Bolton Museum launches Laura Knight exhibition on 19 September

Bolton Museum will open a new exhibition called Laura Knight: The Art of Community on Saturday 19 September 2026.

A rare gathering of Knight’s works

The display brings together four of Knight’s paintings and a single drawing from the museum’s own collection, a grouping that has never been presented together before. One of the highlighted works is The Fishing Fleet, painted in 1900, which captures the daily labour of the fishing community in Staithes, Yorkshire. Knight spent the years 1897 to 1903 living and working in that village, later describing the period as essential to her growth as an artist.

The Cornwall portion of the show features The Cruel Sea, a canvas that has not been shown publicly for over five years. After moving to the Newlyn art colony in 1907, Knight found the bright, sun-lit Cornish landscape a stark contrast to the muted tones of North Yorkshire, inspiring a palette she described as a ‘riot of brilliant sunshine and opulent colour’.

Peers and community

Council Executive Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Debbie Newall, said the exhibition provides a valuable chance for visitors to trace Knight’s artistic journey and the communities that shaped her work, while also recognising the wider contribution of her peers.

A special programme on Saturday 26 September will feature guided tours at 11:00 and 14:00, together with a family craft session running from 13:00 to 15:00.

The exhibition will remain on view until 10 January 2027. Bolton Museum, housed within the Grade II-listed Bolton Central Library building, also holds the country’s largest local-authority Egyptology collection and a public aquarium, underscoring its role as a cultural hub for the town.