All Day
Sew What?
We're all starting to ask more questions about fashion. Where do our clothes come from? How environmentally sustainable are they? Should we be making more and buying less? These questions aren't just relevant to modern society. The history of garment making is deeply intertwined with British culture, both rural and urban. In Sew What, we'll […]
Find out more »A Break from Tradition
The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a transformative period in Europe. Developments in industry, technology and transportation altered life beyond recognition. It was against this backdrop of unprecedented social, economic and political change that a new generation of artists began to challenge traditional artistic practices. These artists would eventually create what we now […]
Find out more »Folklore and Magic
This exhibition is a captivating exploration of the enduring legacy of folklore and magic. It explores the dynamic nature of folk tales, folk art, magic, and healing wisdom, using the MERL collections, University of Reading's Art Collection, Special Collections, Herbarium and Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology. It has been designed by third-year Museum Studies students […]
Find out more »‘Climate Change’ Artwork Display
As part of the Reading Climate Festival, we included some very special material to the Our Green Stories gallery trail at The MERL. The gallery trail explores six of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals through links to items in the MERL collections. In this display, we explore these Goals through the artwork from the Ladybird […]
Find out more »Community Voices
The MERL partners with many local community organisations using its collections to inspire creative projects which bring people together to promote well-being. The 'Community Voices' displays showcase the wonderful creative and thought-provoking responses to themes and stories within The MERL collections by participants in amazing projects throughout the year. Sew What? until 1st September '24 […]
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