John Atkinson Grimshaw's Moonlights from the 1880s brought the Leeds artist success and recognition, even from the crusading modernist American artist James McNeil Whistler.

This new exhibition brings together Leeds Art Gallery’s impressive collection of nocturnal pictures by the celebrated artist, including the latest acquisition Reflections on the Aire - on strike (1879) - likely to be one of the first paintings depicting the consequences of industrial action.

Join us this September as we open the doors to Patrick Studios and Convention House for our Open Studios – a rare chance to step inside working studios, meet the artists, and explore the creative heart of our city.

From Thursday 11 to Saturday 14 September, you’ll be able to visit artists in their spaces, find out more about their work, and get an insight into their creative processes. You’ll also be able to take part in creative workshops and activities led by studio holders and guest artists.

Leeds Arts University is delighted to announce Made It, our 2025 end of year show, celebrating the creativity and dedication of our postgraduate students.

The exhibition features a breadth of creative talent from a growing portfolio of postgraduate study at Leeds Arts University, which now includes MA Animation, MA Creative Practice, MA Digital Fashion, MA Fine Art, MA Graphic Design, MA Illustration with Graphic Novel, MA Photography, MA Worldbuilding with Creature Design.

Professor Simone Wonnacott, Vice-Chancellor Leeds Arts University said:

Step into a world of bold visuals, fresh perspectives, and powerful storytelling with Reframe: New Perspectives in Photography at The Mill Gallery. This vibrant group exhibition brings together over 20 photographic works that challenge expectations, twist familiar scenes, and reimagine how we see the world.

Join us for the launch of a beautiful new exhibition in The People’s Gallery, celebrating the quiet, fleeting moments that often go unnoticed in our daily lives. Through a series of evocative street scenes, intimate portraits, and glimpses of ordinary life, Bramley-based photographer Paul Abraham invites us to pause, slow down, and see the world with fresh eyes.

In a 21st Century world where connection and identity have become abstract concepts associated with nationhood and ideology rather than humanity, how do we reconnect with the essence of what it means to be human?

For this exhibition artist Jay Gadhia explores the Hindu concept of Darshan (दर्शन), the act of seeing and being seen, through his artworks. Here, as in Hinduism, the visual encounter with the artefact becomes a transformative experience for the beholder.

We welcome David Cemmick as our guest for September, and sincerely hope you can view his fascinating pieces.

David’s work includes large-scale public commissions, and he has exhibited extensively, in the UK and overseas. Based in Cumbria, many roles have inspired his art, such as ​​ taxidermist, conservationist, illustrator, scientific field recorder, commercial figurine designer, lecturer and teacher, and figurative and animal artist. Recycling is another passion, including tearing and glueing deconstructed cardboard.