Challenging Convention

Opening hours

Admission charges apply

All funds raised from the sale of tickets for this exhibition go towards directly supporting the work of the Laing Art Gallery.

Max Card holders, members of NMDC and Museum Association and exhibition lenders: Free

*Concessions include senior citizens, 12-18 year olds, students, registered unemployed, disabled people (plus free entry for one carer).

**Two adults and two 12-18 year olds or one adult and three 12-18 year olds.

***Membership discount applies to Friends of the Laing, Art Fund members and Laing Exhibition Partners.

To be eligible for discounts you must show proof of age/status/membership

Booking details

We recommend that you pre-book your tickets for Challenging Convention in advance. However, there will be tickets available for people who walk up on the day, for those who are not able to book tickets online. Just purchase from one of our ticket desks.

From Monday 19 July we will still be offering the opportunity to pre-book your timeslot to visit the Challenging Convention exhibition. Tickets will also be available to buy at the gallery. A ticket is not required for the rest of the gallery. 

To ensure the wellbeing of visitors and staff we will be monitoring numbers to ensure the gallery does not become too crowded. We also recommend that you wear a face covering when you visit. 

Book your tickets here.

Purchase a gift voucher here.

We would really appreciate your feedback on this exhibition. Take this visitor survey for a chance to win a £25 Love2Shop voucher.

Challenging Convention  

The 20th century was a time of great change for women in Britain. Those born, raised and educated in the 19th century, then forming relationships and working in the 20th century saw extraordinary progress. But against that backdrop was their struggle to challenge the conventions imposed upon them by a patriarchal society. 

Challenging Convention explores four women artists – Vanessa Bell (1879-1961), Laura Knight (1877-1970), Gwen John (1876-1939) and Dod Procter (1890-1972) - through their lives and work in a climate of modernism, transformation and increasing emancipation. Each of them was embedded within a web of fellow artists and intellectuals; and made a significant impact on the profile of women artists within traditional institutions and in the public eye. 

This exhibition is curated by the Laing Art Gallery and brings significant works by Bell, Knight, John and Procter, from over forty UK public collections, to Newcastle. With support from The Golsoncott Foundation.   

Take a virtual tour of the exhibition below:

You can view a preview of the exhibition via Art UK Curations here.

Image: A Dark Pool, c.1917 by Laura Knight / Laing Art Gallery © Reproduced with permission of The Estate of Dame Laura Knight DBE RA 2020. All Rights Reserved / Bridgeman Images

Cover image: A Balloon Site, Coventry, 1942 by Laura Knight . Photo credit: Imperial War Museum / Bridgeman Images