Gallery visits
London art world
Essex is just an hour by train from the centre of the London art world. Our students enjoy regular visits to major galleries including Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National
Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts, as well as to the many independent and alternative spaces.
Most undergraduate modules include compulsory gallery visits every year as part of our teaching, with travel to London subsidised by our School.
Essex Collection of Art from Latin America
Based at the University, our Essex Collection of Art from Latin America (ESCALA) gives you the opportunity to encounter art works first hand both in a
class situation and through our Collection’s ongoing programme of exhibitions at Colchester’s Firstsite gallery. The Collection was founded
by our School of Philosophy and Art history, and is the largest of its kind in Europe.
Art Exchange
Art Exchange is our University gallery and runs an ongoing programme of exhibitions of contemporary art, artist and curator
talks, as well as hosting exhibitions organised by students from our Centre for Curatorial Studies.
Firstsite
Firstsite is a large and iconic exhibition venue designed by internationally recognised architect Rafael Viñoly and based in the
centre of Colchester. The gallery runs an ongoing programme of contemporary art exhibitions, as well as film screenings, talks and music events. Firstsite is also home to an
exhibition space of our Essex Collection of Art from Latin America (ESCALA).