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The Lake District, Cumbria, has provided inspiration for a whole host of artists throughout the years, so it may come as no surprise that we’ve got a rich arts and crafts scene across the area! Here, you’ll find a range of art galleries and exhibition spaces that host an ever-changing calendar of works in virtually every medium.
Discover pieces by local and nationally known artists at venues including independent galleries and studios, to museums and seasonal fairs. Some offer the chance to take a piece home with you, while others host regularly changing exhibitions as well as permanent art collections.
There’s even the opportunity to check out art in the great outdoors: there’s a sculpture trail at Grizedale Forest, for example, as well as open air exhibitions as part of festivals and events throughout the year.
If you fancy trying it for yourself, several galleries and studios also host workshops and classes. Often, you’ll be able to get inspired by the stunning natural surroundings of your venue as you learn a new skill or hone existing abilities.
As well as viewing some fantastic art pieces, here in Cumbria we also invite you to explore the studios and workshops where that work was made; and even meet the artists who create it.
Keep an eye out, too, for touring exhibitions to see something a little different while in the Lake District, Cumbria. Discover our galleries and exhibitions below.
Our Carrs Mine trips on Open Days take about 90 minutes. On the trip we show old mining methods,…
A free Exhibition at the first floor of Windermere Library which tells the heritage of pioneering…
Over 70 local artists and makers in 20 venues waiting to show you what they love doing! Free…
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
Explore the founding of the school library by ex-pupil, Daniel Rawlinson 350 years ago! For the…
We are pleased to announce that our new Shipyard Town gallery is fully open. We are honoured to…
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Rheged's Great Print Exhibition! Discover over 1,000 stunning…
Get ready to come face to face with moving dinosaurs in the Tullie Exhibition Gallery! Coming this…
Lady Anne Clifford: Building Attributes is a pop up exhibition presenting four architectural models…
In an era where dogs are more likely to have Instagram accounts, than appear in exhibitions, David…
Join us at Ravenglass Railway Museum in 2025, as we celebrate 150 years of the Ravenglass and…
The Gather is a “bureau des guides”, a community of qualified outdoor leaders focused on providing…
Grizedale Observatory and planetarium for stargazing under the dark skies of the Lake District.…
Print, sculpture and sound-based installation exploring bird song. Artist Heather Mullender-Ross…
Discover the work of pioneering textile designer and entrepreneur Annie Garnett, a leading figure…
We are delighted to bring to you an exhibition all about Dave Myers at the Museum. It will open on…
If you’re visiting the Ambleside area why not pop into the Old Courthouse Gallery? We have a…
Explore the relationship between land and art in Expanding Landscapes: Painting After Land Art, an…
Uncover the life and work of printmaker Gwyneth Alban Davis who ran her business while living in a…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
A contemporary art gallery 9 miles east of Carlisle. located close to Hadrian’s Wall, the Scottish…
The EVAN Gallery and Studios is a genuinely artist led creative hub. EVAN was established in 2017…
William Wordsworth wrote his radical Guide to the Lakes at Allan Bank. A new permanent exhibition…
Sue Bibby designs and makes with fabric, stitch and her trusty Bernina sewing machine. Her first…
You may leave the Lake District, but once you’ve been, it’ll never leave you.
Number of results: 70
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Ambleside
If you’re visiting the Ambleside area why not pop into the Old Courthouse Gallery? We have a fantastic collection of art & crafts by some amazing artists, many of them local to the area.
Barrow-in-Furness
We are pleased to announce that our new Shipyard Town gallery is fully open. We are honoured to tell the stories of the men and women who made Barrow great and a world leader in engineering. There is so much to do and see in the gallery including…
Kirkland, Kendal
Lady Anne Clifford: Building Attributes is a pop up exhibition presenting four architectural models inspired by Anne Clifford's fight to reclaim her inherited estates. The models – representing the castles at Brough, Skipton, and Pendragon, and the…
Penrith
Brougham Hall is a creative haven where you can enjoy the perfect blend of crafts, coffee and restoration.
Sedbergh
This new body of work explores the ever-changing Lakeland landscape. The work is abstract, painted from memory and includes familiar shapes; field patterns on the fellside, ancient gate stoops weathered by the elements, a hog hole in a wall, the…
Bowness-on-Windermere
A magical indoor attraction that brings to life all 23 Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit tales. Meet all your favourite characters and find out more about Beatrix Potter herself.
Sedbergh
Each summer at ArtyBird, we film our Creative Textile suite of courses. Soon my shell became the focus and star of them – surprising us on how inspiring just one shell can be.
This is a special shell, one that my husband brought me back from his…
Sedbergh
Sue Bibby designs and makes with fabric, stitch and her trusty Bernina sewing machine. Her first love is drawing, and her work begins with first-hand observation and sketches. She never ventures far without a sketch book and find gardens and…
Ambleside
Museum, art gallery and reference library covering the history life and arts of the Lakes. Collections include Kurt Schwitters, Beatrix Potter, photography, fine art and local history.
Keswick
Located in Keswick, the home of the first pencil, visitors enter this museum through a replica graphite mine which would have served as the source of the pencil industry over three centuries ago.
Penrith
Rheged is a gallery, café, cinema, shopping venue, workplace and creative space on the edge of the Northern Lakes.
Braithwaite, Keswick
A rusty 'tin shed' beside a dramatic waterfall in a remote valley just outside Keswick – this building is a tribute to human engineering and ingenuity, and it has a powerful story to tell about humanity's impact on the planet. Before closing in…
Alston
Our Carrs Mine trips on Open Days take about 90 minutes. On the trip we show old mining methods, talk about history, look at geology and see fluorescent minerals
We provide lamps and helmets. We suggest that you wear outdoor clothing and footwear.…
Whitehaven
HARBOUR FEST RETURNS ON AUGUST 30th WITH A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY AND CREATIVITY
Prepare for a unique blend of fun, creativity, and community spirit as Harbour Fest, a one-of-a-kind event, returns to Whitehaven Harbour on Saturday 30th August!…
Ambleside
Don't miss this opportunity to delve into the life and legacy of Alfred Wainwright at The Armitt museum from February to December 2025.
The Armitt museum and Alfred Wainwright Books & Memorabilia are thrilled to announce a collaborative and…
Moresby, Whitehaven
From the students of West Lakes Academy
Dates
Saturday 10th May - Friday 6th June
Times
Thursday & Friday 11-4pm + During scheduled events
FREE - Donations to Rosehill welcome
Booking: Not required for exhibition
What's it like to be a young person…
Kendal
Explore the relationship between land and art in Expanding Landscapes: Painting After Land Art, an exhibition that brings together historical works and contemporary artists.
Engaging with nature and observing our relationship with the landscape…
Coniston
Meet Coniston's heroes, John Ruskin, artist, radical and seer and Donald Campbell, speed ace. View the fully restored Bluebird craft in the Bluebird wing of the museum. Discover the mineral wealth of the fells, all at 'the most thought provoking…
Penrith
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Rheged's Great Print Exhibition! Discover over 1,000 stunning contemporary artworks from UK artists, showcasing screenprint, etching, lino block, and collagraph.
Immerse yourself in the magic of printmaking through…
W Strand, Whitehaven
In an era where dogs are more likely to have Instagram accounts, than appear in exhibitions, David Remfry has worked for over 15 years on a series of portraits that reveal the relationships between dogs and their owners.
Dogs have long been a…
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