Abbot Hall is one of Britain’s leading art galleries, set in a Grade I listed Georgian building Abbot Hall is one of the UK’s best small galleries.
Established in 1962 in a Grade 1-listed Georgian building it has an outstanding collection of British art which explores themes of landscape and identity. The gallery reopened on Saturday 20 May 2023 with a major exhibition by internationally renowned artist Julie Brook. What is it That Will Last? (20 May to 30 Dec 2023) is an exhibition of film, drawing and photography spanning recent works made
by Brook in the Outer Hebrides, in the Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan and Cumbria. The gallery offers inspiring art exhibitions and activities for children, young people and adults to experience first hand. The upstairs galleries command views of the River Kent and Kendal Castle and are perfect spaces for showing contemporary work. It is part of the arts and heritage charity Lakeland Arts. Visit abbothall.org.uk
01/02/2025
🚨 The Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy exhibition closes at 4pm today! 🚨
This is your last chance to experience Watkiss’ stunning drawings exploring the relationship between ancestry, botany and the cosmos.
Join us for the first ever Bumps and Brushes workshop at Abbot Hall this morning! This creative workshop is designed for expectant parents, featuring a guided sketching tour of the Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy exhibition led by an artist-guide.
After sketching, head to the cosy Coffee bar in the Creative Space to add finishing touches and splashes of colour. You’ll also have time to explore other exhibitions at your own pace after the session.
📅 25 January�⏱️ 10:30am – 12pm�🎟️ Free for pregnant people—check-in at the ticket desk. Partners welcome with an admission ticket.
📸 Captured by Astrid Mohr and CaRo Studio
24/01/2025
⏰ Reminder: Bumps and Brushes workshop is tomorrow! Explore the Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy exhibition at Abbot Hall in a relaxing, creative workshop designed for expectant parents. Join us for a guided sketching tour with an artist-guide, followed by a creative session in the Coffee bar in the Creative Space.
📅 25 January, 10:30am – 12pm�🎟️ Free for pregnant people—there’s still time to reserve your spot! Partners can join with an admission ticket.
We hope to see you there!
22/01/2025
Business planning and lunch at the lovely cafe at Abbot Hall in Kendal. There are some beautiful exhibitions on at the moment, lots of botanicals!
22/01/2025
Join us for Bumps and Brushes on 25 January! Explore the Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy exhibition at Abbot Hall with a guided sketching session, perfect for expectant parents seeking a mindful, creative experience. No sketching experience needed—just relax, draw, and enjoy the wellbeing benefits.
📅 25 January, 10:30am – 12pm
🎟️ Free for pregnant people—reserve your spot now! Partners can join with an admission ticket.
🔗 https://tickets1.lakelandarts.org.uk/ |24071
20/01/2025
Did you know Abbot Hall is currently showcasing the largest gathering of Charmaine Watkiss' work in a public gallery? There’s still time to explore this thought provoking exhibition before it ends on Saturday 1 February.
Charmaine Watkiss' stunning artwork is inspired by archival research, delving into the fascinating connections between ancestry, botany, and cosmology. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience her visionary work in person.
📅 Exhibition closes 1 February
📍 Abbot Hall
🎟️ Included with gallery admission.
🛑 Please note Abbot Hall is open Wednesday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm.
📸 Captured by CaRo Studio
18/01/2025
There's still time to confirm your place on the Visible Mending Workshop starting at 12pm today.
Spark your imagination with a tour of the gallery, then dive into the art of visible mending with local textile artist Richeldis Messam in our cafe in the Creative Space.
Learn simple yet effective techniques to transform your clothes into unique, long-lasting pieces that you'll cherish for years to come. No experience needed, and all materials are provided—just bring your creativity and maybe a garment that needs mending!
🎟️ Included with gallery admission—reserve your spot at the ticket desk!
Photograph captured by Paul Mitchell for Visitlakedistrict.com.
17/01/2025
Our first workshop for 2025 is happening tomorrow! Join us for the Visible Mending Workshop led by local textile artist Richeldis Messam and pick up simple yet effective techniques that will transform your clothes into unique, long-lasting pieces you’ll cherish. We can’t wait to see your amazing creations!
Have you heard the good news?! The Charmaine Watkiss Legacy exhibition has been extended until Saturday 1 February!
Don't miss your chance to experience Watkiss' emotive works that explore the connection between people, legacy and nature.
Plan your visit to Abbot Hall today.
Abbot Hall is open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am - 4pm.
13/01/2025
Join us for a peaceful morning at Abbot Hall with our Bumps and Brushes workshop. No art experience needed—just a chance to relax, connect with other parents-to-be, and enjoy some creative time in an uplifting and positive environment.
📆 Saturday 25 January
⏱️ 10:30am - 12pm
📍 Abbot Hall, LA9 5AL
🔗 Find out more via the link down in the comments.
Photo captured by CaRo Studio.
10/01/2025
📣 We’re hiring! 📣
Are you or someone you know our next Senior Curator? Check out or website for more info on the post and how to apply.
LakelandArts.org.uk/careers
04/12/2024
We’re looking forward to seeing you on Saturday for this month’s Sketch and Stroll: guided art tour . There are only a few places left - book now to avoid disappointment.
📸 Credit: Astrid Mohr and Rowan Roberts
03/12/2024
Head over to for a bit of Christmas shopping this December. You’ll find a fantastic selection of art supplies, books, jewellery, prints and stationery, much of which is made by local artists and makers.
Gift memberships and vouchers are also available.
Abbot Hall is part of a registered UK charity.
Visiting, shopping, donating and grabbing a coffee supports local arts, culture and heritage.
Abbot Hall is open Weds-Sat, 10-4. A small selection from our shop is available online at LakelandArts.org.uk
28/11/2024
What’s on at Abbot Hall this December
Events
*Sketch and Stroll
*Festive craft sessions
*Winter solstice storytime
Exhibitions
*Legacy | Charmaine Watkiss
*Intervention & Renewal | Johannes Pretorius
*Agri-Culture | Queen Katherine School
*Ecology Gallery | featuring Russell Mills
*Portrait Galleries and Art Herbarium
(art gallery, gift shop and coffee bar) is open Wed-Sat, 10-4
Admission gives visitors unlimited entry for 12 months
Abbot Hall is part of a registered UK Charity
Book tickets online at Lakelandarts.org.uk
lakedistrictculture
13/11/2024
From Venice to Kendal, Charmaine Watkiss’ art has resonated with people across continents, transcending borders and cultures. Her upcoming talk at Abbot Hall invites you to pause, reflect, and consider life from another perspective through her art.
On 22 November, Charmaine will chat with Isabel Seligman about the stories that live within her drawings—exploring the interconnectivity between ancestry, botany and cosmology.
🗓️ 22 November | ⏰ 5:30 – 6:30pm
📍 Abbot Hall | 🎟️ Grab your tickets via Kendal Mountain Festival
12/11/2024
We are saddened to hear of the death of the artist Frank Auerbach (1931-2024).
His beautifully sensitive and vital depictions of the human form have been a much-loved part of the Abbot Hall collection since 1997.
In 1939 Frank Auerbach was sent by his German-Jewish parents from Berlin to school in England for his safety. His parents were killed in the Holocaust and after he left school Auerbach came to London in 1947 aged sixteen and enrolled at art school.
As an artist the commitment to his subject was clear: “To record the life that seemed to me to be passionate and exciting and disappearing all the time.”
Auerbach’s Reclining Head of Julia, pencil, graphite and chalk on paper, 1994 is currently on display at Abbot Hall as part of our collection exhibition.
Abbot Hall will remain open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm. Please note we’ll be closed from 2–13 February for deep cleaning and collections care. We’re excited to welcome you and take you on a unique, magical art journey!
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Videos
Time is running out! The Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy exhibition at Abbot Hall is closing on Saturday 1 February. Don’t miss your chance to immerse yourself in these thought-provoking mixed media drawings exploring the connection between people, legacy, and nature.
Find out more via the link @abbothall’s bio.
🖼️ Artwork on display is by @mswatkiss
🎥 Captured by @natasha_suriya
#CharmaineWatkiss #LegacyExhibition #AbbotHall #Drawings #InstaArt #LastChance #ArtLovers #KendalCulture #ArtThatInspires #ArtExhibition
We’re excited for what’s coming up this month. What are you most excited to attend at Abbot Hall? Let us know down in the comments 👇.
📸 Moments captured by ca.ro.studio and visitlakedistrict.com. Credit: Johannes Pretorius
Find out more: https://shorturl.at/DDVDd
📣 We’re hiring! 📣
We have several positions available. Please check out our careers page at LakelandArts.org.uk/careers/
#hiring #jobs #careers #artsjob #artjob #charityjob #charityjobs #development #fundraising #developmentmanager #marketing #communications #finance #workwithus #lakelandarts #abbothall #kendal
Johannes Pretorius: Intervention and Renewal display is now open! Ends 28 December
Discover the innovative approach the multigenerational Kendal-based Strickley farm have taken to rewild Britain’s landscape through a captivating photography display by photographer Johannes Pretorius.
The exhibition is part of We Feed The Uk, a major arts programme highlighting regenerative food production, and made possible by generous support from @thegaiafoundation, @lakeland_arts, @aceagrams and @openeyegallery.
#RenewableAgriculture #Exhibition #PhotographyExhibition #WeFeedTheUK #Kendal
✨ Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy is now open! ✨
Discover drawings exploring our essential bond with nature.
Running until 28 December 2024. Don't miss out! Exhibition runs untill 28 December 2024.
🎟️ Book your tickets today: https://bit.ly/CharmaineWatkissLegacy
#CharmaineWatkiss #LegacyExhibition #ArtGallery
As part of their 2024 final major project, Kendal College Art and Design students created responses to George Romney’s oil painting “The Gower Family: The Children of Granville, 2nd Earl Gower, 1776”, which is part of Abbot Hall’s collection. Each student created artwork that drew on their unique insight into the painting, currently hanging in Abbot Hall. You can find eight responses on the @bloombergconnects app.
#InspiringTheNextGeneration #ArtMatters #Art #Artwork #ArtStudent #ArtAndDesign #ArtAndDesignMatters #LakelandArts #KendalCollege #ArtGallery #SupportingArtists
We’re super excited to see you for the Russell Mills talk: Bohemians in Exile talk tomorrow.
#ArtTalks #AbbotHall
Russell Mills talking about artist Kurt Schwitters
Here's a snippet of artist Russell Mills talking about Kurt Schwitters and his connection to the Lake District. 🎨 🏔️
Join us for an inspiring talk with Mills on 9 May, where he will uncover charming stories from the time Royal College of Art students were evacuated to Ambleside during the war.
Book your tickets today: https://tickets1.lakelandarts.org.uk/#eventcalendar_20|18419
You can watch the full video on the Bloomberg Connects app.
Video and editing credit: Caroline Robinson @CaRo Studio
#ArtTalks #LakeDistrictLove #InspiringStories #BookYourTicketsNow
World Art Day
Happy #WorldArtDay! 🎨✨ Join us in celebrating the incredible artwork in our collection and the captivating exhibitions on display. We're grateful to be surrounded by world-class art and even more grateful to share it with you. Make memories together and find inspiration at Abbot Hall 💫 🖼️
Open Wednesday - Saturday, 10-4pm
#WorldArtDay #ArtAppreciation #GalleryGoals #ArtLovers #Inspiration #Discover #ShareTheExperience
What are you most excited to see at Abbot Hall? Please comment down below👇 🖼️ 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆🎨 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 📷 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗵𝘂𝗻: 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻Join us tomorrow, 23 March, for the public opening of our temporary exhibitions. ⏱️ Doors open at 10am🎟️ Book tickets via the link in bioAll the exhibitions and displays mentioned above are included with gallery admission. #ArtGallery #ArtExhibitions #OpenToThePublic #Art #Paintings #ClaudeCahun #GilbertSpencer #Artist #Exhibition #Artwork #PhotographyExhibition #InspiringTheNextGeneration #LakelandArts #PortraitArt #LandscapeArt #PortraitPhotography
Winner of the Art Gallery of the Year Cumbria Life Culture Awards 2017, Abbot Hall Art Gallery is a Grade 1 listed building with a national reputation for showing contemporary and historical works.
Conveniently located in Kendal town centre, Abbot Hall enjoys a pretty riverside setting. Just a stone’s throw from the leafy Abbot Hall Park and Kendal Parish Church, it makes for an inspiring day out for all.
On permanent display at Abbot Hall is an impressive collection of eighteenth and nineteenth-century art. In the elegant period rooms visitors will discover a selection of works by Cumbrian born artist George Romney, one of the greatest eighteenth-century portrait painters. The centre piece is what many perceive to be his masterpiece, the beautiful The Gower Family: The Children of Granville, 2nd Earl Gower (1776-7).
Also permanently exhibited is The Great Picture – an impressive triptych commissioned by Lady Anne Clifford (1590 – 1678) in 1646. It depicts the story of her life-long struggle for, and untimely succession to, the family inheritance.
Abbot Hall is also well known for showing an ambitious programme of temporary exhibitions by internationally renowned artists including Rembrandt, Canaletto, David Hockney, Barbara Hepworth and Claude Monet, to name a few.
Check our website to see what's on at Abbot Hall Art Gallery today:
www.abbothall.org.uk