November 2025
One of the north’s largest art groups, East Riding Artists, has joined forces with Burton Constable Hall to take over the prestigious Stables Gallery in 2026.
It will mean that the ERA will organise and oversee an exciting series of nine back-to-back themed exhibitions, exclusively for its members, throughout the year.
The iconic East Yorkshire Elizabethan mansion house attracts up to 40,000 annual visitors from all over the world who are drawn not only by the property’s highly acclaimed range of Chippendale furniture but also by its unique Cabinet of Curiosities, a collection of scientific instruments, antiquities and natural history specimens which are regarded as the most significant surviving collection of its kind in any English country house.
Following extensive discussions between ERA Chairman Larry Malkin and committee member Jane Higgins with Alasdair Hutson, the Chief Executive of the Burton Constable Foundation, the BCF has handed over the running of the spacious Stables Gallery (currently known as the Community Gallery) to the ERA from February 2026 to January 2027.
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with East Riding Artists to bring a full year of creative programming into the Stables Gallery,” said Alasdair. “Burton Constable Hall has always been a place where history, heritage and culture meet, and this collaboration will give visitors the opportunity to enjoy an ever-changing series of exhibitions by some of the region’s most talented artists. “
The house and its surrounding parkland has been the home of the Constable family for over 700 years. The Foundation was established in 1992, following negotiations between the Chichester-Constable family, the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Leeds City Council, to secure the house and parkland’s long-term future, although descendants of the family still own the surrounding agricultural estate and continue to occupy the south wing of the house.
“This amazing opportunity will give ERA members a chance show-case their work at one of East Yorkshire’s most well-known historic venues,” said Chairman Larry Malkin. “We have more than 60 full members who will be able to take part in an on-going rolling programme of exhibitions for 2D and 3D works throughout the year, while associate members will be able to submit work to a two-week open exhibition in the middle of the summer season.”
The ERA’s reputation as a pro-active and well-respected art organisation has led to exhibitions in a growing number of prestigious Yorkshire venues, including Nunnington Hall, the Brynmor Jones Gallery at the University of Hull, Beverley Minster and Selby Abbey.
The first six-week exhibition will be called ‘Changing Season’, to be held in February, followed by ‘A Moment in Time’, commemorating 250 years since the death in 1776 of John Harrison, creator of the marine chronometer. The third exhibition, ‘Surface and Structure’, will explore texture, relief and layers.
Burton Constable Hall
Burton Constable Hall is a magnificent Elizabethan country house on the outskirts of Hull in East Riding of Yorkshire, home to the Constable family for over 700 years. Visitors can explore 30 grand rooms filled with fine art, exquisite furniture, and decorative treasures, including the extraordinary Cabinet of Curiosities, featuring scientific instruments, antiquities, and natural history specimens. The surrounding parkland, designed by ‘Capability’ Brown, offers scenic woodland trails, lakeside walks, and abundant wildlife.
The historic stables add another layer of interest, showcasing Billy the stable boy’s bedroom and the astonishing 60-foot sperm whale skeleton famously mentioned in Moby-Dick. After exploring, guests can relax at the Stables Kitchen with cake and coffee, rounding off a memorable visit.
Established in 1992, the Burton Constable Foundation preserves the hall, its collections, parkland, and outbuildings for public enjoyment, ensuring this remarkable historic house remains accessible and protected for generations to come.
For further press information or photographs please contact Heather Burton (hburton@heatherburtonartist.co.uk) or ERA Chairman Larry Malkin (larrymalkin@hotmail.co.uk).
For further quotes, please contact ERA Chairman Larry Malkin (larrymalkin@hotmail.co.uk).