Quentin Blake Is Getting His Own Museum

Quentin Blake, the man who essentially illustrated our collective childhoods, is getting a museum.

Expect it to be a big draw.

For anyone who ever read a Roald Dahl book, or any of the 300 other children’s novels that he illustrated, Blake’s quirkily scrappy style has become virtually tattooed on our minds, and seems to be instantly recognisable the moment one sees it.

Like here, for example

The space that it’ll eventually be housed in is fittingly something of a blank canvas right now, with aims to get it all dolled up and ready to open in 2024. And what a space it is – they’re slotting it into an ancient former waterworks in Clerkenwell called the New River Head, which was first built back in the year 1613, and which was essentially one of the first major pieces of London’s infrastructure.

Before…

It’s all going to be transformed into a vast space housing galleries, gardens, studios, a cafe, and yes, a shop. Inside those galleries, we can expect hundreds of Blake’s artworks as well as showcases from other esteemed illustrators. And in those studios, we can expect an opportunity to learn how to draw and sketch out designs yourself.

…and after

But the best bit? The space is open now (the weekend of 17th & 18th September) as part of Open House London for anyone who wants to take a look around it, and hear about the plans.

Which ought to illustrate things quite nicely.

NOTE: The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is set to open in 2024. However this weekend (17th & 18th September) you can take a look around the site for free. To get tickets just head right here.

Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration | Rear of 28 Amwell Street, EC1R 1XU

There’s more where that came from… Here are the best museums in London.