Leeds Art Gallery

A lovely gallery in Leeds, well-curated, calm, and inspiring. The space is small but thoughtfully arranged, and the staff are super friendly. Definitely worth a visit.

Fabulous Art Gallery & free… how cool and inspiring is that. Wonderful collection in a very beautiful building. New work by Mike Nelson on show too.

Beautiful gallery …. We were a day too early for the Moore exhibition… no charge to enter. Lovely coffee shop and souvenir store. We strolled around the multiple levels and enjoyed the exhibitions. Definitely worth going in to see the variety of different types of art.

Great place to visit. There were lots of exciting and amazing diverse art exhibitions around the place that you would enjoy. There were free entry and no que on the weekday I visited. It is closed on Monday and public holiday; open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 3pm. No food, drinks or videoing is allowed inside the place. Most of the pictures I got were outside the building. The atmosphere were great and conducive; and the staff were friendly, happy, helpful and knowledgeable. Wonderful experience.

Fantastic experience! There were so many amazing exhibitions to explore, each offering something unique and thought-provoking. We really enjoyed taking our time browsing the art gallery, admiring the diverse range of artwork on display. The staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, happy to share insights and discuss the exhibitions in detail, which made the visit even more engaging. The atmosphere was welcoming, and it was clear that a lot of care and effort goes into curating the space. We had a great time and would highly recommend a visit to anyone who appreciates art and culture! Best of all it's free! 😃

Great collection some wonderful modern British artists. Nash, Nicholson, Hepworth. On two floors. Free but I donated £5. Friendly staff. Also contains the Henry Moore Institute.

Quite a large collection of art. The best part is the fine arts room downstairs, just a few steps into the gallerys main entrance. If you trouble yourself upstairs, you will find a few more small rooms with more niche art. There are many interesting pieces there.

Beautiful museum of art. Various arts shown there and invite to escape the daily stress for a while. Entry is free but donations are welcomed.

On a jolly jaunt about town with a chum, we decided to check out the Leeds Art Gallery after a good luncheon. I'd gotten my galleries confuddled, and had hoped to catch the Back To Basics display, but of course they weren't in the official gallery. (What a plum!) For that you'll have to get over to Munro house, as I intend to at some point. But, what we did find, was a fantastic display of work. The Hume sculptures are lots of fun, for some reason reminding me of Silent Hill a little, but then I'm that way inclined. As soon as we ascended upstairs we were met by a delightfully creepy old lady, painted almost green, very reminiscent of the typical vision of an old wise woman. She was looking up to the skies in an unending groan, perhaps bemoaning her creaking joints -her hand was pretty gnarly, and perhaps arthritic. Any way, I'm writing this rather tongue in cheek, but it is a fantastic image. Upstairs there's plenty of different mediums to take in, as well as the wonderfully structured library. I can't describe all the paintings, sketches and sculptures we saw as the instant I took a photograph (for posterity) I was asked to kindly desist. You're not allowed to take pictures! Having to commit everything to memory is almost defunct with one such as myself -apparently I have very poor skills at this. Even so, I can remember the overwhelming feeling of enjoyment and intrigue, and that my particular favourite image was called 'A children that has gone to cheese' by Sam Haile. Check it out. Downstairs I hadn't prepared to enjoy the pre 1900 section quite so much. My tastes usually extend to Surrealism, but the Pre-Raphaelite (forgive me if this is wrong) and Realism exhibition is really breathtaking. Don't get me wrong -the subject matter was not always of interest. I'm not religious, so the dainty Jesus wasn't to my taste. However, the landscape images were simply incredible-get right in there and take in the brush technique, and the stand back and let your eyes soak it in. Wow. What at once appears such a hapless dash of pain somehow becomes the most precise bit of foliage. There's also a truly awesome image of some kind of revolution/civil war. We took a stab, and guessed that they might be British soldiers. The striking thing is that it doesn't appear to be a war-positive picture - ususally images of that time show proud soldiers, and come across very patriotic, in my experience. Not so here. We discussed this terrifying still of horses, in the moment of rapidly approaching the viewer, and decided that it must have been created from the imagination. (As you'd be trampled were you right there at that point.) We then realised that the entire picture was quite intimidating. Firstly, the motion: horses at full pelt, almost above you, coming directly your way without falter. The soldiers looked manic, severe, and certainly not proud, or triumphant. Just determined. Then we noticed that the title was something to do with the Scottish revolution - and these soldiers were in red. Surely it's an image of some pitiless English demons, ready to rake the ground of Scottish soil? Who knows! We might be way off. We might have gotten carried away. But, isn't that the point of art? The joy must be in the discussion and intrigue, as much as the skill and still image itself. And whether or not we've gotten this painting utterly wrong, the vision of those towering horses and implacable men shall stay with me. So much movement! I'm going to have to go back and see them before me once again. So, go take a look. If you've an opinion, let me know...

I discovered Leeds art gallery when looking for a venue for a photo shoot and was surprised at the amount of contemporary work there. In smaller cities classical pieces tend to to over shadow modern art but Leeds art gallery makes use of a small space at the front for more eccentric modern work! I can't say I understood the event that was on at the time and was apparently using space and isolation as a theme. Despite my lack of knowledge I enjoyed walking around very much and it made a beautiful setting for photos. The gallery however has more timely pieces of renaissance art and more classical works. The museum is free and makes a lovely change from the hoards of crowds running in and out of Topshop and Harvey Nickles like shopping maniacs! The aura is calm and and relaxed. The gallery is small compared to those in cities such as Manchester and Birmingham however has recently been renovated with marble floors and large white walls. There is no fee to see some beautiful works so pop in for a break from your winter shopping! The cafe isn't half bad either if you want a sophisticated cup of coffee a little away from the main shopping streets,

Leeds does not have much to offer in terms of art or tourism but the City Art Gallery ticks both of these boxes for locals and visitors to the city. It has a good and sizable permanent collection of painting and sculpture from traditional to the most contemporary of work, featuring more than a few big names. There's a Bridget Riley, a Stanley Spencer, works by Henry Moore and Turner. Its easy to miss the sculpture galleries as they are a bit hidden and over-shadowed by the large upstairs rooms exhibiting paintings so make sure you turn right as soon as you enter to be sure not to miss it! The main ground floor galleries usually exhibit temporary shows such as the annual Northern Art Prize - work from established, contemporary norther artists - and the summer Open Exhibition, which anyone is allowed to enter. Its really a place not to be missed in Leeds. There is a space for children to sit and draw, seperate from the main galleries so it s a good place to take the kids on a rain day or cultural day out. The only thing I don't like about it is the strange opening hours - its not open on a Wednesday morning and for only a few hours on a Sunday. Why?!

If you are into art then this is the place for you. It's a nice way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon, especially if it is raining, immersing yourself in lots of culture. And it's not all 1800s art either -there's a great selection of modern art on display. It has a lovely modern cafe bar and a huge library-cum-bookshop. The gallery itself is free to visit which is just brilliant considering the obvious work that goes into it's upkeep and the amount of staff required. Speaking of staff they are very informed and very polite and willing to help. There is disabled access, and children are welcome which is very nice to see. I would highly recommend this place as one of Leeds' premier free tourist attractions.

During my time as a student I would often want a moment of peace or find myself with a short amount of time to kill. This became my personal drop in centre. It is not very large, or has world class exhibits, but what it does host is a variety of art specialist in the work of past century. Owned and managed by the city council, admission is free and it is open with hours that mirror the retail and offices around it, expect Saturday when it is busiest and open 9 - 6. It is a lovely walk in the dry when it is raining and a must do on a visit because honestly if you are visiting Leeds there isnt much to do as a tourist, so leave an hour for a visit here and the next door Henry Moore Insitite. And my favourite work here, no not the Damian Hirst, it is the Brick man made by Anthony Gormley for Leeds as an example of a Landmark to meet visitors at the M1/M621 junction. An example 1:200 size is here and it is huge, but it was never built and this will be the only example of the never commisioned work you will get to see.

Having just undergone a major re-fit, there's no better place in Leeds to enjoy fine art. Major exhibitions change frequently so check out their website for what's on when. Some stunning permanent displays too and best of all it's completely free. A great place to spend your lunch break if you just want time to relax and reflect.

The Gallery itself is okay, well worth a look as it's free and in the centre of town but there isn't a huge amount on display given the size of the Leeds collection, granted they do have special themed exhibitions on that they do change round but you can look round the whole thing in less than an hour. The Cafe on the other hand is a real work of art - hard to believe it was a store room for 30 odd years - tiled ceiling is beautiful and the food is reasonable and good quality. Great place to meet for a lunch time coffee and watch the daft teenagers practicing free running skills outside. Library next door also well worth a look - stairwell has similar beautiful tiling and excellent collection

A good place to kill a bit of time if you are waiting for someone. Lots of paintings and sculptures but some could do with a bit more explanation as to origin etc, particularly for art novices like myself.

Don't put me down as 'one of those young people who doesn't appreciate art' BUT one thing I really liked about Leeds City Art Gallery was the size; it's small but perfectly formed. We started in the tea room, where I had a chocolate croissant and a oj to start my day/stave off my hangover (this is post wine tasting you'll understand) and the mother had a toasted tea cake which appeared flattened by a griddle. I was assured it tasted good but it was quite funny to see it squashed down like a pancake. We wandered around the gallery and it was nice to see such an array of collections, meaning there really was something for everyone. One of Anthony Gormley's men looms over you in one hallway and the sharp lines of the industrial revolution are hidden away in a dark back room, the art reflected perfectly by the dark lighting and black walls. My favourite area had to be the children's area as I could imagine the delight you would get from it as a child (plus, my mum is a headteacher, so we always have to check out the children's areas for possible inspiration for her school back down south.) There was a great suggestion board with a great mixture of adults trying to be funny and kids being so unintentionally, my favourite suggestion for "what would you like to see in this gallery?" being BRIAN COX with a little figure of a man shouting about how much he loves science. Oh to be a child again! Lovely place to spend some time and explore what makes you tick. As an art novice I have come out understanding more about what I do and don't enjoy than I have done from other gallery's, and that's always a good thing.

If you find yourself, as I often do, stranded in the town centre with a shopping list as long as your arm yet any desire to shop slowly ebbing away with each push and shove of the heaving crowds, you could do a lot worse than take a break here for an hour or two. All lofty ceilings, white walls and whispered appreciation, the Leeds City Art Gallery is the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of the city centre, and the art isn't half bad either. Featuring permanent collections of classical and contemporary works from a number of famous names, including Turner, Rembrandt, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, the gallery also hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions, ensuring there is something new to see each time you visit. My personal favourites are Antony Gormley's 'brick man', keeping a silent watch near the entrance, and the impressive, almost intimidating 'Scotland Forever'; however the beauty of this gallery is the many nooks and crannies to explore and find a favourite of your own. I ended my visit with a cup of tea in the beautiful, recently renovated Tiled Hall and recommend you do the same - the far side opens straight out onto the Central Library if you can't face going back to the shopping.

I went here a couple of years ago and was disappointed. After going back today, I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. There are 3 floors of art to wander around, but it's easily done within an hour. The cafe is beautiful, even though I didn't eat there I enjoyed wandering around looking at the ceiling. Toilets were clean, and the exhibits were well laid out.

After many years of visiting Leeds for both business and pleasure I finally got around to visiting the very wonderful Art Gallery this Friday ah the joys of a rainy day between Christmas and New Year. This Art Gallery is situated slap bang in the centre of town, no more than a 10 minute walk from the train station. It's free to enter and there is an excellent collection spread over a number of rooms and floors, with something to interest and engage most tastes. There is a great blend of the old and the new with some very interesting juxtaposition in the way the work is exhibited. I was particularly struck by the small collection of work by Stanley Spenser which you will find exhibited on the walls of the staircase as you make you way up to the first floor. Tucked away in part of the main room on the first floor is a stunning work, Painting, by the god like genius that was Francis Bacon which is well worth seeking out. In addition to the standing collection there is a rolling programme of exhibitions. On this visit I had the pleasure of checking out the contenders for the annual Northern Art Prize (winner to be announced at the Gallery on 19 January 2012) but a real highlight will be the Gary Hume: Flashback show which will take place next February. I would recommend that you spend at least a couple of hours wandering around this amazing building as there is plenty to keep you occupied and amused. On the upper floor you will find yourself crossing over into the Central Library which has a great Art Library and an amazing selection of books on everything from glass and ceramics to photography. On a corridor linking the Art Library to the Music Library I came across the 16 panels which make up the Leeds Tapestry 2000. This is a wonderful work celebrating the life and history of this great Northern city. After an hour or so you are probably going to need something to help you wash down all this culture and perhaps the high point of your visit architecturally awaits you in the ground floor cafe which is housed in the magnificent Victorian Tiled Hall. Original parquet floor, marble columns and vaulted mosaic ceiling just stunning and they do a decent cup of coffee as well. I'm already planning my next visit to the Art Gallery and I would put this near the top of any must do list for anyone visiting Leeds.

This is a lovely gallery. There's some great art, and it's free. It makes a nice afternoon out, or a nice way to waste some time if you're stuck in town.

If you have a free hour between shopping or lectures, or even during your lunch break, this is a great place to spend it. The gallery is free so there is no pressure to get what you pay for - not just for art critics. The exhibitions are really worth a look - last year there was a Da Vinci exhibition of his sketches - couldn't believe I was seeing them for free. They have a good variety though - modern installations as well as mechanical pieces which are a bit over my head. The gallery is beautifully redesigned and spacious, and the gift shop is well stocked - this is a greta place right in the centre of leeds and is popular.

This is one of my favorite places in Leeds. I always came here as a therapeutic measure to calm me down after a very very busy day. You do see people just sitting round the stairs enjoying the moment and people watching whilst having a sandwich. My favorite scene is watching the chess players playing with the large chess pieces.

The City Art gallery in Leeds is really easy to get to and to find as it is located right in the heart of the city on the Headrow, the main street which runs north to south. The gallery is totally free to browse and there is a lot to see. There is so much to see it is well worth a visit and allow yourself an hour. From traditional oils to modern art there is something for everyone. There is also a gallery library and a lovely modern cafe with delicious food and drink. The gallery is one of Leeds best attractions and is great to have a look round when it is raining. It has full disabled and pushchair access too.

Really interesting, could do with some more information