Scarborough Art Gallery

Scarborough Art Gallery houses the borough’s permanent collection of fine art, which has grown through gifts, bequests and purchases since its beginnings in 1947, reflecting the vibrant mix of the community and its cultural heritage.

The gallery, originally called Crescent House, was built as a family home in the late 1840s by local solicitor John Uppleby and has had a fascinating history. This Grade II* Italianate villa is one of the finest buildings in Scarborough, set in the beautiful Crescent Gardens in the centre of town.

As well as the permanent collection, the Art Gallery hosts regular temporary exhibitions, giving us an opportunity to show some of the fine collections we hold, and to display work by local, national and internationally renowned artists, as well as interesting touring work from around the UK. Visitors typically spend up to 1 hour in the gallery but some stay for longer. (Last entry 30 minutes before closing).  Please see access information directly on the Scarborough Museums and Galleries website.

Admission Prices:

£5 Annual Pass - admission to both Scarborough Art Gallery and the Rotunda Museum

Free - Under 18s and registered carers.

Exhibitions:

Atkinson Grimshaw: At Home in Yorkshire

Until August 2026

Discover Atkinson Grimshaw’s connections to Yorkshire in this special display of paintings by the Leeds-born artist.

Best known for his nocturnal and urban landscapes, you’ll see five works from the Scarborough Museums collection alongside two of Grimshaw’s moonlit Leeds scenes – ‘In the Gloaming’ and ‘Silver Moonlight’ – on loan to us from Mercer Art Gallery.

Aesthetica Art Prize 20: Defining the Future of Contemporary Art

16 May 2026 to 19  September 2026

The Aesthetica Art Prize is one of the UK’s leading contemporary art exhibitions, bringing artists and audiences together to experience work that is inventive, reflective and transformative. This year, 50 artists working across immersive installation, mixed-media, painting, photography, sculpture and video present work across four galleries in North Yorkshire, offering insight into ideas shaping global cultural conversations.

Marking its 20th anniversary, the Prize celebrates two decades of supporting emerging and established artists, connecting them with audiences, curators and collectors worldwide. Since 2006, it has become a benchmark for innovation, critical debate and artistic discovery, amplifying voices that challenge assumptions and expand contemporary practice.

The exhibition addresses defining issues of our time, including the climate crisis, colonial legacies, social and political inequities, technological change and questions of identity and belonging. The works connect personal experience with collective realities, revealing hidden structures and amplifying underrepresented narratives. Here, art functions not as reflection but as intervention, reshaping how we understand the world.

This exhibition spans four galleries: Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate; Skipton Town Hall; Scarborough Art Gallery; and Woodend, Scarborough and is split into four sections: Perception, Intervention, Transformation and Future(s). Aesthetica is delighted to be working with North Yorkshire Council to bring contemporary art of the highest quality to these cultural venues.