Southampton City Art Gallery will reopen on Saturday, March 7, 2026, following a successful refurbishment program. The reopening exhibition, 'Levitate Me: Desire, Ecstasy and The Sublime,' is a major solo show by acclaimed British artist Emma Richardson, featuring new oil paintings that explore desire, euphoria, and the natural world through a female lens. Richardson, who was born in Southampton and lived there for much of her life, has also selected works from the city's collection to display alongside her own. Other reopening displays include highlights from the internationally renowned collection (with public input on artwork selection), recently acquired works shown for the first time, rarely seen works on paper digitized during the closure, and photographs of the refurbishment by architectural photographer Joe Low. The project was supported by a £2.23 million grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), administered by Arts Council England.
This reopening matters because it preserves a Grade II* listed Civic Centre and a nationally important art collection for future generations, while also strengthening Southampton's cultural identity. The exhibition highlights a local artist's return to her hometown, creating a dialogue between contemporary and historic voices and demonstrating the city's commitment to supporting homegrown talent. The refurbishment and digitization efforts, funded by Arts Council England, improve public access to the collection and position the gallery as a vibrant cultural destination, reinforcing Southampton's strategic importance in the UK's arts landscape.