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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.
Heavyweights of the Cumbrian and International art world are joining together to take part in Rock…
Sublime Symmetry is an exhibition featuring 60 pots, tiles and vases from the De Morgan Collection,…
Now in its 12th year, the biennial New Light Prize Exhibition is an open art competition which…
An exhibition of striking photographs exploring the complexities of gender and identity. The…
An outdoor exhibition based on the award-winning book, Forty Farms by Lakeland Photographer of the…
Eskdale Mill is a unique experience, nestled in one of the Lake District's most beautiful locations…
Meet talking rocks, find sunken trinkets and explore quarry portals at Signal Film and Media's next…
Annie - A local artist who has worked in pastels, watercolours and acrylics for over 30 years. A…
£65 plus £5 for materials Stone surrounds us at Farfield Mill, in the walls and forming the bed of…
A new painting exhibition by Rebecca Scott is coming to Cross Lane Projects, Kendal. The Raft of…
A playful environment filled with vibrant colours, ambient sounds and digital creatures, inspired…
This new display delves into the Townend archive collection, a treasure trove of four hundred years…
Inspired By Nature: Mini Hangings with Hand Embroidery and Natural Objects. Do you have a…
What is a space? Where are the spaces? Who fills the spaces and why? Nolitex have been exploring…
Uncovering the story of a British artist and his influence on 20th century art during the inter-war…
Lakeland Arts' much-loved art collection includes paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture ranging…
Sarah, based in Penrith, Cumbria, an ideal base to explore the Lakes, Cumbrian coastline, and the…
Roman museum displaying the internationally significant collection of Romano-British altars,…
Occupying three floors within an historic building this bright and welcoming gallery showcases the…
Are you a crafter or interested in crafts? Would you like to take part in our free wellbeing…
As Kay lives in Cumbria and Gillian lives in the Trossachs, textiles and walking are intertwined…
A contemporary art gallery 9 miles east of Carlisle. located close to Hadrian’s Wall, the Scottish…
Inspired by the wild and beautiful Northern Fells and a shared history of drawing from life, local…
Introducing an ambitious new project, Epona-The Wild Pony of the North, this display showcases the…
You may leave the Lake District, but once you’ve been, it’ll never leave you.
Number of results: 68
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Bowness-on-Windermere
Connect with other visitors and explore the space through their illustrations and ideas. Engage your artistic side, drawing inspiration from the Arts & Crafts movement, beautiful features within the house and gardens and the current exhibition.
Penrith
Introducing an ambitious new project, Epona-The Wild Pony of the North, this display showcases the concept of a giant Fell pony on the side of Blease Fell in the Tebay Gorge area as well as the Epona Community Engagement Project; a new cultural…
Kendal
Russell Mills, himself a graduate and former lecturer at the Royal College of Art, will explore an extraordinary period in the history of both Ambleside and the Royal College of Art, when two disparate communities – one, essentially conservative,…
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!
Keswick
Brought to you by the National Trust for Geo Week. Come and join us for a rare opportunity to visit the processing mill at Force Crag Mine. To make this event more inclusive, we would like to offer transport for those who may have difficulty getting…
Kendal
An exhibition of striking photographs exploring the complexities of gender and identity.
The exhibition contains 42 contemporary giclee prints made from scans of Cahun’s original photographic self-portraits.
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178 reviewsKendal
Heavyweights of the Cumbrian and International art world are joining together to take part in Rock Solid?2 from 9th May to 29th June. This exhibition at the People's Gallery, Kendal Museum will run alongside a series of events including an art trail…
Ambleside
Art gallery and art shop run by the Heaton Cooper family, selling original paintings and prints from 4 generations of the family.
Grasmere
With its beautiful, dramatic scenery and rich history it is easy to understand why people are drawn to the Lake District. The tourist industry has not always resembled what it is now, in fact William and Dorothy Wordsworth witnessed a dramatic…
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968 reviewsAmbleside
This talk by Joseph Ritson will take you through the history of fell running in the Lake District, starting with some of the early walkers and guides, through the challenges and guides races, to some of the key individuals that have made headlines…
Sedbergh
Inspired by the wild and beautiful Northern Fells and a shared history of drawing from life, local artists Gina Tawn and Ann Evans collaborate to make a new collection of work.
The work considers and explores the human and mythological connections…
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…
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178 reviewsBrampton
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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1066 reviewsWhitehaven
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.
Brampton
Annie - A local artist who has worked in pastels, watercolours and acrylics for over 30 years. A regular exhibitor at Gallery Northwest, Annie is also a vital member of the GNW management team.
Sedbergh
know her textile art, but also, she still designs and creates jewellery, likewise clothes, restores furniture, photographs, draws, and paints, even on walls. She is a very versatile artist.
Her academic training was in Russia, since she is of…
Penrith
Now in its 12th year, the biennial New Light Prize Exhibition is an open art competition which celebrates and promotes the best of Northern Art.
Whitehaven
Situated on Whitehaven's attractive harbour side, The Beacon is home to interactive science, games and history.
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322 reviewsSedbergh
Farfield Mill is a Victorian woollen mill in the Yorkshire Dales. Home to artists’ studios, art exhibitions, heritage looms and tea room.
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248 reviewsBrampton
An art exhibition by a local father-and-son artist pair, exploring both local landmarks in a new light, and challenging the imagination with stimulating new themes.
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7 reviewsReceive all the latest news, special offers and information from the Lake District, Cumbria
Cumbria Tourism, Windermere Road, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 9PL