About | Tickets | Partners + Funders | Collaborations | Events | Schools | Access
Constable 250
March 2026 – March 2027 | Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich
2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Suffolk born artist, John Constable (1776-1837), who would become one of the most important of all British painters. To commemorate his life and work Colchester + Ipswich Museums present Constable 250, a programme of exhibitions and activities at the heart of which will be three landmark exhibitions at Ipswich’s Christchurch Mansion.
These will showcase rare and internationally significant artworks on loan from the National Gallery, Tate, Victoria & Albert Museum, Royal Academy, National Galleries of Scotland, Government Art Collection and private collections.
Inspiring varied community events and learning programmes, Constable 250 will explore Constable’s art and impact sparking connections between art and the natural world for audiences across the county.
Security Notice
Please be aware that routine bag checks are carried out upon entry to the Wolsey Art Gallery. These checks help protect our exhibits and ensure a safe experience for everyone. A Bag Code of Practice is available to review upon request.
About the Constable 250 Exhibitions
Constable: A Cast of Characters
28 March – 14 June 2026
Constable: A Cast of Characters introduced visitors to the people who inspired and supported the artist including works by Suffolk artists Thomas Gainsborough and George Frost and lesser-known artists in the Colchester + Ipswich Museums collections.
It also explored the Regency period that Constable lived in, including family items and select pieces from our costume collections.
It also showcased new art created by Sasha Constable, international sculptor and a direct descendant of the artist himself.
Further information and highlights about this exhibition are available on our section of the Bloomberg Connects app.
The Hay Wain: Walking Constable’s Landscape
11 July – 4 October 2026
The Hay Wain: Walking Constable’s Landscape brings unprecedented key loans from the National Gallery, Tate, V&A, Royal Academy, National Galleries of Scotland to Suffolk for the very first time to explore themes of landscape, place and walking.
Historic loans including Dedham Vale (1828, National Galleries of Scotland) will be seen alongside Colchester + Ipswich Museum’s own Constable collection, including the two most personal paintings from his childhood home, Golding Constable’s Flower Garden and Golding Constable’s Kitchen Garden (both 1815).
A highlight will be Constable’s iconic masterpiece, The Hay Wain (1821, The National Gallery) making its first ever visit to the county it depicts.
This exhibition will include Constable Ambisonic a sound artwork of field recordings from the locations of Constable’s most famous artworks today developed by artist Stuart Bowditch.
Curatorial Advisor for the exhibition is Peter Harrap, a British Romanian artist, curator and researcher on Constable’s walking and painting method.
Tickets + Booking Information
On 3 and 30 September and 1 October, large school and college groups will be visiting the exhibition during the morning as part of workshop sessions.
If you would prefer a quieter visit, we recommend arriving after midday. Your ticket is valid at any time during opening hours.
For further information and queries, please visit our full Pricing page.
Constable to Contemporary
24 October 2026 – 28 February 2027
The final exhibition of the year-long celebration will highlight the artistic and cultural relevancy of Constable’s art through a variety of contemporary and community responses.
Featuring work produced over the anniversary year through varied engagement opportunities including Constable 250 community partners and participating schools, the exhibition will offer a final moment of celebration and reflection for the anniversary year.
Suffolk Art Link’s Brave Art Groups, for adults with learning disabilities, will develop a new body of mixed media works inspired by the work of Constable.
Community Hub Ipswich (CHIp) will develop a youth led immersive artwork bringing to life the essence of ‘Constable Country’ through the senses.
Tickets + Booking Information
For further information and queries, please visit our full Pricing page.
Partners + Funders
Constable 250 is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to explore Constable’s art and legacy through 2026.
The loans are supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund.
We are grateful for the generosity of The Friends of Ipswich Museums, Kerseys Solicitors, East Anglia Art Fund and Art Friends Suffolk in their support of the Constable 250 exhibition programme.
Constable 250 programme Partners Babergh District Council and Paul Mellon Centre make possible ‘Unconventional Constable’ mixed reality exhibition, and the ‘Ground, Horizon, Sky: Constable 250’ Conference respectively.
Community Partners Aspire Black Suffolk, Suffolk Archives, Suffolk Community Libraries, Community Hub Ipswich (CHIp) and Suffolk Artlink are collaborating with Colchester + Ipswich Museums on the delivery of Constable 250 inspired activity to a range of audiences county wide.
Partner Collaborations
The Constable 250 engagement programme embeds meaningful community collaborations to bring to life Constable’s life, work and legacy for all.
Aspire Black Suffolk is an award‑winning, not‑for‑profit community interest company committed to tackling inequality through creative and educational programmes. For Constable 250, they are delivering inclusive storytelling, youth engagement workshops in schools, and the next phase of their diverse history resource, Elimu 2.
Suffolk Community Libraries, in collaboration with Ipswich arts organisation Make Play, will present Constable’s Garden, a bespoke immersive playscape for under‑fives. This pop‑up experience will tour Ipswich Libraries at Chantry, Gainsborough and Ipswich, and feature at Christchurch Mansion’s Mini Mansion Sessions from May to September 2027.
Suffolk Archives, the Suffolk County Council service responsible for preserving over 900 years of the county’s history, will present Constable on Tour. This mobile exhibition, specially developed for Constable 250, will visit events and Constable‑related locations across Suffolk from Spring 2026, including appearances at The Suffolk Show and National Trust Flatford. Free to book family holiday workshops, hosted at The Hold during Summer 2026 further explore the context of Constable in Suffolk.
Community Hub Ipswich (CHIp) is an Ipswich‑based CIC formed by local creatives in 2020, creating community spaces and projects that respond to local needs. Their young artists will explore Constable’s relevance today and develop new artwork for the exhibition Constable to Contemporary, running 24 October 2026 – 28 February 2027.
Suffolk Artlink is a participatory arts charity bringing creative opportunities into the heart of Suffolk communities to support health and wellbeing. Through the Brave Art Unlimited programme, learning‑disabled and neurodivergent artists in Ipswich, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds will explore Constable’s work and create visual artworks for exhibition in Constable to Contemporary, 24 October 2026 – 28 February 2027.
The Paul Mellon Centre, a London‑based research centre and educational charity and part of Yale University, is partnering with the University of Suffolk and Colchester + Ipswich Museums to present Ground – Horizon – Sky: Constable 250 Conference and Challenge Lab. The programme examines historic and contemporary relationships with landscape and forms part of the Centre’s Generation Landscape initiative. The conference will be held at The Hold, Ipswich, with the Challenge Lab hosted at National Trust Flatford Mill in July 2026. If you would like to book tickets, click for more information here.
Unconventional Constable is a mixed‑reality pop‑up exhibition developed by immersive technology specialists Xibitr in partnership with Babergh District Council and Colchester + Ipswich Museums. Using advanced 3D design and game‑engine technology, Xibitr will bring Constable’s iconic works to life through mixed‑reality headsets at Constable Memorial Hall, East Bergholt, from Monday 17 – Sunday 23 August 2026, 10am–3pm.
Constable Ambisonic is a new sound artwork by artist Stuart Bowditch, created through a series of field‑recording workshops held in the contemporary landscapes depicted in Constable’s paintings. The resulting immersive piece will be presented as part of Constable: Walking the Landscape, running 11 July – 4 October 2026.
The Packing Shed Theatre Company, champions of new writing and playwrights from across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, will present The Hay Wain. Created to mark the bicentenary of Constable’s iconic painting, the production brings to life the characters within the artwork. Performed in the grounds of Christchurch Park during the first‑ever Suffolk visit of The Hay Wain painting for Constable: Walking the Landscape, the production will be accompanied by family theatre‑skills workshops throughout August 2026.
Events Programme Highlights
The Constable 250 engagement programme runs from January 2026 to March 2027, this programme includes:
Creative workshops and artist-led sessions for families and schools across six school holidays April 2026 – Feb 2027 hosted at Christchurch Mansion and delivered by local artists and Biodiversity Discovery Days for the full community.
Adult poetry workshops, family theatre skills workshops, a Gallery Late delivered by Ipswich Museums’ own Young Associates, for young people and a series of Joy at the Job Centre Constable 250 events for families, alongside a series of Talks and Tours of local areas linked with the artworks on show.
Schools + Resources
The Constable 250 Schools Programme offers a range of opportunities from primary to further education to explore the life and work of Constable as stimulus for cross curricular learning. Including Teachers CPD, Artist Masterclasses, workshops, talks, tours and outdoor learning opportunities.
Constable 250 Art in a Day workshops offer a great opportunity for pupils to discover a range of art forms around them, learning that art is more than just painting. During this hands-on day, they will take part in a creative activity, find out more about John Constable and Suffolk artists and share their ideas with the group.
We also have a range of resources to support teachers, home educators and families to help bring your lessons and Museum visits to life. For additional resources, don’t forget to visit our Resources page.
Access
Every effort has been made to make Christchurch Mansion a great place to visit for everybody. However, as a Grade I listed building with multiple floor levels providing access to all areas is difficult.
From inside the Mansion, the route to the gallery involves a short flight of steps. An accessible entrance is located from the Gallery’s garden which staff can open for visitors needing level access, and staff will be happy to point out the route to these doors.
For further information, visit our access page.
Gift Shop
Our gift shop has been given a Constable 250 makeover, and it’s worth a browse.
You’ll find a carefully chosen selection of books and guides to Constable Country, jigsaw puzzles for anyone who’d rather piece a landscape together than just look at one, plus framed prints and postcards of Suffolk’s most famous views.
We’ve also leaned into the Regency world Constable lived in, with peacock-adorned accessories, collector’s editions of Jane Austen, character jugs, and a rather fetching bag for anyone who likes their literature hands-free.
Whether you’re after a thoughtful gift or a treat for yourself, there’s plenty to take a little bit of Constable home with you.
If you’d like to go a little deeper into the world behind the paintings, Constable 250: A Cast of Characters, edited by Emma Roodhouse, offers a fresh look at the people who helped shape John Constable’s life and work.
From family members and local friends to artists, collectors and even fossil hunters, it explores the remarkable cast who surrounded one of Britain’s most celebrated painters.
Richly illustrated throughout, it’s an engaging companion to the exhibition and a reminder that great landscapes are often shaped by the people in them as much as the scenery itself.
Available now from Christchurch Mansion Shop. Friends of Ipswich Museums and CIMS staff can purchase a copy for a special price of £13.50 (RRP £15.99).
