iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 25/09/2026

Expression of interest is open 21 Sept-1 Oct, and Liberty IT is generously reimbursing the cost of your school’s bus hire to ensure that as many schools as possible have the opportunity to take part. → Visit bit.ly/STEAM-Studio for more info and to access the expression of interest form!

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 25/09/2026

STEAM Studio is a digital skills initiative developed by Liberty IT in partnership with National Museums NI and the Nerve Centre, immersing students in the Ulster Museum’s Applied Art collection and empowering them to become Digital Makers by designing, coding and creating their own arcade game.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 25/09/2026

Calling all Key Stage 3 educators! Do your students enjoy gaming, creating, problem solving, and learning new digital skills? We’re now accepting expressions of interest for STEAM Studio workshops for the 26/27 academic year!

Two students work on their laptops, coding artworks to create digital experiences.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 24/09/2026

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 24/09/2026

Today’s #OnlineArtExchange theme ‘gold, silver & bronze’ Horses first appeared in Elisabeth Frink’s work when she moved to Camargue in France, known its for herds of semi-wild horses. It was the anatomy and wildness of the Camargue horses that she returned to for inspiration in her work.

A horse sculpture rendered in bronze. It is a very tactile piece, with lots of rough and worked marks across the horse.

A fuller view of the horse sculpture, showing strong legs, a small body, and a short neck.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 17/09/2026

O'Brien is best known as a landscape painter of considerable skill and sensitivity - particularly in his depiction of the expansive skies of the west of Ireland. #Art 'The Estuary of the Shannon', (1935), Dermod O'Brien. @artukdotorg.bsky.social

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 17/09/2026

Today's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'rural' for The Argyll Collection on Tour 🖼️ This view was painted by Dermod O'Brien near his birthplace, Mount Trenchard, in Co. Limerick. O'Brien depicts a rich landscape of cornfields with newly-harvested stooks stretching down to the wide grey Shannon.

A painting of a field with hay gathered in piles. The day is bright, with blue sky peaking through clouds, and in the distance we can see the sea.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 10/09/2026

Oh wow. Great. Thank you so much. You shouldn’t have.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 10/09/2026

🌊Today's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'life by the sea' for 'John Bellany: Anchored' at Scottish Fisheries Museum! This small seascape, 'Surge of the Sea, Ardglass', is atmospheric and full of movement. Painted by Hans Iten, the fluent Impressionistic manner is typical of his style.

A painting of the sea as it meets a rocky coast. In the foreground we see a small inlet with two rocky cliffs, the waves going from deep blue to white as they smack against the rocks.

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Reposted by Ulster Museum

Barnsley Museums @barnsleymuseums.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

We're getting close to 2,000 followers. If you share this post we will share something from our collections. We'll do the same for any new followers too.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 10/09/2026

Can we get a guarantee it won't be dolls?

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 03/09/2026

To paint 'The Green Coat', Lavery emulated techniques used by Diego Velázquez: the coat appears finely painted from afar, but when examined closely becomes a complex pattern of abstract brushstrokes. #Art #SirJohnLavery @artukdotorg.bsky.social 'The Green Coat' (1926), Sir John Lavery. BELUM.U68

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 03/09/2026

Today's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'reflections' 🪞 Sir John Lavery’s full-length portraits usually have an air of theatrical formality - however, the warm firelight and Hazel’s unadorned shoulders make 'The Green Coat' a tender and intimate study of his wife.

A portrait of a woman in front of a fireplace. She has bare shoulders, a floral purple dress, and a long green coat.

A close view of a purple floral dress and green coat, showing the myriad of intricate brushstrokes.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 27/08/2026

Possibly the most relatable painting in our collection: 'Boy with Dog', Giacomo Ceruti 🐕 'Boy with Dog' was painted in the 1700s, proving that the instinct to be immortalised with your best mate - whether in a painting or a selfie - has not changed. #OnlineArtExchange #InternationalDogDay

A painting of a young boy, dressed in fairly ragged clothes, with his arm wrapped around his dog, holding his paw. The dog holds a horn in his mouth.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 20/08/2026

This week's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'holidays and travel' 🧳 'Wet Evening on the Riva, Venice', by Emily Murray Paterson, was captured in Italy around the 1920s - though is perhaps a familiar sight to us today in Northern Ireland too!

Against a blue background, a rather abstract painting of a very rainy night in Venice, with the pale light from the lampposts and buildings shimmering and people walking depicted only as black silhouettes.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 17/08/2026

The work it takes for a conservator to make sure our objects remain un-Sullied... Object Conservator & punmaker Shannon Campbell documented an unusual day rescuing Sully from a breech block from ‘La Girona’, a Spanish Armada warship that sank off the cost of Co. Antrim in 1588.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 13/08/2026

"Robin Redbreast", Margaret Clarke. BELUM.U5008, © Estate of Margaret Clarke

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 13/08/2026

This week's #OnlineArtExchange theme is ‘forms of portraiture’ for "Who am I to you?" at @lulgalleries.bsky.social! Margaret Clarke was a highly skilled portraitist and artist. Born in Co. Down, she was the second woman to be elected to the Royal Hibernian Academy.

Against a blue background, a woman with short brown hair is painted in a portrait. Her gaze is soft yet direct. She wears a bright red waistcoat rimmed with gold, and three notable rings.

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Reposted by Ulster Museum

Art UK @artukdotorg.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Read about how Elisabeth Frink's commissions shaped the modern cathedral 👉 artuk.org/discover/stories/from-cov… 🧑‍🎨 F. E. McWilliam (1909–1992) © FE McWilliam Estate. 📷 Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 06/08/2026

Writing for @artukdotorg.bsky.social, art historian Susannah Thompson wrote that cats 'seem to symbolise the artist's own artistic path...and the subtle sense of style and humour with which so many of her works are imbued.' 'The Challenge' (1934), Agnes Miller Parker. © the copyright holder

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 06/08/2026

This week's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'Scottish art' 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Agnes Miller Parker was born in Ayrshire & studied at the Glasgow School of Art. Skilled at painting and drawing, she became interested in printmaking and taught herself wood engraving - the medium in which she would find acclaim.

A print made by woodcutting. On parchment in black and white, a cat is poised to attack, snarling at something just out of our sight.

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Reposted by Ulster Museum

Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 04/08/2026

Valerie Wilson, Curator of Textiles, takes us behind-the-scenes to look at some of the most impressive items in our Irish Dance Collection! ☘️ To celebrate the #Fleadh coming to Belfast, this beautiful velvet costume is now on display at our sister museum @ulstermuseum.org for the month of August!

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 30/07/2026

We were delighted to welcome Amber Butchart to Ashes to Fashion today! Her work as a fashion & textiles historian centres the stories of the people behind the clothes, humanising and bringing complexity to garments.

In the forefront of this photograph, a mannequin wears a bold, frilly pink dress with dress sparkles. In the background, two women regard the dress, smiling and looking on thoughtfully.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 28/07/2026

Designer Katharine Hamnett, famous for her political t-shirts, has said: “T-shirts are some of the strongest messaging tools for consciousness raising. You can’t not read them, and once you’ve read them, they stay in your brain, churning around, hopefully making you think and act.” #FashionHistory

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 28/07/2026

"We Should All Be Feminists" Newly on display, this t-shirt featured in Maria Grazia Chiuri's debut collection as the first female creative director at Dior. It was inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay and TEDx talk of the same name.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 23/07/2026

Beatrix Potter is known for her children's books, but she was also a keen natural scientist & scientific illustrator. The works of Michael were inspired by that same love & interest in the natural world. 'Red Squirrel in Yew Tree', Michael Benington. © The Estate of Michael Benington.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 23/07/2026

'A Tale about a tail—a tail that belonged to a little red squirrel, and his name was Nutkin.' This week's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'nature and animals' for 'An A to Z of Beatrix Potter' at The Armitt 🦔

A watercolour of a lush green forest, with a red squirrel nibbling on some red berries on a branch.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 09/07/2026

By giving Christ female characteristics, he turns the traditional image of the crucified Saviour into a general symbol of all suffering humanity. The painting is a stark & moving metaphor for the times in which it was painted – a period of darkness, desolation and loss. ©️Estate of Colin Middleton.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 09/07/2026

Today's #OnlineArtExchange theme is sacred symbols, chosen with Liverpool Cathedral. Colin Middleton (1910-83) is one of NI's most treasured painters. 'Christ Androgyne' (1943) uses Surrealism to express his deep unease at the events of the Second World War & the suffering of those caught up in it.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 22/06/2026

What's rarer than a tropical rainforest? A #TemperateRainforest, which makes up less than 1% of global land cover. 🍃 Today is #WorldRainforestDay, so put on your wellies, grab a hand lens, and step into one of the rarest rainforest ecosystems in the world → bit.ly/4xoSG55

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 11/06/2026

📸 Photo 1: 'Children playing football, Whitehead', 1976. BELUM.W2015.118.30.4 📸 Photo 2: 'Girl playing outside with a football', 1977. BELUM.W2015.118.64.6. © Philip Woods, photographs taken under the auspices of the Kodak Bursary Scheme #Football #FootballWorldCup

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 11/06/2026

⚽ Who's ready for the #FIFAWorldCup? Who's your team? This week's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'football for the FIFA World Cup' 🏆 To celebrate, we've taken a deep dive into our archives to find some of our favourite football related photographs. @artukdotorg.bsky.social

Group of five girls playing football together

Girl playing outside by herself kicking a football against the wall

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 08/06/2026

In order to see the spicules, our microscope uses two polarising filters set at right angles to cut out the light background, making them appear bright against a black background. You can read more about sponges on our website! → bit.ly/TheSpongeCol...

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 08/06/2026

It's #WorldOceanDay, let's look at sponges! 🧽 It's hard to identify species of sponges by eye. Spicules, which make up the sponge's skeleton, are the most accurate indicator of species.

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Reposted by Ulster Museum

Tuatha @tuatha.ie · 05/06/2026

This small bronze disc is one of the most iconic pieces of early Irish metalwork. It was dredged from the River Bann at Loughan Island, near Coleraine, in 1939. It is delicately decorated in the La Tène style, dating to the Late Bronze Age-Iron Age. You can see it on display in @ulstermuseum.org

A bronze, circular artefact on display at a museum. The artefact itself is decorated with a La Tène-style triskelion, or triple spiral motif.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 28/05/2026

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 28/05/2026

Today's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'wallpaper' to mark 'The Art of Wallpaper' at the Watts Gallery. This painting's use of pointillism brings an incredible vibrancy, from the wallpaper to the carpet to the clothing, that reflects the excitement of the titular arrival.

A bright and vibrant scene of a group of younger adults in a living room. They sit in a circle reading and talking, while a man joins them, his coat being removed by one of the party-goers.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 19/05/2026

Where’s the dislike button on this app

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 14/05/2026

If we had to spent an hour in a locked room with our creature or this...doll...we know which one we're picking. Just saying. We've seen the movies.

A 1960s doll that Barnsley Museums insisted on posting on social media, even though it gives us all the heebie jeebies. The doll has short blond hair, a 60s bright pink and orange dress, rather cute black strappy sandals, and a knowing smile on her face, with a hint of evil behind the eyes.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 14/05/2026

According to the Royal Academy of Arts, "Mistry’s time in Europe encouraged the hybrid nature of his work - references to Asian deities were combined with references to European modernism". 'Creature' (1983), BELUM.U4692. © Dhruva Mistry

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 14/05/2026

Today's #OnlineArtExchange theme is myths and legends to celebrate 'Cornish Myths & Legends' at Cornwall Museum! Dhruva Mistry was born in India & spent illustrious years in the UK. Much of his work has been concerned with the idea of animal-human hybrids to suggest creatures of fabulous power.

A scuplture of a strange creature - the hooved body of a giraffe, with a shortened neck and a human's head. The colouring is almost of a cheetah, with golden fur and deep golden spots, and a tail that whips out behind the body.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 12/05/2026

Thank you to the nurses who gave their time to tell us their stories, and all those in the profession who have dedicated their lives to healthcare. Read more → bit.ly/3PnnXnw

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Memories of an Ulster Nurse

Curator of Modern History, Rebecca Laverty, interviews nurses that worked during The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 12/05/2026

"If you had 30 seconds to sum up your whole time as a nurse, what do you think you would say?" Today is #InternationalNursesDay ❤️‍🩹🩹🩺 Curator of Modern History, Rebecca Laverty, spent time with nurses who spent their careers at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald, Co. Down.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 07/05/2026

'Cranes, Baker Street' (c.1900s), Kenneth Denton Shoesmith. @artukdotorg.bsky.social

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 07/05/2026

🖼 This week's #OnlineArtExchange is ‘urban landscapes’ for the exhibition 'Underground (And Surface)' @ Guildhall Art Gallery. 🏗 'Cranes, Baker Street' was drawn and painted by Kenneth Shoesmith, who travelled the world and designed travel posters for the Royal Mail Line and for Southern Railways.

At the bottom of a watercolour painting, an early 1900s street scene goes past, with a Victorian lamppost and a horse and cart. In the background, the future stretches towards the sky, with a large number of cranes and scaffolding about to progress with work.

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 01/05/2026

Our Fashion and Textiles collection holds around 5000 objects, from 16th century needlework to today's fashion - painstakingly rebuilt from the ashes of a collection destroyed by a fire in 1976. Join Curator Charlotte McReynolds in retracing the journey from ashes to fashion → bit.ly/4d4u4pS

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 30/04/2026

Kudo's work often features a young child in a dream-like landscape, harkening back to her childhood experiencing periods of isolation during illness. #Art #MakikoKudo @artukdotorg.bsky.social 'I Overslept Until the Evening' (2014), Makiko Kudo. © Makiko Kudo. BELUM.U2016.2

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 30/04/2026

'Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art' opens today at penleehousegallery.bsky.social, and to celebrate, this week's #OnlineArtExchange theme is 'women artists'. What an excellent opportunity to share 'I Overslept Until the Evening' (2014) by Makiko Kudo!

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Ulster Museum @ulstermuseum.org · 17/04/2026

💃 Have you ever danced so hard that you've melted your dress? Watch as Bethany Skuce, Object Conservator, works on a dress made from gelatine sequins → bit.ly/4vzIVQo #AshesToFashion #FashionConservation #FashionHistory

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