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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.
Discover life on Windermere through the lens of award-winning artist Juliet Klottrup. This…
The Hive is a fully licensed events venue in a restored Wesleyan Chapel in Nenthead, offering pop…
Head to the Great Barn at Sizergh to see an exhibition from a creative collective of artists,…
Inside just got interesting. Step off the trail and into a space where the Lake District is…
A free Exhibition at the first floor of Windermere Library which tells the heritage of pioneering…
If you’re visiting the Ambleside area why not pop into the Old Courthouse Gallery? We have a…
Grizedale Observatory and planetarium for stargazing under the dark skies of the Lake District.…
Step inside the charming world of Tabitha Twitchit's second-hand bookshop in Hawkshead, where every…
Discover two striking new collections of original artworks that celebrate the creative potential of…
A contemporary art gallery 9 miles east of Carlisle. located close to Hadrian’s Wall, the Scottish…
As winter gives way to spring, this exhibition celebrates renewal and transformation through the…
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
Discover documentary photographer Joanne Coates's powerful exhibition about women in agriculture in…
The EVAN Gallery and Studios is a genuinely artist led creative hub. EVAN was established in 2017…
Celebrate 25 years of ceramic art by Edinburgh-based Frances Priest in Motif | Line | Colour. The…
This interactive exhibition celebrates the treasures of the Wordsworth Grasmere trove. Discover…
We are proud to be working with our friends from Barrow Full to bring you our next temporary…
Confluences in Time brings together painter and textile artist Rachel Morrell and photographer…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
This temporary exhibition celebrates the work of local artist and civic leader John Dalzell…
Step into the radiant world of Carlisle Cathedral's stained glass with our brand‑new tour, Sacred…


You may leave the Lake District, but once you’ve been, it’ll never leave you.

Number of results: 60
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Carlisle
Visit Carlisle Cathedral, centrally located in the heart of the city. Whether for worship, events, family activities, refreshments or simply a moment of peace - a warm welcome awaits.
Penrith
Rheged is a gallery, café, cinema, shopping venue, workplace and creative space on the edge of the Northern Lakes.
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
Seven perspectives, bound by a mutual reverence for natural form, fragility, and transformation.
As artists, we see Common Land not only as a reflection on the physical terrain, but as an exploration of the emotional and ancestral ground we all, in…
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
Brougham Hall is a creative haven where you can enjoy the perfect blend of crafts, coffee and restoration.
W Strand, Whitehaven
Join us for a trip back in time and discover over 200 iconic objects and artworks that bring the Nineties to vivid life. This exhibition has been curated by collector and cultural commentator Matt Fox.
Revisit the days of Britpop and Cool…
Barrow-in-Furness
We are proud to be working with our friends from Barrow Full to bring you our next temporary exhibition, "Made in Barrow" which will take you on a fascinating journey though Barrow made by local artists
Kendal
Lakeland Arts' much-loved art collection includes paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture ranging from the 1700's to the present. In our refreshed collection galleries discover the stories of our extraordinary collection pieces and the people…
The Abbey, Carlisle
Please visit The Undercroft to view this Fine Art Exhibition featuring contemporary work by local artists, Michael Batey and Anne Batey, inspired by their week-long residency on the island of Jura.
The exhibition will be open daily, 10am - 4pm.…
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.
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
Confluences in Time brings together painter and textile artist Rachel Morrell and photographer Walter Lewis to explore the transformation of the Leeds Canal Basin from its 19th-century industrial roots to its present role as a modern hub for media,…
Hawkshead
Come and discover all that Grizedale has to offer – take in Lake District landscapes, experience a whole range of contemporary art and enjoy an adventure, no matter your age!
Nr Bowness-on-Windermere
The Lakeland Model Village showcases dozens of miniature buildings crafted from locally sourced Coniston slate. Over the past 25 years, local builder Edward Robinson carefully created each one by hand, faithfully recreating some of Cumbria’s most…
Ambleside
An A-Z of Beatrix Potter takes you on a journey through 26 key words and phrases drawn from Beatrix Potter's children's books, letters, journals and other writings via a selection of drawings, manuscripts, and other objects relating to her work and…
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.
Nr Kendal
Discover documentary photographer Joanne Coates's powerful exhibition about women in agriculture in Holeslack barn, on Sizergh's estate.
Grasmere
Enjoy your perfect Lake District day out at Wordsworth Grasmere. Discover the home of William Wordsworth, one of England’s most famous poets. Step back 200 years and experience the sights, sounds and smells of family life at Dove Cottage.
Kendal
Abbot Hall is one of Britain’s preeminent small art galleries, set in a Grade I listed Georgian building on the banks of the River Kent in Kendal. The gallery holds an outstanding collection of 18th-21st century art and hosts exhibitions. The…
Grasmere
This interactive exhibition celebrates the treasures of the Wordsworth Grasmere trove. Discover grand landscapes by Constable and Turner, a hasty sketch by Dorothy Wordsworth, dramatic watercolours and rarely displayed objects that spark wonder,…
Kendal
Regional artists know all too well how few spaces are available to show their work, so the recent opening of this large gallery space in Kendal is an exciting new addition to the Lakeland arts scene. With around a hundred square metres of space, the…
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