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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.
This temporary exhibition celebrates the work of local artist and civic leader John Dalzell…
Seven perspectives, bound by a mutual reverence for natural form, fragility, and transformation. As…
Discover documentary photographer Joanne Coates's powerful exhibition about women in agriculture in…
Grizedale Observatory and planetarium for stargazing under the dark skies of the Lake District.…
This interactive exhibition celebrates the treasures of the Wordsworth Grasmere trove. Discover…
The Dock Museum are proud to bring you the latest exhibition from John Duffin, "Look North" The…
Vibrant woven sails and textiles inspired by nineteenth-century Welsh shipwrecks and coastal…
The first ever Cartmel Gathering. Come along to our day of racing alongside Cumberland &…
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,…
The EVAN Gallery and Studios is a genuinely artist led creative hub. EVAN was established in 2017…
This exhibition brings together two emerging portrait painters. Lela Harris gives depth and…
Inside just got interesting. Step off the trail and into a space where the Lake District is…
REACTOR is a new multimedia installation by Felicity Hammond, launching on Thursday 28th May at 6pm…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
Join us for a powerful multi-media exhibition exploring stories of fragility and survival, told…
Nothing Lasts – Sue Dawes (15 April – 12 July 2026) Nothing Lasts presents sculptural ceramics…
A free Exhibition at the first floor of Windermere Library which tells the heritage of pioneering…
The Paper Quilt Project is a living exhibition in which a community art piece is created while on…
Shortlisted works from Farfield Mill's Textile Competition, chosen by judges Jan Beadle, Cas…
Join us for a trip back in time and discover over 200 iconic objects and artworks that bring the…
If you’re visiting the Ambleside area why not pop into the Old Courthouse Gallery? We have a…
A contemporary art gallery 9 miles east of Carlisle. located close to Hadrian’s Wall, the Scottish…


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

Number of results: 87
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Whitehaven
This temporary exhibition celebrates the work of local artist and civic leader John Dalzell Kenworthy (1858–1954). Kenworthy's portraits bring to life the people of West Cumbria during the Edwardian period. Through faces and stories, visitors can…
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…
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
Shortlisted works from Farfield Mill's Textile Competition, chosen by judges Jan Beadle, Cas Holmes, and Marie Walin. Each piece interprets the theme "Metamorphosis," expressing transformation through textile form, colour, and process. Displayed in…
Hawkshead, Ambleside
Situated in the quaint Lake District Village of Hawkshead, the boys Grammar School gives insight into school life ever since it opened in 1585. William Wordsworth also attended the school from age 9 to 17 with his brothers.
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
Connie Flynn's Text & Textile! explores everyday sayings rooted in the textile trade. Using recycled fabrics and white cotton garments, she hand-stitches phrases in red thread and integrates letterpress elements to evoke time and heritage.
Blending…
The Promenade, Maryport
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars, inscriptions and sculptures from the adjacent Roman fort and civilian settlement.
Blackwell - the Arts & Crafts house, Bowness-on-Windermere
Useful/Beautiful marks 25 years of contemporary craft at Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house, celebrating the makers, ideas and objects that have shaped our collection since opening our doors to the public in 2001.
Set throughout the house, the…
Barrow-in-Furness
The Dock Museum are proud to bring you the latest exhibition from John Duffin, "Look North" The exhibition will be full of new and unseen paintings. The exhibition is accessible to all and is free to enter.
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…
Nr Kendal
Discover documentary photographer Joanne Coates's powerful exhibition about women in agriculture in Holeslack barn, on Sizergh's estate.
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
An anniversary exhibition celebrating British wool, craftsmanship, collaboration, and twenty-five years of creative practice.
Celebrating 25 Years of The Wool Clip marks a significant milestone for the artist-led co-operative founded in 2001 with a…
Hawkshead
Grizedale Observatory and planetarium for stargazing under the dark skies of the Lake District. Nestled deep within the breathtaking Grizedale Forest in the heart of the Lake District, this immersive stargazing experience invites the whole family to…
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.
Keswick
Discover the work of acclaimed artist Julian Cooper at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, Cumbria, where landscape, light and place are explored through striking and thought-provoking artwork.
Set in the heart of the Lake District, this exhibition…
Penrith
Brougham Hall is a creative haven where you can enjoy the perfect blend of crafts, coffee and restoration.
Grasmere
Discover two striking new collections of original artworks that celebrate the creative potential of modern printmaking. Women in Print draws inspiration from the life and legacy of Gwyneth Alban Davis, whose values of community, resilience, and…
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
The International Textile Exhibition is back with fifteen different countries being represented. Avant Garde is the theme for the work entered into the competition from internationally renowned textiles artists. This exhibition features the 30…
W Strand, Whitehaven
Before we say goodbye to I Grew Up 90s exhibition (on 21 June), we wanted to celebrate the decade a little close to home - with a special event dedicated to what like was really like in Whitehaven, and the surrounding areas during the 1990s.
Step…
Ulverston
The Laurel and Hardy Museum celebrates the life and career of Stan Laurel, born in Ulverston.
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