Framed in Friendship: A Legacy of Art in Sheffield at Graves Gallery

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor
John Craxton, Cat and Snail, 1966 © Estate of John Craxton. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2022

Framed in Friendship: A Legacy of Art in Sheffield at Graves Gallery, City Centre 31 March — 23 July 2022 Entrance is free — Visit now

The sweetly titled new exhibition at Sheffield‘s Graves Gallery celebrates friendship – particularly one special connection that brought a fantastic piece of art by Stanley Spencer to the city. The husband-and-wife artist duo Stephen Bone and Mary Adshead, were great friends of George and Babbie Blomfield, who lived in Sheffield. This friendship led to Stanley Spencer’s remarkable Zacharias and Elizabeth being co-owned by the city.  Adshead sold the painting on the condition that it could be enjoyed by the people of Sheffield, home of her very dear friends and this is how it came to stay there.

Some of the highlights of the exhibition include work from Mary Adshead herself as well as Stanley Royle and Henry Tonks. Framed in Friendship: A Legacy of Art in Sheffield makes its debut alongside two major new collection redisplays as part of an ongoing programme of change and improvement, which includes work from Grayson Perry, Naum Gabo, Bridget Riley and Donald Rodney.

Framed in Friendship: A Legacy of Art in Sheffield at Graves Gallery, City Centre 31 March — 23 July 2022 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near Framed in Friendship: A Legacy of Art in Sheffield at Graves Gallery

Crucible Theatre Sheffield
Sheffield
Theatre
The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

The world-famous Crucible offers a huge variety of home-grown and touring productions, as well as a thriving programme of participatory events and activities.

The Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
City Centre
Theatre
The Lyceum Theatre

Built to a traditional proscenium arch design, Sheffield’s Lyceum is the only surviving theatre outside of London designed by architect W.G.R. Sprague.

Millenium Gallery Sheffield
City Centre
Gallery
Millennium Gallery

Hosting major exhibitions by artists renowned both locally and internationally, Millennium Gallery is the cultural gateway to Sheffield.

Sheffield
Restaurant
Oisoi

A high-quality pan-Asian restaurant in Sheffield’s city centre, Oisoi is worth a visit to the Steel City right now.

Sheffield
Shop
Juno Books

Friendly local queer and intersectional feminist bookshop in Sheffield. Visit for interesting fiction and non fiction books.

Music venue stock image.
Sheffield
Event venue
Hope Works

An old WW1 gun-barrel-factory reimagined and repurposed as a hub of Sheffield’s creativity, with music and art events regularly put on.

Showroom Workstation
City Centre
Cinema
Showroom Workstation

Sheffield’s premier arts centre houses an established independent cinema along with an entrepreneurial hub for creative and digital industries.

The Sheffield Tap
City Centre
Bar or Pub
The Sheffield Tap

With a wide range of craft beers and its very own on-site microbrewery, Sheffield Tap is uniquely housed within a restored railway station.

Site Gallery, Sheffield
City Centre
Gallery
Site Gallery Sheffield

Specialising in moving image, new media and performance, and offering a busy events programme, a visit to Site in Sheffield is not to be missed.

Street Food Chef
City Centre
Restaurant
Street Food Chef

An award-winning Mexican cantina serving speedy and fiercely tasty food – a healthy fast food alternative for the people of Sheffield.

What's on: Exhibitions

Wolf in Yellowstone
Until
ExhibitionsManchester
Wild at Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum explores the concept of ‘wild’ nature as a means of tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis in a new exhibition.

free entry

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Feminist farce, a magical circus show and Oldham Coliseum return with a brand-new off-site show. All in our latest theatre guide.

NEXT: A Primer on Urban Painting production still
Cinema in the North

Hollywood greats and early bird film fest tickets are on our horizon as we start the New Year.

FKA TWIGS
Music in the North

Masters of minimalism, leftfield electronica and cutting edge pop. We bring you the lot in our latest live music round up.

The Super Duper Family Festival
Family things to do in the North

We might be past the holiday season, but Manchester and the North's arts and cultural calendar is still packed with brilliant events and activities for families

A painting of a young child being bathed in a sink of a 197s style kitchen. Around the sink are a rubber duck, a bottle of  washing up liquid, a jug, a kettle and a mug.
Exhibitions in the North

Galleries are racing to announce new exhibitions so check out our top picks, from art films and nostalgic paintings to Hockney's collages.