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Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

York Art Gallery

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York Art Gallery

In 1892 it became the City Art Gallery. York Art Gallery underwent a major redevelopment prior to its grand reopening on 1 August 2015.
(1088)

York Art Gallery’s collection of paintings spans more than 600 years and works range from 14th century Italian panels and 17th century Dutch masterpieces to Victorian narrative paintings and 20th century works by LS Lowry and David Hockney. We also hold the most extensive and representative collection of British Studio Ceramics, thanks to the acquisition of collections from Dean Milner–White, WA I

smay and Henry Rothschild and the recent long term loan of Anthony Shaw’s collection. The building which houses the gallery opened its doors to the public in 1879 for the second Yorkshire Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition, inspired by the Great Exhibition in London of 1851. The project enabled the creation of 60% more display space, new gardens and a Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA). Find out more: www.yorkartgallery.org.uk

01/09/2026

Coming soon! ✨

Our next major exhibition Turner, Wedgwood and Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman, is almost here!

Marking 200 years since the death of York-born artist John Flaxman, the exhibition celebrates his life, work and his influence in the artistic community on fellow artists notably, J.M.W Turner, William Blake and potter Josiah Wedgwood.

The longevity of Flaxman’s creativity is explored through objects in York Art Gallery’s collection, key loans from the Royal Academy, National Portrait Gallery, V&A and the Barber Institute of Fine Art amongst several other UK institutions.

Supported by and produced in partnership with the University of York ’s History of Art Department.

🔗 Book now at: https://www.yorkartgallery.org.uk/exhibition/turner-wedgwood-and-beyond-inspired-by-flaxman/

🗓️ 18 September 2026 – 17 January 2027

📷 © The National Gallery, London

26/08/2026

Today is a very special day... International Dog Day! 🐶

The York Art Gallery collection is home to plenty of four-legged friends, from loyal companions to playful pups, captured in all shapes and sizes. 🐾

If you could take one home, which would you choose? 👇

1. 'Head of a Terrier' by Martin Theodore Ward (1799 - 1874) oil on canvas c.1800 - 1874.
2. ‘An Airedale Called Nansen’ by Mabel Surtees Townsend (1856 - 1912) oil on canvas c.1888 - 1890.
3. ‘Frisk, a Blenheim Spaniel by H. Wood (unknown) oil on board, 1855.
4. 'Head of a Terrier' by Martin Theodore Ward (1799 - 1874) oil on canvas c.1800 - 1874.
5. 'Irish Wolfhound (Burt)' by Sally Arnup, © The Estate of Sally Arnup (1930 - 2015), bronze statue.
6. 'Two Fox Terriers in a Landscape' by Martin Theodore Ward (1799 - 1874) oil on canvas c.1800 - 1874.

24/08/2026

Celebrate with us this bank holiday weekend! 🌊

Help us mark the end of Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print with a two-day festival of live music, workshops, creative activities, and delicious food and drink.

Don’t miss your last chance to see the exhibition before it closes this Sunday!

🗓️ Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 August 2026

🕙 10am–5pm

📍 York Art Gallery & York Museum Gardens

🔗 Explore the full weekend programme: https://www.yorkartgallery.org.uk/making-waves-the-art-of-japanese-woodblock-print-events/

19/08/2026

Happy World Photography Day! 📷

To celebrate the stories photography can tell, we're taking a closer look at Now by Chrissy Lush, currently featured in the Aesthetica Art Prize 2026 exhibition.

Lush’s series stages photographs in domestic and suburban spaces. Each image centres on a disruption: firecrackers erupt in a driveway, car headlights illuminate a dance in a darkened room, and an arm reaches through a bedroom window to present a cassette tape.

The artist focuses on small changes in which the familiar becomes strange. These disturbances alter how we see both figures and spaces, leaving us to question what is happening and what the implications might be.

🔎 Now (2024–ongoing) by Chrissy Lush

12/08/2026

A reminder are open on Tuesday 18 August! 🎨

This is the perfect opportunity to visit our special exhibition Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print before the exhibition closes on 30 August.

Plan your visit and make the most of this extra opening day at: https://www.yorkartgallery.org.uk/tickets/

11/08/2026

Today is Mountain Day (Yama no Hi), celebrated annually in Japan. 🗻

Mount Fuji has long held a special place in Japanese culture and was even considered the luckiest subject to dream of at New Year - when the first dream of the year was traditionally believed to foretell your fortune.

This surimono (poetry print) by Totoya Hokkei depicts a dreamlike Mount Fuji rising above the clouds. The snow-covered summit and clouds are picked out in bronze-coloured metallic pigment, while shades of blue create soft shadows around the mountain.

What feelings do mountains evoke for you? 🏔️

🔎 Mount Fuji above Clouds by Totoya Hokkei (design 1820s, reproduction late 19th century)

📍On display in our current exhibition, Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print, until 30 August

08/08/2026

The details tell the story… 👀

To mark International Cat Day, our Curator of Fine Art, Eleanor Jackson, takes a closer look at Utagawa Hiroshige's Asakusa Ricefields and Torinomachi Festival.

The curious cat may catch your eye first, but Hiroshige’s prints are full of hidden meaning. 🐱

🔎 Asakusa Ricefields and Torinomachi Festival by Utagawa Hiroshige

📍On display in our current exhibition Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print

06/08/2026

Looking for the perfect way to spend a summer evening? ☀️

Experience York Museum Gardens after hours this August, with exclusive access to one of the city’s most beautiful green spaces. 💚

Take a leisurely stroll through the historic grounds, soak up the atmosphere with ambient music, and enjoy delicious street food and drinks as the sun goes down.
Your ticket even includes a complimentary cocktail on arrival. 🍸

The perfect summer evening with friends, a date, or simply a chance to unwind.

🗓️ Friday 14 & 28 August 2026
🕡 6.30pm–9.30pm
🎟️ £7.50 per person (includes a complimentary cocktail)
🔞 Suitable for ages 18+

🔗 Book now at: https://www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk/whats-on/events/evening-in-the-gardens/

📷 Devon Chambers

01/08/2026

Japan meets Yorkshire 🤝

This Yorkshire Day, discover how artist Laura Boswell captures the beauty of the North York Moors using the traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique.

You can see these striking works in our current exhibition Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print, on display until 30 August.

🔎
Long Grasses up by Westerdale, 2020
Rhubarb Sky, 2020
Road to Rosedale, Evening Light, 2020
Snow on the Moors, 2020
Laura Boswell Printmaker

30/07/2026

Join us for our special Making Waves: Closing Celebration 🌊

Help us mark the final weekend of Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print with a two-day festival of live music, workshops, creative activities, and delicious food and drink.

Whether you're revisiting the exhibition or discovering it for the first time, it's the perfect way to spend the August Bank Holiday weekend.

🗓️ Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 August 2026
🕙 10am–5pm
📍 York Art Gallery & York Museum Gardens

🔗 Explore the full weekend programme: https://www.yorkartgallery.org.uk/making-waves-the-art-of-japanese-woodblock-print-events/

Address

Exhibition Square
York
YO17EW

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+441904687687

Website

http://www.yorkartgallery.org.uk/

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