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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.
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
The International Textile Exhibition is back with fifteen different countries being represented.…
Discover documentary photographer Joanne Coates's powerful exhibition about women in agriculture in…
A free Exhibition at the first floor of Windermere Library which tells the heritage of pioneering…
Crash! Bang! Kapow! COMICS: The Famous & Forgotten tells the story of comic art in Britain – from…
As winter gives way to spring, this exhibition celebrates renewal and transformation through the…
Grizedale Observatory and planetarium for stargazing under the dark skies of the Lake District.…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
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…
Head to the Great Barn at Sizergh to see an exhibition from a creative collective of artists,…
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…
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…
Step inside the charming world of Tabitha Twitchit's second-hand bookshop in Hawkshead, where every…
Celebrate 25 years of ceramic art by Edinburgh-based Frances Priest in Motif | Line | Colour. The…
The Hive is a fully licensed events venue in a restored Wesleyan Chapel in Nenthead, offering pop…
Discover life on Windermere through the lens of award-winning artist Juliet Klottrup. This…
A multimedia exhibition at the Dock Museum from 5th December to 23rd February exploring local…
We are proud to be working with our friends from Barrow Full to bring you our next temporary…
This autumn, Abbot Hall presents Boat Works, a solo exhibition by Turner Prize-winner Simon…
Confluences in Time brings together painter and textile artist Rachel Morrell and photographer…


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

Number of results: 50
, currently showing 21 to 40.
Boot, Holmrook
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations. This charming site embodies the Lake District’s heritage. It is the last remaining working water-powered corn mill in the Lake District.
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.
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
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…
Brampton
A contemporary art gallery 9 miles east of Carlisle. located close to Hadrian’s Wall, the Scottish Borders, Eden Valley, and English Lake District, so it should be no surprise that we have a wealth of artistic talent to call upon.
Whitehaven
Situated on Whitehaven's attractive harbour side, The Beacon is home to interactive science, games and history.
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…
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…
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…
W Strand, Whitehaven
Crash! Bang! Kapow!
COMICS: The Famous & Forgotten tells the story of comic art in Britain – from the famous to the forgotten. Discover the birth of the comic strip, travel through the anarchic worlds of Beano, Viz and 2000AD, meet iconic…
Ulverston
The Laurel and Hardy Museum celebrates the life and career of Stan Laurel, born in Ulverston.
Barrow-in-Furness
A multimedia exhibition at the Dock Museum from 5th December to 23rd February exploring local stories of fragility & survival - of nature, of people - in South Cumbria. Through sound, film, images and words, an unseen, unheard world emerges. A world…
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.
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.
Kendal
Kendal Museum is one of the oldest museums in the UK, founded in 1796 by William Todhunter. The Museum has a long history in Kendal Town and has occupied various sites but has been at its current location (previously a wool warehouse) since 1913.
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…
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.
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,…
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
Nothing Lasts – Sue Dawes (15 April – 12 July 2026)
Nothing Lasts presents sculptural ceramics exploring the transience of human achievement. Working with hand-built stoneware crank clay and a low-firing copper glaze, Sue draws inspiration from…
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