The York Art Gallery features a diverse collection of artworks spanning various periods and styles. Art on display includes masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age to contemporary art and it also features ceramics dating from the War of the Roses.
![York Art Gallery in York, North Yorkshire (Photo: Martin Pettitt [CC BY-SA 2.0])](https://englandrover.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/york-art-gallery-1280x853.jpg)
What to see at the York Art Gallery
Housed within a grand Victorian building, the York Art Gallery showcases a rich and varied collection of artworks spanning different periods and styles.
The gallery’s collection includes over 1,000 paintings plus a large collection of drawings, watercolours, decorative arts and ceramics. Note that only part of the collection is on display at any one time.
Temporary exhibitions at the York Art Gallery
In addition to its permanent collection, the York Art Gallery also hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions. Current and planned exhibitions include:
Aesthetica Art Prize 2025
This exhibition (19 September 2025–25 January 2026) marks the 19th year of the Aesthetica Art Prize 2025. The exhibition includes 25 shortlisted works across painting, sculpture, photography and digital media. Artists address themes of identity, culture, migration and climate change. Highlights include works by Àsìkò, Joanne Coates, Morgan Quaintance and Rayvenn D’Clark. The Prize reflects contemporary practice through a diverse range of materials and approaches.
Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation
Future Tense (19 September 2025–25 January 2026) features installations by Squidsoup and Liz West. Squidsoup presents Submergence, an interactive work with thousands of suspended LEDs exploring perception and digital presence. Liz West exhibits Our Spectral Vision, inspired by Newton’s prism experiments, using light and colour to investigate how individuals experience and interpret visual environments.
Visiting the York Art Gallery
The gallery is on Exhibition Square at the northern end of the city centre, very close to the Yorkshire Museum. Most points of interest in York are no more than a 20-minute walk from here.
It is open Wednesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays). Admission cost £7, although entry is free with the National Art Pass.
Visitor facilities include a gift shop and the Sketch cafe. There is also a good selection of places to eat and drink nearby
Allow 1–2 hours for your visit.
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