The world famous Turner Contemporary in Margate is reopening its doors to visitors.

Like dozens of other museums and galleries across the county, the gallery has been shut since March, in line with government restrictions.

Now with restrictions eased but safety measures in place, they are starting to welcome back visitors

At the Turner, visitors will be able to see the exhibition We Will Walk - Art and Resistance in the American South, and Place, Space and Who by Barbara Walker - the first exhibition of its kind in the UK to reveal the little-known art shaped by the American Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 60s.

Also on show will be Place, Space and Who by British artist Barbara Walker. Created over a four-month residency at Turner Contemporary last year, her work explores identity and belonging, featuring large-scale wall drawings of five women and girls from the African Diaspora living in the area.

The gallery will be open Wednesdays to Sundays from 10am to 5pm, until Sunday, September 6 when it will close for some building work to be carried out.

Visitors will need to book slots to visit and there will be a one-way system. Find out more at turnercontemporary.org

The Beaney, Canterbury

An exploration of life under lockdown is at the heart of the reopening of the Beaney House of Art of Knowledge this week.

At the start of lockdown, the team from the Canterbury City Council-run museum set up a diary to document the experiences of people living, working and studying in the area. The project with the Wise Words festival and the Beaney’s Arts Council England-funded health and wellbeing work, has been turned into a poem by poet Anthony Anaxagorou, and waymarkers around the building by local visual artist Lucy Oram. There will also be a themed family-friendly trail. The museum and galleries have opened with a one-way system, and there will be hour-long visit sessions to manage visitor numbers with booking in advance recommended. For a free slot, go to thebeaney.co.uk.

Maidstone Museum, St Faith’s Street

The museum reopened to the public last week, with a one-way route and social distancing in place. Visitors are asked to book their free visit in advance through the website. Some regular activities such as dressing up for children won’t be available and the Ancient Lives gallery will remain closed as it is a narrow space. You can book at museum.maidstone.gov.uk

Huguenot Museum, Rochester

The small, independent museum is likely to open in early August. After receiving a small grant from the National Lottery, work is underway on installing hand sanitisers, screens and signage.

Director Dinah Winch said: “We are not rushing to open because we feel it is too early when we have volunteers who are in the older age group, including some who are still shielding. We also have staff and volunteers who have responsibilities for caring and for school age children and therefore aren’t free to work yet. We also need to put health and safety measure in place which we have not been able to do while staff have been furloughed. So, there is a lot to do to make even our small museum safe for visitors, volunteers and staff.

“We are the only museum in the country that focusses on the Huguenots, the first refugees and we know that our story which gives the ‘long view’ to the current refugee crisis is incredibly important and relevant today. So we are keen to open again and welcome people in to engage with this story.”

The museum’s family history service has run virtually throughout the closure period and has proved popular, she added. Find out more at huguenotmuseum.org

Elsewhere in Medway, the Guildhall Museum and Visitor Information Centre, which includes Rochester Art Gallery, have all now reopened.

Powell-Cotton Museum, Birchington

Run by an independent charity, the Victorian mansion house sits in seven acres of grounds. The museum was founded by Percy Powell-Cotton, an Edwardian explorer, collector, and naturalist,

whose mission was to ‘bring the world to Birchington.’ Managers say they are focusing on the behind the-scenes work, with the public reopening still a little way off. Find out about some virtual sights at powell-cottonmuseum.org

For more news on venues reopening across Kent click here.