Northern Art Galleries to Visit This Winter
This is our guide to where to browse and buy the best art
Alexander Millar Fine Art Gallery
55–59 Grey Street, Newcastle NE1 6EF
0191 230 4440
alexandermillar.com
With his unmissable gallery on Grey Street, Alexander Millar is a contemporary impressionist who is renowned across the UK for his very recognisable work. Within the gallery, you’ll find a collection of his paintings, drawings and prints displayed over three floors depicting his iconic ‘gadgies’ (working class men and women from a bygone era) and industrial cityscapes. Enjoy Alexander’s new collection of artworks ‘A Sense of Place’ when you next visit.
Allendale Forge Studios
Market Place, Allendale Town, near Hexham NE47 9BD
01434 683975
allendaleforgestudios.co.uk
Meet local artists, browse and shop great art and enjoy home-cooked food at Allendale Forge Studios & Gallery. This gallery hosts monthly exhibitions and its shop is always filled with handmade gifts from Northern makers. Art is displayed throughout the building.
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead NE8 3BA
0191 478 1810
baltic.art
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art creates and produces exhibitions and opportunities with artists from across the world, and it’s free to enter. In 2022 (its 20th anniversary year) it became the first Gallery of Sanctuary in England, in recognition of its work to support forced migration communities in the North East. Visitors can immerse themselves in art in the various gallery spaces, learning lounge, sensory room and library. Until 29th October street artist Mul Draws is hosting a colourful pop-up shop here and Larry Achiampong’s Gaming Room is a must-see too.
Wild & Free Gallery
3A Ilfracombe Gardens, Whitley Bay NE26 3ND
wildandfreegallery.co.uk
Wild and Free gallery is an independent art gallery in Whitley Bay, owned and run by local artist Gail Curry. The gallery works with local and national artists to provide a regular exhibition programme of varied mediums, with an opportunity to meet those artists during their exhibitions. Items on sale include a carefully-curated selection of original contemporary paintings and prints, ceramics, glass, and greeting cards, as well as selection of original seasonal gifts.
RePUBlic Gallery
The Kings Head, 85 Bridge Street, Blyth NE24 3AE
republicgallery.co.uk
Based on the ground floor of a former public house, the RePUBlic Gallery is an art gallery and community space aiming to inspire creativity. Alongside the main gallery, where changing exhibitions take place, is The PUBlic Window, a micro-gallery which for the past year has exhibited a new artist each month. The gallery is accepting proposals from emerging artists to display their work there.
Hancock Gallery
2 Jesmond Road West, Newcastle NE2 4PQ
0191 241 0442
hancockgallery.co.uk
Owning art can be an enriching and rewarding way to enhance your lifestyle, especially with interest-free and flexible buying options at your fingertips. From one-off purchases to collection pieces, there’s an extensive world of contemporary and limited edition artwork by emerging and established artists at Hancock Gallery. Let them inspire, advise and guide you, so you can buy art with confidence. Visit the gallery or head to stand A4 at Living North’s Christmas Fair to find out more.
The Biscuit Factory
16 Stoddart Street, Newcastle NE2 1AN
0191 261 1103
thebiscuitfactory.com
Housed in a former Victorian warehouse in Newcastle’s cultural quarter, The Biscuit Factory has gallery spaces over two floors, which display a range of contemporary fine art, sculpture, prints, jewellery, and design-led homeware. The sheer scale of this gallery means they can display more than 250 artists at once. Don’t miss the exhibition of the finalists of the Northern Photography Prize, founded by bestselling author and Living North columnist LJ Ross, until 15th October.
Brightwater Gallery
10 Narrowgate, Castle Quarter, Alnwick NE66 1JG
07817 947406
brightwatergallery.co.uk
In the heart of the market town of Alnwick, Brightwater Gallery exhibit and sell local and international contemporary art, jewellery and crafts as well as fine foods. Shop the new collection of feather vases and bowls from Nicola Briggs Ceramics, browse original paintings of Northern and Scottish coastal scenes by Fiona MacDonald Holt, and see Drew Caines’ fabulous sculptures on display.
Lucy Pittaway
Unit 7 & 8, Station Road, Brompton-on-Swale DL10 7SN
01748 810965
22–24 Finkle Street, Richmond DL10 4QB
01748 824688
61 High Street, Yarm TS15 9BH
01642 791083
lucypittaway.co.uk
Needing very little introduction, the UK’s most-published artist three years running, Lucy Pittaway is well-known for her whimsical paintings of sheep and local landscapes. She graduated from Northumbria University and now she’s a multi award-winning artist, proudly running six art galleries showcasing her originals, prints and gifts. Lucy now offers a new range of bespoke framing services from her Brompton-on-Swale gallery, and one of her most popular collections is inspired by her love of our four-legged friends.
MIMA
Centre Square, Middlesbrough TS1 2AZ
01642 931232
mima.art
Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art is an international art gallery and museum in the centre of Middlesbrough. It aims to connect art, people and ideas, and commissions and re-thinks modern and contemporary art. MIMA’s existing Middlesbrough Collection (more than 2,350 works of art and craft made by British and international artists from the mid-1800s to today) plays a role in many of the gallery’s events and exhibitions and a changing selection of its works is on permanent display. Visitors this year should experience their current exhibitions – People Powered: Stories from the River Tees and Middlesbrough Collection: Soft Structures.
Mining Art Gallery
Market Place, Bishop Auckland DL14 7NP
aucklandproject.org
Mining is the character and history of much of the North East, and has inspired many of our artists, so it’s only right that it is celebrated with an art gallery, especially one in a former mining town. The Mining Art Gallery is the permanent home for the Gemini Collection of Mining Art, which includes more than 420 works by prominent local artists including Norman Cornish. Most importantly, every visit to the Mining Art Gallery helps The Auckland Project to ensure that the town’s future is as vibrant as its past.
Come View My Art Gallery
122 Sheriffs Highway, Low Fell, Gateshead NE9 5SD
07742 749906
comeviewmyartgallery.co.uk
A new gallery on the block, Come View My Art Gallery is offering art-lovers and -makers the opportunity to show off their artistic talent, as well as viewing the work of others. Come View My Art started out as a Facebook group set up by Brian Rankin and his wife and now their gallery is open every day. Visitors can browse art produced by a group of creators while watching some of them create ‘Art In The Window’. Anyone who visits is encouraged to talk about art and give it a go, and they’re invited to show off their work there for free.
Mary Ann Rogers Gallery
West Woodburn, Hexham NE48 2SE
01434 270216
marogers.com
Mary Ann Rogers, an artist based in Northumberland, paints vibrant watercolour paintings. Her studio is surrounded by the wild hills of Northumberland and a menagerie of birds – many of which are featured in her work. In her gallery you can see original artwork alongside a selection of prints, cards, throws and stationery. But her work is highly collectable, so you may have seen it exhibited in galleries throughout the UK.
The Hepworth Wakefield
The Hepworth Wakefield is an award-winning art gallery on Wakefield’s historic waterfront, and is named after Barbara Hepworth, one of the most important artists of the 20th century who was born and brought up in Wakefield. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the gallery opened in May 2011 and its regular fairs and markets support artists and makers throughout the year. The Hepworth is also home to Wakefield’s art collection (which features work by L.S. Lowry, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore). Plus, don’t miss The Hepworth Wakefield Garden, one of the UK’s largest free public gardens, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith.
Gallery Walk, Wakefield WF1 5AW
01924 247360
hepworthwakefield.org
The Station
Station Yard, Richmond DL10 4LD
01748 828259
thestation.co.uk
The Station’s three gallery spaces feature work by new and established artists based on their ever-changing exhibitions. These galleries are open every day and all the artwork on display can be purchased from The Station Shop.
Andrea Mosey Art Studio and Gallery
18 The Stables, Newby Hall, Ripon HG4 5AE
andreamosey.com
Located at The Stables, Newby Hall near Ripon, is Andrea Mosey Art Studio and Gallery – a lovely light-filled working studio which is home to a large selection of Andrea’s oil paintings and limited edition prints. Andrea creates beautiful images of the wide-open spaces, big skies and dramatic landscape and coastlines of the North; capturing a special quality of light. You can book an appointment to visit the studio and gallery on her website.
Ashley Jackson Gallery
13–15 Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth, Huddersfield HD9 2JR
01484 686460
ashley-jackson.co.uk
Since opening his first gallery in 1963, Ashley Jackson has become one of the country’s leading landscape watercolourists. His paintings are distinctive of the Yorkshire moorlands and his work has been exhibited worldwide. This year Yorkshire art lovers celebrated 60 years of Ashley Jackson, from his first studio in Dodworth to the gallery in Holmfirth. Ashley Jackson Gallery exclusively hangs original watercolours – in fact it’s the only gallery in the world where his original collection can be permanently viewed, and prints, cards and gifts are available to buy.
Inspired by... gallery
Danby Lodge National Park Centre, Lodge Lane, Danby, Whitby YO21 2NB
01439 772737
northyorkmoors.org.uk
Inspired by… gallery, in the heart of the North York Moors National Park, combines work from established and emerging artists who draw their inspiration from the surrounding landscape. An independent gallery housed in Danby Lodge National Park Centre, it hosts a varied programme of exhibitions, events and creative courses and all the artworks here are available to purchase in the gallery (and selected collections are available to purchase online).
Leeds Art Gallery
Leeds Art Gallery has a dynamic exhibition programme and holds a significant collection of modern and contemporary British art. The creative crafting sessions for adults here offer the opportunity to make something in response to these exhibitions and displays, and the on-site shop means visitors can browse carefully-curated products, gifts inspired by the collections, and work created by local makers.
The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AA
museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
West Bretton WF4 4LG
01924 832631
ysp.org.uk
The YSP is a leading international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture. Visitors flock to this 500-acre space to see temporary exhibitions, including work by some of the world’s leading artists, across six indoor galleries and the outdoor space – and the park is recognised internationally for its contribution to the arts. Don’t miss Erwin Wurm: Trap of the Truth for the remainder of the year – more than 100 works, including 55 sculptures indoors, 19 sculptures in the landscape, paintings, photographs, videos and drawings created over 30 years of the artist’s career. As an independent registered charity, every purchase you make helps YSP to continue bringing internationally acclaimed art to the county.
Sunny Bank Mills
Farsley, Leeds LS28 5UJ
0113 256 3239
sunnybankmills.co.uk
This contemporary art gallery has a growing studio artist community and also offers courses and events. This year the team are celebrating 10 years of arts and culture at the mills. In the past 10 years, the gallery has hosted 75 exhibitions supporting over 1,000 artists and makers, and introduced creative events including a regular print fair, vintage fairs and a hugely successful Christmas market. Whether you’re shopping in the former cloth warehouse that houses the gallery, taking part in a course in the Spinning Mill or The Twisting Studios, or attending an event in the Old Woollen, it’s all about a shared experience of art.
Masham Gallery
24 Market Place, Masham HG4 4EB
01765 689554
mashamgallery.co.uk
Masham Gallery works with local artists (as well as those from across the UK) to reflect the landscape, nature, stories and folklore that surround them in North Yorkshire. They also partner with Happy House Masham to provide a range of events. As well as making the most of their framing service, visitors can also buy jewellery, ceramics, sculptures, homeware, textiles, paintings and prints here.
Staithes Gallery
High Street, Staithes TS13 5BH
01947 841840
staithesgallery.com
Now managed and curated by artists Ian Burke and Susan Sharrard, Staithes Gallery is at the heart of this historic fishing village and presents work by the best contemporary artists who are inspired by the North Sea and the North York Moors National Park. You may have spotted this gallery on the BBC’s Countryfile or on Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes. Here you can browse art by North Yorkshire-based painter Lynton Parmar Hemsley, and Leeds College of Art alumni Rosemary Abrahams.
The Wytchwood Gallery & Studio
3 The Shambles, Malton YO17 7LZ
07341 813654
thewytchwoodgalleryandstudio.co.uk
The Wytchwood Gallery & Studio is the workplace of award-winning animal artist Alison Spaven. She works primarily with British rare breed wool and uses a single felting needle to create her unique pictures and sculptures. Browse original art or commission something bespoke at her gallery.
Seagull Gallery and Ebbing Tide
Seagull Gallery are an award-winning gallery and framer, committed to providing quality artisan works, original artwork and prints by UK-based artists, as well as providing the highest level of bespoke framing of artwork and other items. Established more than 25 years ago, they specialise solely in artwork and goods designed and created in the UK, prioritising Yorkshire-based artists where possible, and are members of the Fine Art Trade Guild, the organisation which sets standards and guidelines for picture framing.
12 John Street, Filey YO14 9DQ
01723 512091
seagullgalleryandframing.co.uk
