New exhibition, Gleanings: The art of the past is opening at Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery

Posted on: 25/02/2026

This spring, Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery presents Gleanings: The Art of the Past (14 March - 30 May), a free exhibition created and curated by artist and archaeologist Rose Ferraby.

Through beautifully crafted painted collages and prints, Rose explores the archaeological landscapes of Britain, uncovering the subtle and shifting stories held within monuments, earth layers and buried remains. Her work displays fragments of evidence and imagination, inviting visitors to see familiar landscapes in new and unexpected ways - from secretive peatlands to dynamic coastlines.

The exhibition includes new pieces inspired by East Anglia’s rich archaeological heritage and by the remarkable collections housed at the museum. Selected artworks will also be available to purchase.

Alongside Rose Ferraby’s artworks, visitors will also have the opportunity to view artefacts from the museum’s internationally significant Must Farm collection, creating a conversation between contemporary artistic interpretation and extraordinary archaeological discoveries.

Rose Ferraby is an artist and archaeologist whose creative practice spans printmaking, collage, painting, sound and film. She has created work for organisations including the British Museum and Ulster Museum, and currently co-directs the Aldborough Roman Town Project in North Yorkshire. She also writes and presents EarthWorks on BBC Radio 3.

Rose Ferraby commented, “Curating and creating new work for this exhibition has been a wonderful opportunity to work with the extraordinary collections held in the Peterborough Museum. The last few decades have seen the excavation of sites that have transformed our understanding of prehistory. These sites are fizzing with stories that fill us with wonder and curiosity. Making new artworks about them has been an opportunity to learn and imagine. This is the first time all my archaeological artwork will have been displayed together, and I hope that people will enjoy discovering some of the stories they tell.”

Peterborough Museum has expressed its enthusiasm for showcasing the work by Rose Ferraby, highlighting the strong connection between art and archaeology.

“We’re delighted to exhibit the extraordinary work by Rose in Peterborough Museum, alongside some of our Must Farm archaeology collection artefacts. Gleanings is a visually striking and engaging celebration of Britain’s deep past and the traces it still leaves in the landscapes around us today.”

The exhibition is free to visit and Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am - 4pm.

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