The Natural History Museum's Jerwood Gallery has hosted some of our most exciting and ambitious temporary exhibitions since it's refurbishment in 1999 which was supported by the Jerwood Foundation. Iconic NHM events including the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and the award winning theatre production of The Wider Earth have enabled us to inspire our visitors with the natural world in new and innovative ways. None of this would have been possible without the transformative support of the Jerwood Foundation.

- Sir Michael Dixon, Director Natural History Museum

  • Jerwood Foundation made a grant of £900,000 towards the restoration and modernisation of the Natural History Museum’s magnificent Gallery 26...

    Jerwood Foundation made a grant of £900,000 towards the restoration and modernisation of the Natural History Museum’s magnificent Gallery 26 designed by Robert Warren Architects. Originally named The Shell Gallery, it had been bomb-damaged in the Second World War and covered with cladding when it reopened in the 1950s.

    The renamed Jerwood Gallery with its Waterhouse terracotta work, triple arched entrance and stained-glass windows is the home of the Museum’s contemporary arts Programme. It was officially opened by Lord Palumbo in September 1999.

    Since opening, the Jerwood Gallery has hosted a wide range of exhibitions from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year; Venom: Killer Cure to Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon (2019/2020) and was transformed into a temporary theatre in 2018 to host the European premiere of The Wider Earth, a magical and ingenious theatre production which brought to life the intrepid journey undertaken by the 22 year old Charles Darwin on HMS Beagle.

    In 2022 Jerwood Foundation awarded a grant of £30,000 over three years to support three exhibitions shown in Museum’s Jerwood Gallery as part of the Jerwood Contemporary Arts Programme. Each artist selected for this programme had a very different approach to how they explored the relationship between humankind and the natural world. These included The Lost Rhino curated by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s deep science and data-driven projections. The Polar Silk Road exhibition of the beautiful, stark photography of Gregor Sailer and The River sound installation developed by Jana Winderen in collaboration with Tony Myatt.

    Jerwood Foundation renewed its support of the Jerwood Contemporary Arts Programme at the Natural History Museum in 2024 by awarding a grant £75,000 over three years. Between July 2025 and January 2026, the gallery is hosting Our Story with David Attenborough, a unique immersive experience created by Open Planet Studios in collaboration with the master storyteller, David Attenborough as he poignantly draws on nearly a century of experience to document the saga of our incredible species.

    Sir David Attenborough at the Natural History Museum (c) The Trustees of the NHM
  • Matt Tait and Melissa Vaughan in rehearsal for The Wider Earth in the Jerwood Gallery. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London. Photo: Mark Douet (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    The Natural History Museum's Shell Gallery, May 1911. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Jerwood Gallery, Natural History Museum Architecture. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Installation View of Coral Reefs in Jerwood Gallery, 2015. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).