8 hallowed exhibitions taking place at Leeds Art Gallery over the Christmas period and beyond

• Eight major exhibitions are confirmed, stretching the gallery's ambitious program across three years, right through to June 2026.
• The program pairs Leeds's own Victorian master John Atkinson Grimshaw with contemporary artists, including Turner Prize nominee Mike Nelson's powerful M62 commission.
• Explore vital themes of identity and representation through the Portrayals of Women display, and support local talent via new works from the Arts & Minds and Pyramid networks.

Leeds Art Gallery is confirming once again its status as a cornerstone of Northern cultural life with an unprecedented program of exhibitions stretching right through to 2026.

This extensive calendar offers a rare chance to engage with internationally renowned contemporary figures alongside crucial historical surveys drawn from the Gallery's own exceptional collection.

Whether you're a committed art historian or simply seeking a compelling day out, the depth and ambition of these eight confirmed shows make them unmissable viewing over the coming months.

The confirmed exhibitions showcase a powerful dialogue between history, identity, and place. Visitors will be challenged by the raw, conceptual works of Mike Nelson, who takes the detritus of our own M62 Motorway as his material, and drawn into the meticulous intellectual archives of the pioneer Helen Chadwick.

This contemporary edge is perfectly balanced by crucial historical surveys, including a look at four centuries of the Portrayals of Women display and the major retrospective on Leeds’s own atmospheric master, John Atkinson Grimshaw. The program beautifully grounds these global narratives right here in Yorkshire.

What truly elevates this season is the focus on dialogue and community: the ‘Axis of Abstraction’ connects our city to the famous artists of Cornwall, while multiple exhibitions demonstrate how local groups—from the Arts & Minds Network to the Pyramid artists—are creating vital new work in direct response to the collection.

This variety ensures there is something for every visitor, from the historical enthusiast to those looking for hands-on creation.

We take a look at those exhibitions and events now taking place at the Art Gallery, and given that Leeds has thrown open the Christmas gates to come and visit, now seems the perfect time to plan your visits and make sure you experience every facet of cultural Leeds before the end of the year - or beyond.

What’s on at Leeds Art Gallery in the coming months?

‘An Axis of Abstraction’: Art in Cornwall and Yorkshire – Then and Now (until June 7)

From the rugged granite coastline of St Ives to the industrial dynamism of Leeds, discover a secret artistic axis that has shaped British abstraction for nearly a century.

This exhibition reveals the surprising "cross-fertilisation" between artists in West Cornwall and West Yorkshire, tracing a line from the wartime refuge sought by giants like Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson to the opportunities created by the Gregory Fellowships in Leeds.

Experience a profound dialogue in abstract form where coastal light meets Northern intellect, and explore the enduring legacy of creative sanctuary.

Portrayals of Women (until April 5)

More than just a collection of pictures, this is a conversation across centuries.

Portrayals of Women explores the power and complexity of the female image, highlighting the diverse voices, identities, and experiences that may be told through art.

Moving seamlessly from the delicate hand of a 17th-century master to the direct gaze of a 21st-century digital printmaker, the show reveals the continuous evolution of representation and the enduring strength found in every portrait.

'Don't Let's Ask for the Moon...': Nocturnes and Atkinson Grimshaw (until April 19)

Step into the dramatic, gas-lit world of Victorian Britain. This exhibition showcases the celebrated "Moonlights" of Leeds-born artist John Atkinson Grimshaw, whose atmospheric urban scenes captured the imagination of the art world.

Highlighting the stunning acquisition of Reflections on the Aire – on strike, the show contrasts Grimshaw's evocative shadows and new artificial lighting effects with the work of five contemporary artists, including Elizabeth Magill and Roger Palmer.

This powerful pairing reveals the enduring, modern poetry embedded in Grimshaw's dark, detailed canvases.

Helen Chadwick: Artist, Researcher, Archivist (until January 25)

Step inside the mind of a pioneer.

This essential exhibition dives into the extraordinary methods of Helen Chadwick, an artist who treated research as an art form itself. Featuring materials drawn directly from her vast personal archive—her "personal museum"—discover how Chadwick fused autobiography, philosophy, science, and history to create unsettlingly beautiful works.

See how texts on tarot and geometry inspired Ego Geometria Sum, and witness the breath-taking fusion of the microscopic and the epic in her late works, Viral Landscapes, where scans of her own cells meet images of the Pembrokeshire coast.

Plant Dreaming (until April 19)

Escape the concrete jungle and immerse yourself in a vibrant sensory landscape.

Plant Dreaming features enthralling contemporary works, including immense textiles, vivid paintings on silk, and evocative film, all united by a poetic view of the plant kingdom. The show celebrates different modes of plant knowledge—from Caribbean traditions to ancient folklore—and includes a showcase of rare botanical specimens from the Leeds Museums and Galleries' own Natural Science Collection.

Come and discover what humans could learn from the resilient, interconnected world of plants.

Mike Nelson: M62 (East, West) (until June 28)

If you know the M62, you know this feeling.

Mike Nelson brings his internationally renowned series of road-system sculptures to Leeds, using the materials and memories of our own M62 Motorway. This brand-new commission presents two almost-identical installations—M62 (East) and M62 (West)—challenging you to play a game of "spot the difference" between objects that share a similar history.

It’s an unsettling, powerful meditation on identity, motion, and industrial decay, encouraging you to focus on the utilitarian objects normally passed without scrutiny.

We Bathe In Starlight (until April 19)

This is art for wellbeing. Born from a collaboration between the Arts & Minds Network and Leeds Art Gallery, this unique show directly responds to the famous Victorian works of John Atkinson Grimshaw.

The result is a powerful installation of newly created letterpress prints and deeply personal poetry, charting a journey from creative process to self-expression.

Experience a layered narrative that celebrates the power of the arts to foster community and promote mental well-being.

Plant Dreaming (until April 19)

Escape the concrete jungle and immerse yourself in a vibrant sensory landscape.

Plant Dreaming features enthralling contemporary works, including immense textiles, vivid paintings on silk, and evocative film, all united by a poetic view of the plant kingdom. The show celebrates different modes of plant knowledge—from Caribbean traditions to ancient folklore—and includes a showcase of rare botanical specimens from the Leeds Museums and Galleries' own Natural Science Collection.

Come and discover what humans could learn from the resilient, interconnected world of plants.

Pyramid View On… John Atkinson Grimshaw (until April 19)

After viewing the main Grimshaw exhibition, head to the Artspace for a fresh perspective!

This hands-on, community show by Pyramid celebrates the magic of dusk and nighttime through newly created artworks by its member artists. This exhibit is fully interactive: Pyramid artists will be running workshops in the space, inviting you—the visitor—to create your own Grimshaw-inspired pieces using recycled canvases and joining the creative conversation.

What are the opening times for Leeds Art Gallery?

Leeds Art Gallery is closed on Mondays; however, it opens from Tuesday through to Saturday from 10am until 5pm, with the upper galleries closing from 4pm on Saturdays.

Sundays, the gallery will open from 11am and close at 3pm.

The gallery operates a voluntary donation policy, meaning you decide what to give to help sustain our exhibitions. The suggested amount is £5 per person. You can easily contribute using contactless, Chip and Pin, or cash at our Tap to Give donation points located immediately on arrival or throughout the building.

On the hunt to see Santa Claus in Leeds before the big day? Take a look at our guide to where you can catch jolly old St. Nick ahead of his busiest night of the year in and around the city in 2025.