#Turner250
Celebrating 250 years since the birth of JMW Turner.
A year-long festival of exhibitions and events celebrating 250 years since the birth of JMW Turner, one of the most influential British artists of all time.
Admission to Turner is free. A one-off or regular donation will help support artists to realise exciting new exhibitions and inspire over 300,000 children, young people and adults each year with free access to art and creative activities.
Breaking Waves
To celebrate Turner 250, we have Turner's remarkable painting Waves Breaking on a Lee Shore at Margate (Study for Rockets and Blue Lights), c. 1840 on display. This display will give visitors the opportunity to experience one of Turner’s masterful depictions of the Kent coastline, reinforcing the gallery’s deep connection to his legacy.
The painting, likely created in Margate, captures the raw energy of a stormy sea viewed safely from the shore. Looking east towards the Stone Pier and lighthouse, the composition suggests an unseen vessel battling the turbulent waters.
‘Margate, a place Turner described as having ‘the loveliest skies in Europe,’ was deeply significant to him, shaping his radical vision that redefined landscape painting and produced some of the most iconic depictions of the natural world.’
Photo © Betty Saunders
Photo © Betty Saunders
For Turner
On Turner’s 250th birthday, 23 April 2025, a projection of Tracey Emin’s poem For Turner—her love letter to JMW Turner—illuminated the building at sunset. Emin, one of Margate’s most celebrated contemporary artists, finds deep inspiration in Turner’s emotive use of light and atmosphere.
‘Winter sunset in a grey sky,
Hangs over a Prussian blue deep sea.’
A Love Letter to Turner
Hear Dame Tracey Emin RA reading her inspiring letter to JMW Turner.
Young Creatives
Celebrating JMW Turner’s fascination with the ocean and Margate’s unique light, we partnered with our next door neighbours, RNLI Margate Lifeboat Station for this year's Young Creatives. Young Creatives is a free platform for young people living (under 25) in Kent and Medway. Inspired by Waves Breaking on a Lee Shore at Margate, submissions are open until 9 May 2025. Selected works will be displayed in the gallery.
The gallery has also launched a free JMW Turner schools’ resource, allowing students to explore Waves Breaking on a Lee Shore at Margate during their walk between Margate train station and the gallery.
Related events
-
Workshops & CoursesTeacher Twilight - JMW Turner
Wed 23 Apr 2025, 4–6pmFree entryJoin us for a special teacher twilight viewing of JMW Turner's 'Waves Breaking on a Lee Shore at Margate (Study for Rockets and Blue Lights)' and a chance to explore 'Resistance'.
Book your place -
DisplaysTurner 250: Breaking Waves
8 Apr 2025–Apr 2026Free entryJoin us to see JMW Turner’s oil sketch 'Waves Breaking on a Lee Shore at Margate (Study for ‘Rockets and Blue Lights’)' at Turner, part of a year-long festival celebrating 250 years since the artist's birth.
View display
