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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.
Nothing Lasts – Sue Dawes (15 April – 12 July 2026) Nothing Lasts presents sculptural ceramics…
The Paper Quilt Project is a living exhibition in which a community art piece is created while on…
Inside just got interesting. Step off the trail and into a space where the Lake District is…
Seven perspectives, bound by a mutual reverence for natural form, fragility, and transformation. As…
Vibrant woven sails and textiles inspired by nineteenth-century Welsh shipwrecks and coastal…
A contemporary art gallery 9 miles east of Carlisle. located close to Hadrian’s Wall, the Scottish…
REACTOR is a new multimedia installation by Felicity Hammond, launching on Thursday 28th May at 6pm…
Reactor, by Felicity Hammond, is a new multimedia installation exploring the possibilities of the…
Step inside the charming world of Tabitha Twitchit's second-hand bookshop in Hawkshead, where every…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
Useful/Beautiful marks 25 years of contemporary craft at Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts house,…
Discover two striking new collections of original artworks that celebrate the creative potential of…
Head to the Great Barn at Sizergh to see an exhibition from a creative collective of artists,…
Grizedale Observatory and planetarium for stargazing under the dark skies of the Lake District.…
The Dock Museum are proud to bring you the latest exhibition from John Duffin, "Look North" The…
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
Seven artists explore shared landscapes, material connections, and personal perspectives on land,…
Great exhibitions, activities, gift shop and café in a glorious park setting amongst the mountains.…
If you’re visiting the Ambleside area why not pop into the Old Courthouse Gallery? We have a…
Mark Hatton, a researcher and enthusiast of local mining history will be joining us to explore the…
This exhibition brings together two emerging portrait painters. Lela Harris gives depth and…
Discover documentary photographer Joanne Coates's powerful exhibition about women in agriculture in…
Join us for a powerful multi-media exhibition exploring stories of fragility and survival, told…


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

Number of results: 70
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
A diverse exhibition celebrating printmaking techniques, creativity, and artistic exploration by Cumbrian printmakers.
Exploration and Discovery is an exhibition by Cumbria Printmakers, a cooperative of individual artists united by a shared passion…
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.
Grasmere
Venture into the fateful night that inspired one of the world's greatest gothic tales: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Beginning with the reimagined bedroom of Mary Shelley, step into a spellbinding world of moonlit woods, haunting seas and waking…
Nr Kendal
Head to the Great Barn at Sizergh to see an exhibition from a creative collective of artists, inspired by soil.
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…
102-104 Abbey Road, Barrow-in-Furness
REACTOR is a new multimedia installation by Felicity Hammond, launching on Thursday 28th May at 6pm.
Set against the backdrop of Barrow's defence industry, as the home of the UK's only nuclear submarine manufacturer, REACTOR imagines a fictional…
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.
Penrith
Rheged is a gallery, café, cinema, shopping venue, workplace and creative space on the edge of the Northern Lakes.
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
Innovative contemporary quilts exploring pathways, journeys, and connections through cutting-edge textile practice.
Pathways presents a dynamic exhibition by Contemporary Quilt, a Special Interest Group of The Quilters' Guild, whose members…
Garsdale Rd, Sedbergh
Textile artworks inspired by the Cumbrian landscape, blending felting techniques with recycled, sustainable materials.
Textile Fusion presents a new body of work by textile artist Dianne Standen, inspired by the rich textures, colours, and forms of…
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…
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.
Hawkshead, Ambleside
Mark Hatton, a researcher and enthusiast of local mining history will be joining us to explore the heritage of Coniston Coppermines: the story of the discovery of rich veins of copper at Coniston & the men, women & children who worked them over the…
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.
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.
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…
Castle Green Lane, Kendal
Castle Green Hotel is hosting another wedding showcase! Please feel free to drop in to view our beautiful wedding venue in Kendal, dressed & adorned for a wedding to help bring your vision to life❤️
Whether you are looking for a wedding venue on 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
Painted explorations of Dales vernacular buildings, archaeology, and the passage of time through landscape.
Tumbling Stones, Wiggly Tin is an exhibition by Hilary Grisewood that explores and celebrates the vernacular architecture of the Yorkshire…
Keswick
Inside just got interesting.
Step off the trail and into a space where the Lake District is reimagined. Sound, story and digital exploration blend into a hands-on experience that's full of life, built for curious minds and restless feet of all ages…
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