, as well as the scent of the forest floor after it has rained.

A touring exhibition from Wellcome Collection.

8 April – 2 July 2022

Exploring themes of disability, this new body of work by Jason Wilsher-Mills told the stories of learning-disabled groups from across England, mixing them with Jason’s own biography and creating new narratives and myths about the artist. The exhibition featured Jason’s vibrant, hyper-joyful inflatable and fibreglass sculptures and light box digital paintings, along with highly ornate wallpaper and interactive exhibits. 

A 20-21 Visual Arts Centre Touring Exhibition.

15 January – 19 March 2022

This exhibition showcased 21 photogravures of drawings produced by the artist between 1915-1963; the period in which O’Keeffe established herself as a major figure in American Modernism. Renowned for her distinctive balance of abstraction with figuration and tenaciously pursuing her innovative style, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) is one of the most important artists in 20th century American art. Her iconic works of organic forms, surreal abstractions, rural landscapes, urban cityscapes and organic forms – including flowers and bones – broke new ground for women artists.

A Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition from The Southbank Centre, London.

19 October – 10 December 2021

Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924–2005) was one of the pioneers of the pop art movement in the UK. Born in Scotland, Paolozzi was a compulsive collector and a jumbler of icons. He is equally revered for his mechanistic sculptures and his kaleidoscopic print projects. Paolozzi’s canny alchemy was vividly apparent in General Dynamic F.U.N, a series of fifty screenprints and photolithographs created between 1965 and 1970.

A Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition from The Southbank Centre, London.

19 June – 1 October 2021

Whilst The Point was closed to the general public during the Covid-19 pandemic, we digitised our exhibitions so that audiences could explore them online. Virtual visitors were able to take a tour around the gallery through images and film.

This exhibition featured original artworks by internationally acclaimed artists STATIC, Paul Luke and Natasha Clarke, who have all created large-scale installations around Doncaster. Listen to this introduction to street art and the exhibition from Jeff Clark, Founder of Art of Protest Projects.

4 February – 29 May 2021

Whilst The Point was closed to the general public during the Covid-19 pandemic, we digitised our exhibitions so that audiences could explore them online. Through video, images and interviews, we were able to share the exhibition ‘The Art of Disconnection’ by Kate Sully virtually.

In 2019 Kate was awarded a Develop your Creative Practice (DYCP) grant from Arts Council England to travel to Fremantle Arts Centre in Western Australia for 8 weeks. Whilst there, Kate explored creativity and brain patterns and the idea that art can connect us to the world and make us feel like we belong.

The resulting artworks are a creative response made with a mix of digitally printed scientific brain scans, collage, and paint. The manipulated scientific images tell different stories about memory and function through a creative language. Find out more about Kate’s work and the exhibition by watching the short film above.

14 March – 16 May 2020

Large-scale sculptures of ancient monuments, dragons and robots reflect our love for heroes, villains, and long-lost worlds.

The exhibition made connections across time and space to show how the myths of ancient times impact our aspirations, fantasies and fears today.

Mythomania is a touring exhibition from 20—21 Visual Arts Centre.

7 January – 7 March 2020

This family-friendly exhibition was based on the much-loved children’s book, Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood.

The exhibition was specially designed to appeal to families and especially under five-year-olds, with lots of sensory and interactive elements.

In the book, a little owl stays awake during the day for the first time and is amazed by all the colours she sees, ‘Wow! Said the Owl as white fluffy clouds floated across a bright blue sky.’

The exhibition gave children the same sense of wonder and amazement by introducing them to colours and inviting them to be creative by playing with shapes, puppets, costumes and drawing.

This exciting exhibition was made possible with generous support from Arts Council England and Macmillan Children’s Books.

It will be touring around Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire until 2021.

Tim Hopgood’s Wow! Said the Owl book is published by Macmillan Children’s Books.

6 – 21 December 2019

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) is a leading voice in the world of photography. The RPS Visual Art Group create contemporary and traditional style pieces using a wide range of styles, from still-life to landscape photography.

The RPS annual Members Print Exhibition displayed the beautiful work of award-winning photographers, which represents the depth and breadth of the Group’s work. Each of the fascinating pieces was displayed in print form rather than digital, achieving the highest possible quality of visual art photography.

Image: Age Gap, John Hoskins ARPS

5 October – 30 November 2019

This intriguing exhibition from sculptors Johnny White and Amanda Wray used large scale installations to explore our journeys through everyday life.  

Combining White’s humorous style with Wray’s quirky sculptures, their interactive creations encouraged us to reflect on what it means to be human.  

Human Machines is a touring exhibition from 20-21 Visual Arts Centre.

7 – 28 September 2019

The exhibition showcased some of the incredible stories and cycling memories collected as part of an 18-month project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. These featured alongside a collection of cycling artefacts, as well as a film inspired by Doncaster stories about freedom, companionship and the joy that cycling brings to people’s lives.

9 March to 2 August 2019

From 9 March to 2 August 2019, The Point’s gallery was home to Scribble, Doodle & Draw – an exhibition which transformed our gallery into a giant comic strip!

With characters to meet, stories to follow and opportunities to learn how to draw like a comic artist, this exhibition was perfect for losing yourself in an imaginary world. It featured original pieces from published artists Jim Medway, Ed Syder and Tor Freeman who have painted directly onto our gallery walls. There were plenty of opportunities to create your own artwork and be exhibited alongside the professionals!

Read a review from a couple of our young visitors – 12-year-old Rufus and 7-year-old Wilf kindly shared their thoughts on the exhibition when they popped by!

14 January – 23 February 2019

Quirky Choir was formed by darts (Doncaster Community Arts) to launch the opening of The Point in 1998. November 2017 marked Quirky Choir’s official 20^th anniversary and the members spent the year creating a new body of work in collaboration with professional musicians and a range of community groups.

Janet Wood, leader of the choir, steered the project towards a final exhibition to showcase their work. The choir worked with creatives including Ian McMillan, Luke Carver Goss, Hayley Youell and Lucky Moyo in order to explore new styles and create new work.

Photographer James Mulkeen and filmmaker James Lockey documented Quirky Choir’s year. Quirkus exhibition shared their photos, film, recordings of the choir and an interactive choir for visitors to play.

19 September – 15 December 2018

ARTIST ROOMS: Bill Viola was the result of a collaboration between darts, Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. The exhibition drew from their project ARTIST ROOMS, a touring collection of over 1,600 works of modern and contemporary art, displayed across the UK in solo exhibitions.

The exhibition marked the first time that internationally renowned video artist Bill Viola’s work had ever been displayed in Doncaster. Viola’s art tends to be simple in style whilst making the use of state-of-the-art technologies and focuses on shared human experiences such as birth and death.

As part of our ARTIST ROOMS experience, we developed a group for young people to get involved in activities around our exhibitions, the Young Curators. In September 2018 the Young Curators opened ARTIST ROOMS: Bill Viola to the public alongside Ed Miliband.

21 July – 1 September 2018

These microbes – designed by Spacecadets Air Design – transformed our gallery into a glowing landscape of suspended inflatable microbe pods. Vibrantly colourful and enticingly tactile, visitors could walk among them, feel them sway, and watch how they breathe.

23 April – 31 May 2018

Photography and science are intimately linked. Photography would be impossible without science – chemistry, optics and electronics have all played their part in helping us gather images. Yet photography is often invaluable in science, either in recording science or in communicating it to others.

The Royal Photographic Society – International Images for Science exhibition showcased fascinating images illustrating how photography is used in science and the role it plays in our everyday lives. Since its foundation in 1853, the Royal Photographic Society has been dedicated to supporting and promoting both the art and the science of photography.

The exhibition featured 100 awe-inspiring images selected by an expert judging panel.

15 January – 7 April 2018

Rebel Daughters commemorated the 100th anniversary of the first votes for women and launched a year-long programme of activity in partnership with Doncaster Museums. It showcased a range of voices of all ages and explored what being a ‘rebel daughter’ means to them.

Just under 60 women artists based locally, nationally and internationally were selected to show their work from an overwhelming number of submissions to an open call in 2017. Rebel Daughters celebrated the passions and interests of women artists today, from the resin cast of a pig’s head ‘Teacher’s Pet’ by Michelle Clarke Stables to exquisite underwater photographs retelling the story of Shakespeare’s ‘Ophelia’ by Nicola Jayne Maskrey and photographs from the ‘Defying Conventions’ series by Shannon Langley, which places girls at the heart of a revolution.

7 March – 4 April 2017

Me Myself & I explored the personal experiences of people with autism at three key stages of life: as children, as young adults and as older adults. The exhibition featured a series of large scale pictures created from mixed media including found objects, embroidery, ceramics and paint.

Me Myself & I is a project funded by The Lottery through their People’s Projects scheme. Artistic Spectrum, a not for profit organization based in Thorne, South Yorkshire, won a public vote for the funding to work with adults and children with Autism. The sessions have been run at their ArtSpace in Thorne, and at outreach sessions across the Borough of Doncaster.

13 July – 10 October 2015

An exhibition that celebrated the diverse world of animation. This exhibition made its debut at The Point in July 2015 and gave visitors the chance to meet Morph, see their faces come to life and fly around with wings or turn their friends into skeleton avatars. The use of 3D zoetropes, computer-generated images and virtual reality headsets made this an interactive exhibition that everyone could enjoy.

7 March – 28 June 2015

Nick Sharratt, the illustrator behind the instantly recognisable illustrations for Jacqueline Wilson’s Tracy Beaker books and other much-loved characters from the hundreds of books he has written and illustrated, was the subject of this colourful, humorous and hands-on touring exhibition.

Exploring Nick’s passion for drawing, from childhood to his current status as an internationally renowned illustrator and author, the show featured many of the well-known characters illustrated by Nick over the years, including Tracy Beaker, Daisy, Lizzie Zipmouth, Hetty Feather, Caveman Dave, Pirate Pete and Billy Bonkers.

Visitors immersed themselves in Nick’s world, entered a recreation of his studio filled with the tools of his trade and the stages involved in creating one of his illustrations. There was also the chance to try a range of different drawing techniques and materials, including the opportunity to create their own digital ‘Sharracter’.

Shifting Perspectives was more than just an exhibition of photographs. It was an experiment in the power of visual imagery in changing and challenging perspectives. The images were of everyday interactions: people playing football, going for a walk, having a day out at the fairground…But the people in the photographs have Down’s syndrome.

The images of Down’s syndrome that you may be familiar with tend to be either medical – focusing solely on the physical characteristics that mark the individual out as having Down’s syndrome – or images inspiring pity to encourage financial donations. The images in Shifting Perspectives were different. They presented people with Down’s syndrome as individuals, defined by more than their genetic code. The photographs showed human beings with personalities influenced by their families and their environment, as well as their own hopes and aspirations.

The Sand House, a large dwelling carved into sandstone made Doncaster famous from 1850 until WW2.

This exhibition recreated the 40-tonne Elephant and Mahout found in The Sand House. The sculpture was made from compacted sand by artist Jamie Wardley.