Our Own Shows

Some of our past exhibitions have been curated by Shetland Museum and Archives staff, or have been on loan for special display from national or international institutions.

We are proud to have a facility capable of exhibiting high profile, exiting shows which gives people in Shetland the opportunity to see, firsthand, iconic artefacts and items which, although may not be specific to Shetland's heritage, are nonetheless very important - and popular. Exhibitions on local subjects curated by our staff are also very popular and well visited. Examples of these are below.

40 Years of Art at Shetland Museum View Full Size

40 Years of Art at Shetland Museum

Armada Cannon View Full Size

Armada Cannon

Focus display of merchant bottles View Full Size

Focus display of merchant bottles

From Old Rock to New Life - Emigration Show View Full Size

From Old Rock to New Life - Emigration Show

The Lewis Chessmen View Full Size

The Lewis Chessmen

High Seas and High Teas - an exhibition of tea trading View Full Size

High Seas and High Teas - an exhibition of tea trading

Skaill Hoard View Full Size

Skaill Hoard

Taatit Rugs View Full Size

Taatit Rugs

Triceratops skull from the Hunterian Museum View Full Size

Triceratops skull from the Hunterian Museum

Writing the North partnership exhibition View Full Size

Writing the North partnership exhibition

Gunnister Man, in partnership with National Museums Scotland. September 2009.

Gayer-Anderson Cat, loaned from The British Museum. September 2012.

Skaill Hoard exhibition, in partnership with National Museums Scotland. July 2013.

Gentle Giant, dinosaur exhibition in parternship with The Hunterian Museum,University of Glasgow. September 2013.

Writing the North exhibition, in partnership with the Arts & Humanities Research Council, University of Edunburgh and Orkney Library. March 2014.

Blockade: 1914-1918. Self -curated exhibition on Shetlanders during WW1. August 2014.

Don McCullin Exhibition, in partnership with Shetland Arts, Artists Rooms, Tate and National Galleries Scotland. November 2014.

James Robertson map exhibition, in partnership with the National Library of Scotland. September 2015.

The Art of Dressing

08/11/2022 - 31/01/2023
Foyer, Shetland Museum and Archives

An Exhibition of Illustrations of blocking boards - sock, glove, hat and jumper boards by local artist Aimee Labourne.

View

Return of the Light

22/06/2019 - 28/07/2019
Foyer corridor

Etchings by Paul Bloomer

View

The Eagle's Last Stronghold

22/06/2019 - 22/09/2019
Upper Foyer, Shetland Museum & Archives

This exhibition highlights the story of the white-tailed ‘sea’ eagle in Shetland. Shetland was home to some of the last white-tailed eagles in Britain before they were hunted to extinction. The exhibition will open on 22nd June and will be a key part of the upcoming Shetland Nature Festival.

View

Karl Manson Focus Display

14/12/2015 - 05/10/2016
Upper Gallery

Highlighting the life of World War One soldier, Private Karl Manson

View

From this Day Forward, Shetland Weddings 1769-2006

16/02/2019 - 23/03/2019
Da Gadderie

See Shetland Museum and Archives’ remarkable collection of wedding attire chronicling 250 years of social change, reflected in the people who wore them.

View

Gilly Bridle - Cutting Pictures

01/09/2018 - 30/09/2018
Upper Foyer

Gilly is a designer, illustrator and maker. She specialised in knitwear design as part of her BA in Textile Design from Manchester University. She then spent over 20 years fitting in her design and illustration work around raising a family and building a croft on the west coast island of Lismore.

View