Future exhibitions

Exhibitions 2019/20

Below are this year's exhibitions appearing in the gallery. Please scroll down to view exhibitions from earlier in the year and also an early preview of what's coming in 2020.

Uniquely Made - by Brigantia

16 November to 2 February 2020
Our annual winter exhibition showcases the high-quality, innovative, creative work of Brigantia, a contemporary textile group.

Adrian Wright - 'Artist in Residence'

Daily from Boxing Day until 5 January then weekends only until 17 February - 10.30am to 4pm
Drop in to meet artist Adrian Wright, hear about his artistic journey and see him at work.

Exhibitions 2020

A First Glimpse

15 February to 23 March
Join us for our opening exhibition for an exciting, wide-ranging show from the artists, artisans, photographers and printmakers that make up this year's programme. Features special work by artisan glass-makers Gillies Jones in their 25th anniversary year, award winning textile artist Amanda Cobbett, acclaimed painter Len Tabner, and inaugural North York Moors National Park Art Award winner Ian McCulley.

Until the Stars Come Out

15 February to 23 March
The National Park's dark skies and star-filled nightscapes are a powerful inspiration for artists of all genres. View dazzling work by those who 'watch the stars come out' in the North York Moors.

What the Tide Left Behind

Saturday 28 March – Monday 4 May
Artist Bridget Wilkinson, jewellery maker Smugglers Treasures, fibre artist Kittie Kipper and mixed-media artist Zoe Taylor work in different ways but all take their inspiration from the sea. Their bold paintings, beautifully crafted jewellery and innovative fibre art and sculpture are created utilising found and recycled materials such as driftwood, natural pigments, clay, sea glass, recycled silver and the lost nets of fishermen known as ‘ghost nets’. In this way, their creations make use of ‘what the tide left behind’, exploring notions of environmental fragility and sustainability.

The Power of the Sea

Saturday 28 March – Monday 4 May
Adrian Wright’s dramatic, panoramic oil paintings of the North Sea depict the raw power of the raging ocean and its impact upon our senses.

Our Land Our Sea

Saturday 28 March – Monday 4 May
A love of the natural world and its elements – on land or sea – is behind all Gail Hurst’s work. In creating her own bee and butterfly garden at home, she finds further inspiration that is reflected in some of the pieces in her latest show.

Imprints

Friday 8 May – Tuesday 9 June
We are all marked by – and make a mark on – our landscapes. York Printmakers celebrate their passion for print by exploring how the North York Moors impinges upon on our hearts and minds. Their work is at once dramatic, wild and extraordinary – just like the landscapes that inspire it.

Changing Places

Friday 8 May – Tuesday 9 June
The scenery and landscape of the moors and the coast might seem eternal and permanent but are in fact constantly changing and renewing, thanks to differences in season, light and viewpoint. In the same way, Dave Mercer combines layers of images, textures, photographs and drawings, changing the view while retaining the essence of the scene.

Paintings From Wild Places

Saturday 13 June – Monday 20 July
Our attitude towards nature has always been ambiguous, nature being seen as a provider but also a powerful, frightening force. Over a lifetime of work, in some of the most challenging of environments, Len Tabner has shone a light onto this uneasy relationship. This major solo exhibition explores both the power of the sea and the impact of industry on the spectacular landscapes of the north.

Wood Life

Saturday 25 July – Tuesday 1 September
Each tree is a world within itself, teeming with life, while ancient woodland is rooted in memory and mindfulness. This special celebration of the importance of woods and wood life in all its guises features watercolourist Peter Reynolds, contemporary artist Paul Green, fine metalwork artist Marcus Steel, artist and sculptor Carolyn Smith; wire sculptor Chris Moss, artist-photographer Glenn Clarke and contemporary textile artist Amanda Cobbett.

Beyond the Tree

Saturday 25 July – Tuesday 1 September
Anthony Ratcliffe’s woodcut prints often interpret the existence of the lone tree in challenging environments. In new work, based on the North York Moors and coast, he looks at the seasonal lifecycle of trees, exploring how they play an integral part in the identity of our northern landscapes.

Back to Nature

Saturday 5 September – Monday 5 October
The ironstone mines and early railways in the ‘Land of Iron’ – from the North York Moors to Teesside – were once at the heart of the Victorian industrial age. Much has now melted back into the landscape, but Cleveland Fibre Arts take inspiration both from this trailblazing industrial heritage and from the natural world that surrounds them. Using rust-dyed garments, felting, patchwork and more, their work reflects landscape, texture, shape and form.

Framing the Landscape

Saturday 5 September – Monday 5 October
One of the world’s first passenger railways ran through the North York Moors from Whitby to Pickering, and classic railway posters later advertised the charms of the moors and coast. Today’s artists interpret that heritage with a display of contemporary railway posters that looks at landscapes past and present, from the industrial revolution to modern scenes and views.

A Portrait of Place

Saturday 10 October – Monday 9 November
Artisan glassmakers Stephen Gillies and Kate Jones produce internationally acclaimed works from their studio in Rosedale Abbey, continuing a local glass-making tradition that has endured since the 16th century. To celebrate their 25th anniversary year, Gillies Jones explore the place they call home in a stunning exhibition of blown and engraved glassware that reflects the marks left over time by geology, water, nature and human endeavour. Light is integral to this work, animating the glass, revealing layers of colours and engraving.

Distilled Landscapes

Saturday 10 October – Monday 9 November
Ian McCulley was the first winner of the North York Moors National Park Art Award in 2019. In this vibrant new series of works, Ian takes as his starting point a simple landscape element, image or even a piece of music, from which colour and form can then be found or imagined. The resultant landscapes are structurally related, with the number of works in the series guided by Ian’s sense of place and personal inspiration.

Brigantia's Box of Delights

Saturday 14 November – Sunday 24 January 2021
Over the winter months, members of Brigantia, a group of talented art, craft and design workers, present a delightful selection of creative, innovative arts and crafts.

Previous exhibitions 2019

Showcase Exhibition

16 February to 31 March 2019
An exhibition showing work from some of the most prestigious artists in the region who have shown in the gallery previously.

Dark Skies - Moon

16 February to 31 March 2019
A specially curated exhibition of 'Moonlight Scenes' to celebrate the Dark Skies Festival.

Rivers of Light

4 April to 6 May 
John Creighton's charcoal drawings, mixed-media works and oil paintings explore the drama and mystery of the North York Moors.

Pure Light, Bright Water

4 April to 6 May
Inspired by the purity and ephemeral nature of North Yorkshire's light, Sue Morton's paintings highlight our landscapes, both new and familiar.

109 Miles

11 May to 9 June
As part of the Cleveland Way National Trail's 50th anniversary celebrations artist-in-residence Debbie Loan focuses on six varied trail landscapes in works that incorporate found materials and minerals.

Cleveland Way in Miniature

11 May to 9 June
Small works of art inspired by the Cleveland Way. Pieces are unsigned, unframed and available for £25.

'The Lost Words'

15 June to 29 July
A collaborative project by award-winning author Robert Macfarlane and acclaimed artist Jackie Morris. In his extraordinary book 'The Lost Words', Robert Macfarlane creates acrostic spell-poems that focus on nature words which are fading from use, while Jackie Morris paints magical iridescent watercolours. The exhibition presents original artwork from 'The Lost Words', a new series of poems and illustrations, and sculptural work by Dave Cooke.

Landscapes of the Mind and Heart (Art Award Exhibition)

3 August to 2 September
Selected artists present their personal vision of the North York Moors in a wide-ranging exhibition supporting the National Park's inaugural Art Award. Expect an adventure in colour, space and texture by artists working in vibrantly different styles and genres.

'Our Land Our Sea'

3 August to 2 September
Fractal artist Vienna Forrester conveys the beauty and fragility of the National Park's landscapes and seascapes, including the newly created Marine Conservation Zone with its rarely seen plants, animals and ocean environment.

Andrea Bailey Retrospective: A Life Through Art

5 September to 16 October
Looking back at Andrea Bailey's art and life, through her sketchbooks, paintings, prints, sculpture and felt-making.

Drawn to the Moors

5 September to 16 October
Dennis Roddam creates wildlife images and views of our beautiful North York Moors by blending different mediums and techniques, with a focus on ceramics and mixed-media paintings.

Saving Turtle Doves

5 September to 16 October
Supporting the North Yorkshire Turtle Dove Project - works by top artists and photographers, including Alan Hunt, widely regarded as one of the best wildlife artists in the world, and Darren Woodhead. Two pieces by Alan Hunt will also be auctioned to raise funds for the project.

Fragile Enchantments

19 October to 12 November
Highlighting the landscape paintings of Wendy Tate and Rob Moore, together with ceramic works and jewellery by John Moore, Hannah Louise Lamb, Lucy Sylvester, Jill Ford, Clare Conrad and Theresa Taylor.

Printscapes

19 October to 12 November
Guest curator Rob Moore brings together some of the best printmakers in the UK, including Melvyn Peterson, Janet Cox, Linda Ingham, Henrietta Corbett and Cath Brooke.

Contact

Sally Smith, Gallery Curator and Events Co-ordinator
T: 01439 772700
Email