Yorkshire, often referred to as God’s own county, is chock full of stunning scenery, vivid city life and nature. But while the region may not be the first one people think of when it comes to art and culture, there is so much going on that – whether you’re visiting the north on holiday or live locally – you would really lose out if you missed it.
So if you want some inspiration to know where to start, these art exhibitions that you can see in July and August 2026 cover every taste and topic. Feast your eyes on these offerings, expand your aesthetic palate, and celebrate artists local and international in the process.
Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print at York Art Gallery
Ends 30 August 2026
Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print explores the history and development of Japanese woodblock printing, revealing its origins and techniques alongside the influence of nature, society and cultural change on this art form.
This major exhibition covers over 300 years of printing history from 17th to 21st centuries and features over 100 striking and iconic works by world-renowned artists including Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro, amongst many others.
This fantastic group of artworks, armour, costume and printed materials presents a visually impressive display and brings the colourful world of Japanese prints to life.
The exhibition extends into the York Museum Gardens, with an addition of a Japanese-dry landscape garden, or ‘karesansui’, directly behind the Gallery that has been created in response to the exhibition. Take a moment to pause and reflect on simplicity, harmony and balance surrounded by nature.
Quilts for the Longest Day: A Sewing Group’s Accidental Journey at Wentworth Woodhouse
21 Jul 2026 – 14 Nov 2026
Quilts for the Longest Day began as a simple idea in a local fabric shop in Chapletown and grew into a powerful community movement to support veterans. What started as a single quilt quickly expanded into an ambitious effort to create 80. Surpassing expectations, in 2024 alone, 109 handmade quilts were gifted to veterans.
Rooted in collaboration, care, and gratitude, this project has continued to grow as a not-for-profit, delivering comfort and recognition to those who have served with over 126 quilts donated to date.
Now, a selection of these quilts are coming to our Community Gallery space in the Old Hall, celebrating both the craftsmanship and the stories behind this remarkable initiative.
Hold to This Earth: Works by Contemporary Indigenous North American Artists from Tia Collection at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Ends 18 Apr 2027
Bringing together 65 works by 38 artists, including two significant new commissions, it is a landmark exhibition of contemporary Indigenous North American art on a scale never seen before in the UK.
The first group exhibition staged in the prestigious Underground Gallery in its twenty-year history, Hold to This Earth features sculpture, film, photography, painting, ceramics and fibre art highlighting the broad spectrum of work being produced by Indigenous North American artists today.
Representing over 35 Tribal Nations and multiple generations, the exhibition highlights both established voices and emerging artists who are shaping contemporary art today. They reference and honour ancestral knowledge whilst being steadfastly contemporary, asserting a powerful presence and countering narratives of erasure that too often position Indigenous cultures only in terms of the past. Materials such as clay, hide, wool, beads and natural pigments become carriers of powerful stories, memory and tradition, rooted in connection to the earth. Newer modes of expression and understanding growing out of digital culture also speak to the shifting landscapes of Indigenous life in the 21st century.
The unifying theme connecting their diverse practices is the deep, complex and enduring relationship between people and land. Set within 500-acres of historic parkland shaped by centuries of human and non-human activity, YSP is well placed to hold conversations about land, material, memory and community.
Jim Moir: Neo Fauna at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery
Ends 31 August 2026
Artist Jim Moir, widely known as Vic Reeves, presents new artworks created for this exhibition.
Working between performance and painting throughout his career, Moir has maintained a daily studio practice centred on close observation of the world around him, particularly British birds and wildlife.
The exhibition features bold, textured paintings created using experimental techniques that layer a variety of mediums. Working from his studio each morning, Moir builds up richly textured surfaces over several weeks, often depicting the birds he observes on daily walks.
Looking is fundamental to his process. Moir studies this instinctive presence of his subjects before translating them into paintings that are both precise and unexpected. Familiar animals become saturated with colour, texture and personality, inviting us to see them anew.
Set in Lister Park with its own abundant wildlife, Cartwright Hall provides the perfect setting for this celebration of the natural world. After viewing the exhibition, visitors can explore the park to spot resident ducks, geese and garden birds.
Jason and the Coal Mining Adventure at National Coal Mining Museum for England
Until 4 October 2026
Bright, colourful and immersive, Jason and the Coal Mining Adventure, offers a joyful reimagining of Britain’s mining history and the communities at its heart.
At its centre is a world‑first tapestry by artist Jason Wilsher‑Mills MBE, created with the historic Flanders Tapestry studio and funded by Arts Council England. Inspired by stories gathered from former mining communities, the work blends traditional weaving with digital animation and audio drawn from interviews with mining families.
The tapestry is deeply personal to Jason, reflecting his own family’s mining history and memories of NUM banners and the Wakefield Miners’ Gala. Alongside it, you will encounter monumental inflatable sculptures and new film and animation created with Hot Knife Digital Media, bringing bold contemporary art into dialogue with the Museum’s mining collections.
Community collaboration has shaped the project, with Jason working closely with schools, disability groups, community organisations and former mining families.
Three disabled artists have also received micro‑commissions and mentorship, with exhibitions planned for 2026. To reach communities nationwide, three replica tapestries will tour nationally, visiting the Kent Mining Museum and the National Mining Museum Scotland.