Summer at York Art Gallery

Saturday 18 July – Sunday 6 September 2026 | Book Tickets

Discover the amazing artworks on display at York Art Gallery through storytelling, creative activities and play inspired by the collections and exhibition, Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print. 

Due to the popularity of the exhibition, we’re also opening Tuesday 4 and 18 August, 10am – 5pm.

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What’s On

Gallery Tales 
Every Wednesday from 22 July – 26 August 2026
Session 1: 10.15am – 11am | Session 2: 11.30am – 12.15pm 
£7 per child* , booking required
Suitable for ages 2-8 
Join the award-winning Story Craft Theatre and step into a world of imagination where art comes alive and stories leap off the walls! There’s a new interactive storytelling adventure each week, inspired by the amazing artwork at York Art Gallery, designed to spark curiosity, creativity and joy. 

*Includes general admission to York Art Gallery

Art Outdoors
Fortnightly on Thursday from 23 July – 20 August 2026
Drop in between 11am – 4pm
Free*
Suitable for all ages
Join us in the Artist Garden, directly behind York Art Gallery, for an outdoor play activity inspired by our exhibition, Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print. 

*Please note, this activity is weather dependent.  In the case of bad weather, the activity may take place indoors, but general admission charges will apply. 

Creative Families
Every Friday from 24 July – 28 August 2026
Drop in between 10.30am – 3.30pm 
Included in general admission 
Suitable for all ages 
Experiment with simple relief printing techniques in this family workshop. There’ll be different themes to inspire you each week centred around our exhibition, Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print, including sea monsters, samurais and Japanese textiles.

Open Studio: Make and Play
Every Saturday and Sunday, except 25 July and 8 August 2026
10am – 4pm
Included in general admission 
Suitable for all ages 
Drop in to The Studio to discover a family friendly stamp and ink activity inspired by our exhibition, Making Waves: The Art of Woodblock Print.

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Special events:

Paddle in the Surf: Mokuhanga Printmaking 
Wednesday 29 July 2026
10am – 4.30pm (Sessions run every 25-minutes) 
£15 per person, tickets available to purchase on the day *
Suitable for all ages and abilities 
Join printmakers, Andy and Naomi to watch a live demonstration of Mokuhanga printmaking, and create 4 beautiful, printed designs inspired by ‘The Great Wave’ using rich Prussian blue ink and authentic materials to take home with you. 

*Workshop tickets do not include general admission to York Art Gallery.  

Making Waves Talk: ‘The Magic of Materials’ with Professor Helen Smith
Wednesday 5 August 2026
12 noon – 12.30pm
Included in general admission
Join Professor Helen Smith, founding co-director of Thin Ice Press and Head of the Department of English and Related Literature at the University of York, for an insightful talk exploring the materials of Japanese printmaking. Learn how traditional inks, woods for carving and washi, a Japanese paper, contribute to the textures and effects seen in the historic works on display in the exhibition.

Making Waves: A Closing Celebration
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026
10am – 5pm
Join us to celebrate our exhibition, Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print, as we mark its closing weekend with a 2-day festival of music, workshops, creative activities, food and drink for all the family in York Art Gallery and York Museum Gardens.

Activities included in general admission, unless otherwise stated. Free entry to activities in York Museum Gardens. 

The Art of Kokedama
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026
11am- 12 noon 
£25 per person, booking required
Suitable for ages 10+
Join Alice from The Outside In to create your own Kokedama plant ball. You’ll be guided step-by-step through the traditional style of creating Kokedama using leafy plants and moss.
It’s a great opportunity to learn about handling plants, roots and soil, and you’ll have a Kokedama plant ball to take home with you. 

Materials and guidance will be provided, along with aftercare instructions.

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Daily activities:  

Daily activities are suitable for all ages and included in general admission.

Draw and Discover 
Daily 
10am – 4.30pm 
Included in general admission 
Suitable for all ages 
Discover our brand-new Draw and Discover station, where budding artists can collect materials to draw and sketch with during their visit, using the artwork on display as inspiration for their own masterpieces.  

Art Shot Talks  
Daily  
11am and 2pm  
Included in general admission 
Suitable for all ages
Join a member of our Visitor Experience team for a short, insightful talk on their favourite artwork from the collection.  

Don’t miss our Not a Pot dressing up area, sensory toolkit and handling collection too!

Please note, York Art Gallery is open Wednesday – Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday as usual. Pre-booking online is encouraged due to the popularity of the Making Waves exhibition, however, admission tickets are available to purchase at the admissions desk on the day.

Family saver tickets available!

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Looking for more ways to entertain the family throughout the holidays? Find out more about our summer programme at our other sites.

What’s on this summer at York Castle Museum

What’s on this summer at the Yorkshire Museum