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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.
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
The International Textile Exhibition is back with fifteen different countries being represented.…
Discover two striking new collections of original artworks that celebrate the creative potential of…
As winter gives way to spring, this exhibition celebrates renewal and transformation through the…
This autumn, Abbot Hall presents Boat Works, a solo exhibition by Turner Prize-winner Simon…
Grizedale Observatory and planetarium for stargazing under the dark skies of the Lake District.…
A contemporary art gallery 9 miles east of Carlisle. located close to Hadrian’s Wall, the Scottish…
If you’re visiting the Ambleside area why not pop into the Old Courthouse Gallery? We have a…
This temporary exhibition celebrates the work of local artist and civic leader John Dalzell…
Step inside the charming world of Tabitha Twitchit's second-hand bookshop in Hawkshead, where every…
We are proud to be working with our friends from Barrow Full to bring you our next temporary…
The Hive is a fully licensed events venue in a restored Wesleyan Chapel in Nenthead, offering pop…
The EVAN Gallery and Studios is a genuinely artist led creative hub. EVAN was established in 2017…
This interactive exhibition celebrates the treasures of the Wordsworth Grasmere trove. Discover…
Crash! Bang! Kapow! COMICS: The Famous & Forgotten tells the story of comic art in Britain – from…
A multimedia exhibition at the Dock Museum from 5th December to 23rd February exploring local…
Confluences in Time brings together painter and textile artist Rachel Morrell and photographer…
A free Exhibition at the first floor of Windermere Library which tells the heritage of pioneering…
Discover documentary photographer Joanne Coates's powerful exhibition about women in agriculture in…
Celebrate 25 years of ceramic art by Edinburgh-based Frances Priest in Motif | Line | Colour. The…
Head to the Great Barn at Sizergh to see an exhibition from a creative collective of artists,…
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
Discover life on Windermere through the lens of award-winning artist Juliet Klottrup. This…


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

Number of results: 50
, currently showing 1 to 20.
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.
Kirkland, Kendal
This autumn, Abbot Hall presents Boat Works, a solo exhibition by Turner Prize-winner Simon Starling. Bringing together his major boat-themed projects, the show explores the vessel as a symbol of migration, transformation, and change.
Highlights…
Bowness-on-Windermere
Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house is a rare architectural gem in the heart of the Lake District and offers a perfectly preserved snapshot of early 20th-century living.
Nr Kendal
Discover documentary photographer Joanne Coates's powerful exhibition about women in agriculture in Holeslack barn, on Sizergh's estate.
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,…
Penrith
Rheged is a gallery, café, cinema, shopping venue, workplace and creative space on the edge of the Northern Lakes.
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…
Penrith
Brougham Hall is a creative haven where you can enjoy the perfect blend of crafts, coffee and restoration.
Coniston
Brantwood, the former home of eminent Victorian John Ruskin and a treasure house of art and memorabilia. The 250-acre estate comprises 8 unique gardens, ancient woodland, high moors and meadows.
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…
Whitehaven
Imagine leaving the heart of Whitehaven's historic port and being taken back in time to an exotic tropical island's rainforest in the Caribbean, that is just the start of your great adventure in The Rum Story.
Nr Kendal
Head to the Great Barn at Sizergh to see an exhibition from a creative collective of artists, inspired by soil.
Blackwell - the Arts & Crafts house, Bowness-on-Windermere
Celebrate 25 years of ceramic art by Edinburgh-based Frances Priest in Motif | Line | Colour.
The exhibition follows her evolution from monochrome pieces to vibrant, intricate designs, featuring her latest collection Unfixing, rarely seen archive…
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!
Grasmere
Art gallery and art shop run by the Heaton Cooper family, selling original paintings and prints from 4 generations of the family.
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…
Windermere
Windermere Jetty Museum is a vibrant, family-friendly visitor attraction dedicated to the boats, people and the rich history of Windermere, England’s largest natural lake.
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
As winter gives way to spring, this exhibition celebrates renewal and transformation through the eyes of Green Door Artists. Featuring nearly 100 artists from the South Lakes, Winter into Spring presents a diverse collection of paintings, abstracts,…
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…
Brampton
Experience the edge of empire at the award winning Roman Army Museum. There is nowhere else like it on Hadrian's Wall.
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