Art Galleries in Leeds

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor

From purpose-built, civic institutions to art deco breweries and repurposed mills, Leeds and its surrounding region is bursting with some of the best galleries and art centres in the North. While not a small city, getting around Leeds is easy enough so you can definitely visit a few of its wonderful galleries in one go, if you feel like it!

Starting with the fine collection of Leeds Art Gallery‘s 20th century art, you can enjoy the permanent collection as well as the temporary, changing exhibitions. The gallery is also physically connected to the Henry Moore Institute, so you can easily pop in next door to check out any sculpture displays. CLAY is brimming with thought-provoking and boundary-testing live art, while Assembly House is home to 49 artists, so keep an eye out for updates on new shows and classes, such as life drawing.

Sculpture fans will be enthralled at the city’s unique, purpose-built Sculpture Gallery, housed inside the beautiful Corn Exchange, whilst those looking for something a little quirkier might head to The Old Red Bus Station – an industrial-chic bar created first and foremost as a space for artists to showcase their work free of charge, be that in groups or as a solo exhibit.

A little further out, you’ll find The Tetley which, alongside some incredible architecture, also boasts a programme of fascinating exhibitions. Further still, Hepworth Wakefield invites visitors with its gorgeous surroundings, including a garden, while the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a true national treasure of artwork seamlessly intertwined with nature.

Our top picks

The Tetley

The Tetley, Hunslet Road, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS10 1JQ - Visit now

Housed in the 1931 art deco headquarters of the Joshua Tetley & Son brewery, The Tetley opened in 2013 and has sat at the very epicentre of the Leeds art scene ever since with exciting exhibitions produced to the highest standards.

The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds

The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, 74 The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AH - Visit now

Founded by the major 20th century sculptor Henry Moore, who claimed “there wasn’t a single piece of sculpture in my hometown” (Castleton), today, this city centre gallery boasts one of the strongest public collections of sculpture in Britain and offers an ambitious programme of related exhibitions.

Henry Moore Institute
Henry Moore Institute

Leeds Art Gallery

Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS1 3AA - Visit now

Founded in 1888, Leeds Art Gallery houses a world-class collection of 19th and 20th century British painting and sculpture, presented alongside a diverse programme of temporary exhibitions.

The Hepworth Wakefield

The Hepworth Wakefield, Gallery Walk, Wakefield, Yorkshire, WF1 5AW - Visit now

Just a short drive out of Leeds, The Hepworth Wakefield is easily one of the leading cultural highlights of the North – a claim affirmed by the Art Fund when it awarded the centre the prestigious title of Museum of Year in 2017.

The Hepworth Wakefield
The Hepworth Wakefield

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield, Yorkshire, WF4 4LG - Visit now

Never fail to combine a visit to The Hepworth Wakefield with the chance to stretch your legs and enjoy modern and contemporary sculpture in the UK’s leading open-air gallery, located just a stone’s throw away.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Image courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Assembly House in Leeds

Assembly House in Leeds, 44 Canal Road, Leeds, LS12 2PL - Visit now

Located in a Victorian textiles mill along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, Assembly House is an artist-led gallery and studios that supports early-career artists in Leeds.

Assembly House, art galleries in Leeds
Assembly House, art galleries in Leeds

CLAY: Centre for Live Art Yorkshire in Leeds

CLAY: Centre for Live Art Yorkshire in Leeds, 1, 2 Regent St, Leeds, LS2 7QA - Visit now

Located in the heart of Leeds, CLAY (Centre for Live Art Yorkshire) is the new incarnation of LAB (Live Art Bistro) and seeks to present some of the most intriguing and transgressive work being made in the field by artists at all stages in their career.

CLAY: Centre for Live Art Yorkshire
CLAY: Centre for Live Art Yorkshire

Where to go in Leeds

Leeds
Gallery
The Sculpture Gallery

The Sculpture Gallery is an outstanding new gallery, of pure sculpture, showcasing the work, not only of the six owners but guests also.

Threshold is an artist-led project space for sculpture, located in the front garden of a traditional back-to-back house in Burley, Leeds. Exhibitions are open for all to view. Encounter sculpture on your daily walk, or way to work or school.
Leeds
Event venue
Threshold Leeds

Threshold is an artist-led project space for sculpture, located in the front garden of a traditional back-to-back house in Burley, Leeds.

Leeds
Gallery
The Mill Gallery

The Mill Gallery is an artist-run space in Leeds, supporting emerging artists to develop and showcase their work authentically.

Gallery
Leeds
Gallery
BLANK_

BLANK_is a Leeds-based gallery, run by the School of Creative Arts at University Centre Leeds. It encompasses a physical exhibition space and a publication that showcases new contemporary visual art…

Leeds
Event venue
Leeds Print Workshop

The workshop is a co-operative, membership-based printmaking studio, open to all those with an interest in print.

Test event
Leeds
Gallery
Aire Place Studios

Aire Place Studios is a creative studio in Leeds which prides itself on an upholding of equality, solidarity and safe-space values.

Leeds
Gallery
Basement Arts Project

Come and visit Leeds’ most unique gallery space. Taking the notion of ‘underground’ artists literally, the Basement Arts Project is situated in the basement of a terraced property in Beeston.

Leeds
Gallery
SCREW Gallery

SCREW Gallery is a not-for-profit, artist-led exhibition space that showcases bold and revitalising art by local and international artists.

The Gallery at 164, Leeds
Leeds
Gallery
The Gallery
at 164

The Gallery at 164 is an independent gallery in Leeds City Centre, exhibiting an eclectic mix of styles and media from both established and emerging talents.

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