Visual Story: A Step-by-step Guide to Our Building
A Visual Story is a step-by-step guide to help you plan your visit. It uses photos and simple descriptions to show what to expect when you arrive, how to move through the building, and the facilities available.
Scroll through at your own pace to get familiar with the gallery and our exhibitions before you visit. You can use it to see entrances, stairs, lifts. Share with friends, family, or support workers so everyone feels comfortable.
Tickets
Free admission
You don’t need a ticket to visit our Ground Floor Gallery or Studio. However, entry to our upstairs exhibition Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming costs £9.50 or £7.00 concessions. Children under 12 go free and so do Friends of Modern Art Oxford.
You do not need to book in advance, tickets can be purchased at the Welcome Desk on arrival.
Bags and Lockers
You’re welcome to bring a bag into the gallery.
We have a small number of lockers available for personal items. Lockers are free to use.
Quieter Times to Visit
We’re open Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays).
Opening hours:
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday: 11am–6pm
- Sunday: 11am–4pm
It’s usually quietest at the beginning and end of each day.
Thursdays tend to be busier with school groups visits and Saturdays are our busiest day.
To check how busy we are, call us on 01865 722733.
How to Get Here
Modern Art Oxford is on the corner of St Ebbes Street and Pembroke Street, right next to the Westgate shopping centre.
- Oxford Railway Station is 0.6 miles away (12-minute walk)
- Bus stops nearby
- Parking is available at Westgate car park
Accessible Access
Both of our entrances are accessible:
- St Ebbes Street (via the Yard): step-free, gentle incline, automatic doors
- Pembroke Street: wheelchair-accessible lift next to the main entrance
Our gallery and Café can be reached by lift.
Arriving via Pembroke Street
Our main entrance has three doors. The middle door opens automatically at a gentle pace and leads to the welcome desk. The left door takes you to the wheelchair and buggy lift, and the right door leads to the Café.
From here you can:
- Go straight ahead up 7 stairs to the welcome desk
- Turn left to access a lift (press the call button, manually close the door behind you and then select the button with upward facing triangle)
- Turn right to reach the Café via 9 stairs (with handrails)
Arriving via St Ebbes Street
This step-free route takes you through the Yard into the Ground Floor Gallery. There’s a gentle incline and automatic doors at the end. There are benches to sit and wait in the Yard.
As part of our current exhibition Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming there is an artwork in the Yard. It is a wooden hut with watercolour paintings on the inside. You can go inside the hut to look at the paintings.
In the Ground Floor Gallery is Platform Graduate Award: This is Really Happening.
From the Ground Floor Gallery you can:
- Turn left to access the toilets (down 6 stairs)
- Go straight ahead through the glass door into the Studio
- Turn right into the social space
Finding the Toilets
Toilets are located on the ground floor and in the basement.
- Ground Floor (via stairs): Gender Neutral toilet
- Basement (via lift or stairs):
- Gender Neutral Accessible toilet (with baby change)
- Male and female toilets
Note: We don’t use hand-dryers in the basement toilets.
Getting Around
We have signs to guide you and staff are always available to help.
Our building has three floors and we don’t have a permanent collection and our exhibition changes regularly, so you might see something new each time you visit.
What's On Each Floor
Ground Floor
- Welcome area
- Shop
- Digital screens
- Ground Floor Gallery
- The Studio
- Toilets
Level One
- Upper Galleries 1, 2 and 3
Basement
- Café
- Toilets (including accessible and baby change)
Stairs and Lifts
Each floor is accessible by stairs or lift.
Our lift is at the back right hand corner of the social space when you enter via Pembroke Street.
- Press the up/down arrow to call the lift
- Inside, choose your floor: LG (basement), G (ground), 1 (upper galleries)
- Doors close automatically
Press the bell symbol for help if you get stuck. This will alert a member of staff who will come and help you.
Seating and Portable Stools
We offer:
- Sofas and chairs in the social space
- Seating in the Studio
- Seating in the Café
- Benches in the Upper Gallery
- Portable stools available at exhibition entrances – ask a member of staff if you have trouble locating them.
- Seating in the Yard
Help and Assistance
Visitor Engagement Team
This is a member of our Visitor Engagement Team, you can spot them by their black and white ‘Modern Art Oxford’ Lanyard, they will also be dressed in all black. They can:
- Answer any questions you have
- Show you to a quiet space or help with questions
- Provide large print versions of exhibition texts and video transcripts
- Talk to you about the exhibitions and artworks in them
Access Resources
Available to borrow:
- Ear defenders
- Large print exhibition notes and video transcripts
- Communication cards (Use these to communicate your needs without speaking)
Let a member of staff at the welcome desk know if you would like to borrow any of these items.
What you might see
People in the Gallery
At times, it may be busy or noisy. You might see people:
- Drawing
- Taking photos
- On a guided tour
- Families or school groups doing activities
Art in the gallery
You will see different types of art. There might be sculptures, paintings, films and installations. Some spaces can be dark, some spaces can be light.
Social Space
As you enter through Pembroke Street entrance, you will enter our Social Space featuring our shop, lockers, welcome desk, sitting area and co-working space.
Welcome Desk
Here you can:
- Ask questions
- Pick up guides, exhibition notes, activity backpacks, feedback cards and access resources.
- Sign up as a Friend
- Get help with directions or event bookings
- Borrow access resources
Lockers
Instructions are inside the doors. Ask a staff member for help if needed.
Digital Screens and Seating
There’s comfy seating to relax or meet friends.
Digital screens in the corner let you explore our archive.
At the back of the space is a co-working desk with charging points.
You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, but please avoid playing sound out loud.
Currently there is an artwork in the social space. This is part of Platform Graduate Award: This is Really Happening. Please do not touch this artwork.
The Upper Galleries
Entrance
Opposite the welcome desk. Or to your right as you walk up the stairs from Pembroke Street. Through the sliding door there are 19 stairs with handrails on both sides.
Our current exhibition is ticketed. Please by a ticket from the welcome desk before you go upstairs. A standard ticket is £9.00 and a Concession ticket is £7.50. Children under 12 are free and Friends of Modern Art Oxford get free access to ticketed exhibitions.
You may take photos in the exhibitions but please do not use flash.
Upper Gallery 1
Our current exhibition is Suzanne Treister: Prophetic Dreaming
Upper Gallery 1 is our largest space, with a very high ceiling and skylights. The lighting is mostly natural daylight, with some additional artificial lighting. For this exhibition, Upper Gallery 1 has been divided into two rooms.
First room:
- Smaller, painted a dark purple
- Lots of artwork on the wall
- Two vitrines in the middle of the room
Second room:
- Pale green walls
- Video works (which can be watched with headphones or read using subtitles)
- Prints hanging from the ceiling
- Mannequins wearing costumes
- Prints and paintings on the wall
- Interactive artwork – Use the retro Apple Computer to work explore an interactive virtual world created by Suzanne Treister
Please don’t touch any of the artworks on the walls or the costumes on the mannequins.
Upper Gallery 2
An archway connects Upper Gallery 1 to Upper Gallery 2 accessed by a gentle ramp (with a handrail on the right).
It consists of two small rooms with low ceilings. Variable noise levels from video works.
Upper Gallery 2
- Video work with headphones and fast moving images
- Prints and paintings on the wall
Upper Gallery 2a
- Painted dark blue
- Video projection
- Prints and paintings on the wall
Please don’t touch any of the artworks on the walls.
From Upper Gallery 2 there are closed doors leading to stairs to exit the galleries and an open doorway leading to Upper Gallery 3.
Upper Gallery 3
From Upper Gallery 2, an open doorway leads to Upper Gallery 3.
A medium-sized room with high ceilings and skylights. Split into two areas by a wall with a circular opening in the centre. Noise levels can vary, as audio from nearby video works may be heard. Lighting is mostly natural, with some additional artificial lighting.
Includes:
- Paintings and prints on the walls
- Video art works with headphones
- Video artwork playing sound out loud
- Interactive artwork – a book you can flick through.
- There are two videos in this room without subtitles please ask a member of staff for the large print transcripts
Please don’t touch any of the artworks on the walls.
Push the closed double doors open to return to the ground floor via 19 stairs with handrails on both sides.
Ground Floor Gallery
From the upper galleries, the exit stairs lead to the Ground Floor Gallery. You can also access it from the social space or Yard. This is a free space.
A small room with external doors opening to the Yard. In winter, it may feel cooler and breezier. Visitors may pass through here to reach the toilets, Studio, Shop, or Yard.
Currently showing Platform Graduate Award: This is Really Happening. This is a group exhibition showing artwork from three recent graduates. You will see sculptural works on the floors and walls.
The Studio
A large free space for exploring creativity and relaxation.
- Central workshop table with creative materials
- A make your own Tarot Card activity
- Costumes to dress up in and dress mannequins
- Murals and a projected animation on the walls
- Soft seating
In this room, you are welcome to use the creative materials on the workshop table, dress up or just sit and relax. There are instructions on how to take part in the activity on the wall.
The Café
There are three access routes into our Café:
- Via lift (visible from welcome desk)
- 16 stairs down from welcome space (handrails both sides)
- 9 stairs from Pembroke Street entrance (turn right after entering)
Features:
- Low ceilings, hand-shaped furniture, brightly painted in pinks, oranges and yellows
- Soft lighting and colourful spotlights
- Light background music
- Noise levels will be louder during busier lunch service (12-2pm)
- Hand-shaped chairs are secured to the floor but stools can be moved
Menus are on tables.
Order at the counter – food is brought to your table.
You’re welcome to take your food up to the social space.
Let staff know if you have allergies or dietary needs.
Toilets and baby change are behind the bench shaped like a hand.
Push the button to open the sliding door (the door will open automatically on exit).
The lift from the Café takes you directly to the Ground Floor (G) or Upper Gallery 1 (1).
Rules around the Gallery
- No food or drink in exhibition spaces
- You may eat packed lunches in the social space
- Only touch the interactive artworks
- No flash photography
Tours
We offer three different types of tours:
- Free lunch-time curator-led exhibition tours.
These take place a few times during each exhibition and are free to join. Check our What’s On page to book a space.
- Spotlight tours led by members of staff.
These run every Friday and Sunday at 3pm. They are not listed on our What’s On page – simply head to the gallery spaces at those times or ask a member of staff for directions.
- Private curator-led tours
Book a private tour with one of our curators for a more tailored experience. These start at £50 per group.
Events
We also host regular events.
Check the What’s On page or ask at the welcome desk.
Family Spaces
Our building and exhibitions are family-friendly.
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The Studio is a free welcoming space to get creative together as a family.
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Free holiday workshops run throughout the year.
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Sensory Make Play sessions designed for children aged 6 months–5 years.
