York Art Gallery

Gallery Babies – Thu 14 May 2026

Gallery Babies

Date: Thursday 14 May 2026, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Gallery Babies
Thursday 14 May 2026, 10am – 12pm
Free | Pre-booking required | Sold Out 
Burton Gallery

Drop-in sensory play sessions every Thursday during term-time, for pre-walking babies and their grown-ups, set in the atmospheric surroundings of York Art Gallery.

Using our beautiful sensory toolkit, a collection of colourful squishy sculptural objects, sessions will be gently facilitated, exploring shape, colour and texture.

Gallery Babies is a welcoming and supportive space to relax, bond with your baby and meet other parents and carers, providing a bit of calm and care to your daily routine.

The session starts at 10am and finishes at 12pm, but you can drop in and out at any time. Even after the session has finished, our sensory toolkit will be out in the Burton Gallery for you to continue to explore with your baby.

These sessions are designed for pre-walking babies; however, we understand that you may have your hands full with more than one child. The session takes place in the Studio, a space with plenty of room to play, read and eat much needed snacks outside of the galleries if needed. Buggy parking and baby changing facilities available.

We are also offering a special offer in Sketch café for anybody attending a session: Hot drink and cake £7.00 and lunch and drink £15.00.

Please note: Participants must have a pre-booked ticket to attend the session. Gallery Babies admission includes free access to the permanent gallery spaces, tickets for temporary exhibitions require a separate admissions ticket. 

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An Introduction to Japanese Woodblock Printing – Sun 17 May 2026

An Introduction to Japanese Woodblock Printing

Date: Sunday 17 May 2026, 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

An Introduction to Japanese Woodblock Printing 
Sunday 17 May 2026 | 10am – 4pm 
£60 pp | Sold Out 
Suitable for ages 16+
Create a small edition of A5 woodblock prints to take home with you in this taster course with tutor Kathryn Desforges.
Made famous by artists such as Hokusai who created The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Japanese woodblock printing, or ‘Mokuhanga’ technique, dates back hundreds of years and is still used by contemporary artists all over the world today.
You’ll be guided through designing an image and transferring it to a wood block, carving the design using specialist tools, and printing your image by hand with watercolour paints. There will also be the opportunity to experiment with using creative inking techniques such as ‘bokashi’ to achieve gradients and multi-coloured prints.
Please note this method of printing requires a degree of arm, wrist and finger dexterity and strength.
All materials and light refreshments are provided. Suitable for beginners or those looking for a refresher.
Participants aged under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

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Sketchbook Circle at York Art Gallery – Wed 20 May 2026

Sketchbook Circle at York Art Gallery

Date: Wednesday 20 May 2026, 1:30 pm-3:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Sketchbook Circle
Wednesday 20 May  2026 | 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Suitable for ages 16+ | £5 per person* | Book Tickets Here 
*General admission to York Art Gallery is included.

Pick up a pencil – draw and discover!

Give yourself time to sharpen and share your drawing skills in this 2-hour sketching workshop with artist Griselda Goldsbrough.

Enjoy working in sketchbooks in a relaxed and friendly group, taking inspiration from the collections at York Art Gallery.

These informal practical art sessions run one Wednesday each month for beginners or those who create regularly. Suitable for ages 16+. Materials are provided. Please book separately for each session.

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Gallery Babies – Thu 21 May 2026

Gallery Babies

Date: Thursday 21 May 2026, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Gallery Babies
Thursday 21 May 2026, 10am – 12pm
Free | Pre-booking required | Sold Out 
Burton Gallery

Drop-in sensory play sessions every Thursday during term-time, for pre-walking babies and their grown-ups, set in the atmospheric surroundings of York Art Gallery.

Using our beautiful sensory toolkit, a collection of colourful squishy sculptural objects, sessions will be gently facilitated, exploring shape, colour and texture.

Gallery Babies is a welcoming and supportive space to relax, bond with your baby and meet other parents and carers, providing a bit of calm and care to your daily routine.

The session starts at 10am and finishes at 12pm, but you can drop in and out at any time. Even after the session has finished, our sensory toolkit will be out in the Burton Gallery for you to continue to explore with your baby.

These sessions are designed for pre-walking babies; however, we understand that you may have your hands full with more than one child. The session takes place in the Studio, a space with plenty of room to play, read and eat much needed snacks outside of the galleries if needed. Buggy parking and baby changing facilities available.

We are also offering a special offer in Sketch café for anybody attending a session: Hot drink and cake £7.00 and lunch and drink £15.00.

Please note: Participants must have a pre-booked ticket to attend the session. Gallery Babies admission includes free access to the permanent gallery spaces, tickets for temporary exhibitions require a separate admissions ticket. 

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Make and Play  – Sat 23 May 2026

Make and Play 

Date: Saturday 23 May 2026, All Day
Venue: York Art Gallery

Make and Play 
Saturday 23 May 2026
Included in general admission 
Suitable for all ages 

Drop into The Studio during your visit and discover fun, self-led creative activities inspired by the Making Waves exhibition. Experiment with inks and stamps whilst listening to Japanese inspired music and add your design to a large-scale collaborative, colourful stamped wall art piece. 

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Make and Play  – Sun 24 May 2026

Make and Play 

Date: Sunday 24 May 2026, All Day
Venue: York Art Gallery

Make and Play 
Sunday 24 May 2026
Included in general admission 
Suitable for all ages 

Drop into The Studio during your visit and discover fun, self-led creative activities inspired by the Making Waves exhibition. Experiment with inks and stamps whilst listening to Japanese inspired music and add your design to a large-scale collaborative, colourful stamped wall art piece. 

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Draw and Discover  – Wed 27 May 2026

Draw and Discover 

Dates: Wednesday 27 May 2026–Sunday 31 May 2026, All Day
Venue: York Art Gallery

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. 

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Gallery Tales – Wed 27 May 2026

Gallery Tales

Date: Wednesday 27 May 2026, 10:15 am-12:15 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Gallery Tales
Wednesday 27 May 2026
Session 1: 10.15am – 11am | Session 2: 11.30am – 12.15pm
Suitable for ages 2-8 | £7 per child* | Book Now
Join the award-winning Story Craft Theatre and step into a world of imagination where art comes alive and stories leap off the walls! This interactive storytelling adventure, inspired by the artwork at York Art Gallery, is designed to spark curiosity, creativity and joy.
This half term, there’ll be a different tale each week inspired by our Making Waves exhibition.
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Due to space restrictions, a max of 1 adult per booking. 
We are also offering a special offer in Sketch café for anyone attending; hot drink and cake £6.00, lunch and a drink £12.00.
*General admission to York Art Gallery is included.

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Art Shot Talks – Wed 27 May 2026

Art Shot Talks

Dates: Wednesday 27 May 2026–Sunday 31 May 2026, 11:00 am-2:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Art Shot Talks 
Daily
11am and 2pm 
Included in general admission 

Join a member of our Visitor Experience team for a short, insightful talk on their favourite artwork from the collection. 

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Creative Families   – Thu 28 May 2026

Creative Families  

Date: Thursday 28 May 2026, 10:30 am-3:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Creative Families  
Thursday 28 May 2026 
Drop in between 10.30am – 3.30pm 
Included in general admission 
Suitable for all ages 

Get hands-on and creative with inks and wood block stamps in a guided session led by artist Beatrice, exploring Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print 

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