New family-friendly exhibition brings Colour to Exeter Museum

This summer a major new exhibition at Exeter City Council’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) invites visitors to explore a spectacular world of colour.

Opening on Saturday 23 May, Colour brings together over 150 objects spanning art, science, nature and cultural histories alongside a host of family friendly interactives in time for the summer school holidays.

Colour is a constant source of wonder. It is key to helping us make sense of the world, used to communicate by wildlife, plants and people alike.

It has the power to symbolise who we are and what we believe and is at the heart of some of our most enduring traditions.

This new exhibition will delve deep into the dazzling kaleidoscope of shades and hues that surround us to investigate colour in all its forms – how we see it, how it’s made, how it’s used and what it means.

Exeter City Council’s Lead Councillor for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Cllr Bob Foale, said: “Colour is such a fundamental part of our lives and the world around us, it sometimes easy to overlook how remarkable it really is.

“This exhibition, showcasing objects from museums around the UK, will shine a spotlight on colour and how we perceive, make, use, and attach meaning to it.”

Visitors will be able to see artwork by Hokusai, Kandinsky, Bridget Riley, Andy Warhol and more, alongside examples of exquisitely crafted decorative ceramics.

Other objects on display include beautiful bird plumage and iridescent insects which show how colour is used in the natural world, and textiles demonstrating the rich spectrum of natural and manmade pigments and dyes.

The exhibition is brought together around four key themes:

• What is colour? Examines the science behind how we see colour – how humans and animals perceive colour differently, how technology changes the way we see colour and what happens when colour fades over time
• How is colour made? Explores the many sources of colour pigments and dyes – from plants to insects, minerals and chemicals, as well as how iridescence is created
• Is colour useful? Reflects on how colour is utilised for communication by humans, animal and plants, as well as providing a camouflaged disguise for a range of wildlife.
• What does colour mean? Looks at the meanings we attach to colour, how those meanings can differ and change, and how colour can reflect our history, identity, culture and beliefs.

The exhibition has been created in collaboration with a group of Cultural Advisors, who have helped shape the themes and stories showcased throughout the displays.

Colour has been created for the Museums and Galleries Network for Exhibition Touring (MAGNET), with Art Fund support and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

It has been curated by Royal Albert Memorial Museum in partnership with: Sheffield Museums; Tullie House, Carlisle; Gosport Museum & Art Gallery, Hampshire; and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

Colour opens at RAMM on Saturday 23 May and continues until Sunday 6 September 2026.

Standard ticket – £6, NUS cardholders and MA Members - £4, ArtFund – £3, Under 19s and carers free.

This exhibition was made possible by the provision of Government Indemnity. RAMM would like to thank HM Government for providing Government Indemnity and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and Arts Council England for arranging the indemnity.