York Art Gallery facts for kids
York Art Gallery and statue of William Etty
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| Established | 1882 |
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| Location | York, England |
| Type | Art museum |
| Accreditation | Arts Council England Accredited Museum |
| Key holdings | British Studio Pottery, Views of York, William Etty |
| Collections | Western European paintings, British paintings, prints, watercolours, drawings, ceramics |
| Visitors | 81,402 (2018–19) |
| Architect | Edward Taylor |
| Owner | York Museums Trust |
York Art Gallery is a public art gallery in York, England. It has a huge collection of art, from paintings made in the 1300s to modern pieces. You can also see prints, drawings, and ceramics here. The gallery closed for a big update in 2013 and reopened in the summer of 2015. The building is a special historic place, called a Grade II listed building, and is looked after by York Museums Trust.
Contents
Discovering York Art Gallery's Story
How the Gallery Began
The idea for York Art Gallery started with a big art and industry show in 1879. Before that, in 1866, a similar show was held in a temporary building. Over 400,000 people visited the 1866 show, and it made a good profit. The organizers decided to use this money to build a permanent place for art and industry.
This led to the second exhibition in 1879, which was held in a brand-new building. A York architect named Edward Taylor designed it. The building first opened its doors on May 7, 1879.
The Gallery's Original Design
The gallery was built on land that used to be part of the medieval St Mary's Abbey. The front of the building faces what is now Exhibition Square. The original plans for the gallery were very grand. They included fancy stone figures and mosaics. However, these grand decorations were not added because of money reasons.
Instead, the building was decorated with two tiled pictures. These showed famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. There were also four round ceramic pictures of important York artists. Behind the main building, there was a large hall for temporary exhibitions. This hall was used for many years for meetings and concerts.
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The Gallery situated within Exhibition Square
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Front elevation
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Sculpted roundel on the front elevation
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Mosaic panel on the front elevation
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Statue of William Etty
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Rear elevation
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West elevation
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Growing the Art Collection
After the 1879 exhibition, the gallery worked to create a permanent art display. A big help came from John Burton, a collector from York. He left over one hundred 19th-century paintings to the gallery when he died in 1882. Other people also gave art, and the gallery borrowed many important collections.
In 1888, the north part of the gallery was rented out to the York School of Art. York City Council bought the buildings and the art collection in 1892. A major exhibition of art by the York artist William Etty was held in 1911. His statue was also put up outside the gallery at that time.
World War II and Rebuilding
The gallery continued to grow until World War II began. It was used for military purposes and closed to the public. Sadly, it was damaged by bombs during an attack on York in 1942.
The gallery reopened in 1948. After a big restoration in 1951–52, it started to become very successful. A director named Hans Hess helped the gallery get many important artworks. In 1955, a large collection of old European paintings was given to the gallery. This helped the gallery build a strong collection of British art, especially from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
In 1963, the gallery received a collection of studio pottery, which are unique handmade ceramic pieces.
Later Years and Modern Changes
In 1979, a 15th-century painting was stolen from the gallery. It was found and returned to the gallery in 2023, many years later. In the 1990s and 2000s, more important art was given or loaned to the gallery.
1999 Art Theft
In 1999, the gallery experienced a robbery. Some paintings were stolen, including a watercolour by J. M. W. Turner. The main person responsible was later caught by police and sentenced to jail. All the stolen paintings were recovered.
The Gallery in the 21st Century
The gallery had a big refurbishment in 2005, costing £445,000. It reopened on March 19. This project received money from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the City of York Council.
Another major restoration happened from 2013 to 2015, costing £8 million. This work made the display space much bigger, by about 60%. It also brought the north wing back into use and reorganized the inside of the building. The area behind the gallery was also opened up to the public as part of the Museum Gardens. The gallery reopened on August 1, 2015. For the first time since 2002, it started charging an entry fee.
In 2020, the gallery announced it had gained new artworks by four British artists. In January 2024, the gallery decided to charge for entry fees again. This was because not charging was costing the gallery a lot of money each year.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Like many places, York Art Gallery closed to visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. It reopened on August 1, 2020, and did not charge visitors at that time. However, it had to close again several times due to new rules in England. The gallery finally reopened on May 28, 2021, with a new exhibition.
Exploring the Art Collection
The gallery has an amazing collection of art for you to explore!
Paintings
There are over 1,000 paintings in the gallery. You can see European paintings from the 1300s, including Italian altarpieces. There are also Dutch paintings from the 1600s and French art from the 1800s.
The British painting collection is very strong, with art from the 1500s onwards. You'll find portraits from the 1600s and 1700s, and works by famous artists like William Etty and Albert Moore, who were from York. The gallery has the largest collection of works by William Etty. You can also see paintings by modern artists like L. S. Lowry and Paul Nash.
Studio Pottery
The gallery has a fantastic collection of British studio ceramics, with more than 5,000 pieces! These are unique, handmade pottery items. You can see works by famous potters like Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie, and Hans Coper.
Works on Paper
The collection of drawings, watercolours, and prints has over 17,000 pieces. It's especially good for views of York, with more than 4,000 examples. Many of these are by local artists. You can also find watercolours by famous artists like J. M. W. Turner and Thomas Girtin. The gallery also keeps the special archive of artist William Etty.
Decorative Arts
There are over 3,000 decorative objects in the collection. These include pottery from Yorkshire from the 1500s to the early 1900s. You can also see Chinese and Korean pottery from the 1700s and 1800s, and beautiful glassware.
Exhibitions at York Art Gallery
The gallery often hosts many different exhibitions. These can be touring shows that travel from other places or special exhibitions created by the gallery itself. They often connect with bigger events happening in York and around the world.
Awards and Recognition
York Art Gallery has won several awards, showing how special it is:
- Visit York Tourism Awards: Visitor Attraction of the Year 2016 (winner).
- Art Fund: Museum of the Year 2016 (finalist).
- Kids in Museums: Family Friendly Museum Award 2016 (winner).
- European Museum Forum: European Museum of the Year 2017 (nominated) – it received a special mention!
