Venue Hire

lavery on location

Exploring the travels of Sir John Lavery, Belfast’s best-known painter, organised in collaboration with the National Gallery of Ireland and National Galleries of Scotland.

Lavery Painting - Windy Day
Photograph courtesy of the Richard Green Gallery, London.
Lavery On Location at Ulster Museum
From 23rd February 2024 until 9th June 2024 | Charging Exhibition

A major exhibition coming to the Ulster Museum this February, exploring the travels of Sir John Lavery (1856 to 1941), organised in collaboration with the National Gallery of Ireland and National Galleries of Scotland.

Born in Belfast, Lavery was an internationally renowned Irish painter and never travelled for business or pleasure without his painting kit. This exhibition delves into Lavery's impressions of the people and places that he encountered during a life filled with travel. Early on in his career, Lavery perfected the oil sketch as a way to capture the mood of the places he visited. Alongside larger, more finished paintings, this exhibition includes several small, quickly executed oil sketches that are among Lavery's most intimate and memorable works. 

Lavery On Location explores some of the key destinations in Lavery’s art, from Morocco and Palm Springs to Lough Derg in County Donegal. The exhibition includes studies of Switzerland, France, Ireland and North Africa, as well as evocative cityscapes of Glasgow, Venice, Cannes and New York. Such was the richness and variety of Lavery's work, that Winston Churchill described his artistic mentor as a 'plein-airiste (an outdoor painter) if ever there was one' and he is the only Irishman to receive the Freedom of both Dublin and Belfast.

The exhibition includes over 70 works, many from private collections, and offers a rare opportunity to discover more about this captivating and less well-known area of Lavery’s career.

Tickets

Book Tickets

Book your ticket and entry timeslot to visit Lavery On Location. You'll find ticket prices below, members and Friends of the Ulster Museum go free, however advanced booking is recommended.

  • The gallery will be closed the morning of Wednesday 1st May, so those slots are not available for ticket bookings. Ticket slots for later on that day are available to be purchased.

Book free Wednesday morning tickets

Entry to the exhibition on Wednesday mornings (10 - 12 noon) will be free to all, but you will still need to book a free, timed ticket in advance.

What to know

As a touring exhibition organised by the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin in partnership with National Museums NI and National Galleries of Scotland, all three tour venues are charging admission to the exhibition. Ticket sales support the cost of bringing the tour to Belfast, including many paintings from private collections never seen together here before.

Lavery On Location will be the only exhibition in the museum with an admission fee – the rest of the museum will remain free to visit. To see the exhibition, you will need to book a ticket with an entry timeslot using the 'Book Tickets' link above (or click here). Members and Friends of the Ulster Museum go free however advanced booking is recommended to secure your preferred timeslot. 

Entry to the exhibition on Wednesday mornings (10 - 12 noon) will be free to all, but you will still need to book a free, timed ticket in advance here. 

Children under 5 will be free - a child ticket is for all other ages up to the age of 18. 

Visitors with a registered disability and access helpers or carers do not need to pay, however, booking is still required. 

School bookings will be free but advanced booking will be required. Please make your booking request by emailing education@nationalmuseumsni.org or fill out our booking form.

So all visitors are aware, our set session times for schools are Tuesday – Friday 10:00 – 13:00, so the exhibition will seem busier if a school is in. 

You can book tickets on this page at the 'Book Now' ticket link above or in person at the museum, subject to availability, for the duration of the exhibition period. Ticket prices are as follows:

  • Members and Friends of the museum Free
  • Adult £6.00
  • Child £3.65, under 5s free
  • Senior (60+) £4.70
  • Family (1 adult, up to 3 children) £12.50
  • Family (2 adults, up to 3 children) £16.50
  • Student £4.70
  • Accessible adult or child Free
  • Carer (must be attending with the person they care for) Free

When on the ticket screen, you will have the option to Gift Aid your ticket to support the museum.

Please note: Free Wednesday morning tickets should be booked separately here.

We're offering free entry to all every Wednesday from 10am to 12pm for the duration of the exhibition. You still need to book a free, timed ticket in advance via the Ulster Museum website, though, to guarantee entry.  Get your ticket here.

Walk-ups will be allowed on Wednesday mornings, subject to availability. That is why you are best getting your ticket in advance.

Also, if you're a member or Friend of the Ulster Museum, entry is free for you on production of a valid membership card. Members of the following organisations will also get in for free with proof of membership:

  • Art Fund Members
  • Museums Association Members
  • NMDC Members (National Museum Directors' Council)
  • ICOM Members (International Council of Museums)

Discounted Entry – must be pre-booked, no discount on walk-up

No, however, tickets will be allocated in half-hour time slots between 10:00 until 16:00 and we recommend you allow up to one hour to experience Lavery On Location. First entry to the exhibition will be at 10:00 and the last entry at 16:00 daily and your ticket will be within that timeframe. 

Your ticket is valid for the date and time of entry as booked and printed on our ticket confirmation. Re-entry to the exhibition is not permitted. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable, however, we will work with you in extenuating circumstances. Just email our team or call 028 9044 0000.

In terms of access to the rest of the museum on the day, you can stay in the museum for as long as you like during opening hours (10:00 - 17:00).

The Wynne & Pym Café is also the perfect place to sit and relax before or after you go to the exhibition.  There is a wide selection of beverages and hot and cold dishes from soup, sandwiches and sausage rolls to scones, tray bakes and cakes. 

No, National Museums NI members get in for free on production of a valid membership card but advanced booking is recommended to secure your preferred timeslot on the day(s) you want to go into the exhibition. Just book your free, timed ticket via the 'Book Ticket' button at the top of this page or click here. 

Make sure you select the member ticket that applies to you.

Other memberships with free entry are listed below:

  • Friends of the Ulster Museum
  • Art Fund Members
  • Museums Association Members
  • NMDC Members (National Museum Directors' Council)
  • ICOM Members (International Council of Museums)

Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. 

In extenuating circumstances, please call our booking line on 028 9044 0000 and our team will work with you as best we can to reschedule your visit.

Photography is permitted, however, flash, large professional equipment, tripods and selfie sticks are not permitted. 

Images must be for personal use only. Please refrain from taking photos of other visitors unless they have given you consent to be photographed.

Media requests should contact media@nationalmuseumsni.org

We will scan your ticket on entry either from a printed ticket or on a smartphone or tablet.  Proof of booking is required to enter this exhibition.  Members must provide their membership card on arrival.

If you don't have your ticket handy, we can check your booking reference but this may take a little longer to check at admissions and could delay your time spent in the exhibition.

The following items are NOT permitted in the gallery:

  • Large bags, suitcases and backpacks – lockers are available on the ground floor when you come into the museum
  • No food or drink
  • No vaping
  • No flash/professional camera equipment, tripods or selfie sticks

We ask that visitors do not touch the paintings and remain behind the ropes.

Children (under 16 years) must be accompanied by an adult.

Buy the book in our shop

A lavishly illustrated companion book for this landmark exhibition by Professor Kenneth McConkey and includes a text by Dr Brendan Rooney is already available to purchase in the Ulster Museum Shop for £38.

You can also purchase a beautiful reproduction print of your favourite Sir John Lavery painting from our collection. All prints are available on the Art UK shop here where you can choose from framed or unframed, with a selection of sizes and finishes to choose from, framed in Cromford Mills, England – a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Under the Cherry Tree (1885) by Sir John Lavery

Explore the collection

Sir John Lavery gave 34 of his paintings to the Belfast Museum and Art Gallery (now the Ulster Museum) when it opened. This much-loved collection includes some of his finest portraits, as well as work painted during his time in Morocco, Switzerland and America. Explore a window into Lavery’s world online.

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