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Witch's brooms, creepy crawlies and spooky fun are all in the air at The Bowes Museum this Halloween.

There's lots to do to keep everyone out of mischief over the October half term holidays.

From the return of the incredible ZOOLAB, to making your LEGO® models come to life, there's even the chance to see magic in action at the Halloween Party.

 

The Bowes Museum is honoured to be holding the first major retrospective of works by one of the most loved artists from the North of England.

Norman Cornish: The Definitive Collection, will open almost 100 years to the day after the artists birth in Spennymoor.

There will be more than 60 works on show including, pastels, charcoals and oil paintings from both public and private collections, some of which are previously unseen.

Cornish was a magnificent chronicler of everyday life, recording the social environment and industrial landscape in which he lived and worked; painting the community he knew with integrity, providing a documentary of a bygone era.

Judy Hurst returns to The Bowes Museum with another selling exhibition of intricate illustrative works.  

She specialises in the historic and traditional technique of painting on vellum (calfskin). 

Her work is inspired by her knowledge, respect and deep love of nature and the patterns that she believes are fundamental to existence.

The prints in the exhibition will be available to buy in the Museum shop along with a selection of smaller prints and cards.

Book your tickets now to see Santa in his enchanting woodland grotto at The Bowes Museum.

He's found space in his busy schedule to fly in to make Christmas extra special from the 1st to the 22nd of December.

On arrival you'll be greeted by his friendly elves who'll show you to his toyshop where you can create festive crafts before meeting Santa himself in his cosy sitting room grotto, where he'll complete the magic by presenting each eligible child with an early Christmas gift.

It costs just £12 per child, and accompanying adults are free.

The popular Christmas Market returns this year, from 10am - 4pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 13 - 15 December, with handpicked stalls in both the grounds and Museum selling a wonderful array of locally produced food, drinks and crafts accompanied by live music and entertainment.

 

 

The first UK exhibition, outside London, dedicated to the Italian Baroque master Guido Reni opens at The Bowes Museum in October.

Celebrating the artist and his importance in Western art, The Power and the Virtue: Guido Reni's The Death of Lucretia will feature works from renowned public and private collections as well as unveiling new research into works in the Museum's own collection.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of gallery talks, lectures, debates, film screenings, dance workshops, concerts and a special display of costumes inspired by the exhibition created by the Northern School of Art; along with in-conversation events with associations of women and the art-based education and training company 'Changing Relations'.