About

Beverly Buchanan: Weathering at Spike Island, Bristol

Spike Island in Bristol presents Beverly Buchanan: Weathering, the first European survey exhibition of the work of Beverly Buchanan (b.1940; d.2015), bringing together five decades of sculpture, painting, drawing, earthworks, artists’ books and rarely-seen archival material.

Rooted in the landscapes and histories of the American Southeast, Buchanan developed a singular practice shaped by memory, materiality and place, exploring the enduring legacies of slavery through the histories embedded in architecture, landscape and everyday materials.

Throughout her career, Buchanan returned to structures as repositories of lived experience and historical memory. The exhibition at Spike Island foregrounds the intimate forms through which Buchanan nurtured these relationships, alongside major works spanning the 1970s to the 2010s.

Artists’ books, manifestos, small sculptures and her witty, affectionate Christmas cards reveal a practice that moved fluidly between the monumental and the personal.

Buchanan’s writing - by turns incisive, humorous and deeply reflective - runs throughout the exhibition, offering insight into her artistic thinking as well as her daily life, ambitions and struggles.

BSL Tour - 31 October

Please note that this tour is for BSL users and companions only.

Martin Glover, architect and art facilitator, leads a British Sign Language tour of the current exhibition, Beverly Buchanan: Weathering, at Spike Island in Bristol.

This exhibition tour is designed for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and Martin will deliver the tour in British Sign Language. Please note there will be no voiceover interpretation.

This event is free and booking is advised.

Curators' Tour of Beverly Buchanan: Weathering - 22 November

Exhibition curators Clémentine Proby and Nicole Yip lead a tour of Beverly Buchanan: Weathering, the first European survey of Buchanan's work.

Bringing together five decades of sculpture, painting, drawing, earthworks, artists' books and archival material, the exhibition explores Buchanan's enduring interest in memory, materiality and place, and the histories embedded in architecture, landscape and everyday materials.

Clémentine and Nicole will share insights into the exhibition and Buchanan's practice, exploring the themes and works brought together at Spike Island.

This event costs £3 and is free for Spike Island Associates. Booking is essential.

Tickets

Entry to Beverly Buchanan: Weathering at Spike Island, Bristol is free, with donations welcome.

Opening Times

Monday: Gallery closed
Tuesday: Gallery closed
Wednesday: 12–5pm
Thursday: 12–5pm
Friday: 12–5pm
Saturday: 12–5pm
Sunday: 12–5pm

Accessibility

Spike Island offers the following accessibility provisions:

• Wheelchair accessible

• Large print guides available

• Sensory packs are available at reception