As the days grow longer and the sunlight lingers, we step outside to embrace all that April has to offer. Discover five illuminating events to brighten your month, from a seasonal farm-to-table feast to an exhibition celebrating traditional quilting in the American South.
Kith & Kin: the Quilts of Gee's Bend at American Museum & Gardens
Kith & Kin charts the significance of quiltmaking in a remote Alabama community, celebrating the work of a group of African American women whose strength and creativity have persisted despite systemic oppression. Co-organised by the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin and Souls Grown Deep, USA (a non-profit organisation working to empower Black artists), this exhibition offers an intimate insight into a 200-year tradition in the American South. It spotlights quilts created by mothers and daughters living in Gee’s Bend, recognised for their bold, improvisational style and abstract designs.
Kith & Kin: the Quilts of Gee's Bend is on at American Museum & Gardens until 21 June.
Veronica Ryan: Multiple Conversations at Whitechapel Gallery
London's Whitechapel Gallery is set to host one of the most extensive presentations of Turner Prize-winning artist Veronica Ryan. Known for her multifaceted work across sculpture, textiles and works on paper, Ryan has consistently explored human psychology and memory through structures found in nature. Seeds and pods are a recurring theme across her oeuvre, thought to express themes of protection and evolution. The exhibition spans four decades, with over 100 works on display, mapping her diverse and conceptually complex body of work.
Veronica Ryan: Multiple Conversations is on at Whitechapel Gallery from 1 April until 14 June.
The Cosmic House Opening, Kensington
The Cosmic House in Kensington offers a rare look inside a Grade I-listed post-modernist building, being one of only two in the UK. Converted into a museum in 2021, the architectural landmark reopens to the public this month, inviting visitors to experience the experimental space. Designed by writer Maggie and architects Charles Jencks and Sir Terry Farrell, this radical structure represents a confluence of scientific and artistic ideas – playing host to a varied programme of exhibitions, residencies and salons, including an upcoming display by British artist Isaac Julien.
The Cosmic House is open by booking only from 22 April.
Joan Eardley: The Nature of Painting at the National Galleries of Scotland
Scotland’s leading modern art institution presents a new exhibition showcasing the work of oil painter Joan Eardley. Considered an isolated figure in her lifetime, the artist engaged deeply with her environments – many of her paintings depict lively Glasgow street scenes and richly textured rural landscapes. The display also features works by world-renowned artists and contemporaries who inspired her, including Claude Monet, John Constable and Jean Dubuffet.
Joan Eardley: The Nature of Painting is on at the National Galleries of Scotland, Modern Two from 2 April until 28 June.
Spring Feast at fforest farm
Sitting just outside the town of Cardigan on the west coast of Wales, fforest farm is grounded in seasonality, slow living, and a deep appreciation for nature. This month, the team invites you to the cedar barn for a six-course meal, enjoyed by candlelight. The menu, conceived by chef Ben Allen, features fresh and foraged spring vegetables and sharing plates of fish and meats cooked over fire, alongside seasonal cocktails and biodynamic wines. At each fforest feast, everything brought to the table is created with local growers and makers.
Book your place at the Spring Feast at fforest farm on 11 April.
Image 1: Veronica Ryan, Territories, 1986. Oil and graphite on paper, 54 × 74 cm. © Veronica Ryan, courtesy Kettle’s Yard.
Image 2: Kith & Kin installation, photography by Judith Parkyn.
Image 3: Veronica Ryan, Along a Spectrum, 2021. Installation view, Spike Island, Bristol. Commissioned by Spike Island, Bristol and supported by Freelands Foundation. Courtesy Spike Island, Bristol. Photography by Max MacClure.
Image 4 and 5: The Cosmic House, photography by Sue Barr.
Image 6: Joan Eardley, Summer Fields, about 1961. ©Estate of Joan Eardley. All Rights Reserved. DACS, London 2023.
Image 7: Feasts at fforest farm, photography by Heather Brine.
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