About us
Lakeland Arts runs an exceptional portfolio of cultural spaces in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Who we are
We are responsible for the Abbot Hall Art Gallery and Lakeland Museum in Kendal, the Blackwell Arts & Crafts House and the award- winning Windermere Jetty Museum with its collection of historic boats.
We exist to preserve heritage, inspire creativity and strengthen our communities. Last year, we welcomed over 50,000 visitors to our exhibitions.
Useful links:
Learn more
Abbot Hall is one of the UK’s leading art galleries. Established in 1962 in a Grade I listed Georgian building on the banks of the River Kent in Kendal, the gallery has become a vibrant cultural and community hub. The Abbot Hall collection includes works by J M W Turner, Paula Rego, John Ruskin, Lucian Freud, Elizabeth Frink and Kurt Schwitters.
The gallery’s exhibition programme is focussed on the themes of landscape, identity and ecology. Recent exhibitions have included a major solo exhibition by Turner Prize winner Simon Starling, and a new co-curated Ecology Gallery was opened in September 2024.
Learn more
Blackwell – the Arts & Crafts House has breathtaking views overlooking Lake Windermere and the Coniston Fells.
This stunning Grade I listed house was designed by noted architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott and is one of the world’s finest examples of Arts & Crafts architecture.
The interiors and exhibitions at Blackwell celebrate the finest designers of the Arts & Crafts movement whilst profiling the best contemporary makers working today. Recent exhibitions have included ceramics by Frances Priest and British Nigerian sculptor Lawson Oyekan.
Learn more
Lakeland Museum was established in Kendal in 1971 and won the first ever Museum of the Year award.
It has an extensive collection of objects, photography and archival material that relates to the people, communities and industrial history of the Lake District.
The museum is currently closed pending a process of reimagining and redevelopment.
Learn more
Windermere Jetty Museum is a RIBA Stirling prize shortlisted building which opened in 2019 following a £20 million major capital development. Celebrating maritime engineering and industry in one of England’s most iconic locations, the museum is a working destination committed to conserving, celebrating and sharing its internationally important collection of historic boats and related material.
The museum sits on the shores of Windermere amongst the unique biodiversity of the lake. Working jetties and heritage boat trips give visitors direct access to Windermere and the collection.
We value diversity
We believe that diversity and equality within our workforce, programmes and approaches are crucial to our mission of being inclusive and relevant to our communities. We want everyone to feel welcome.
We, therefore, particularly welcome applications from candidates under-represented at Lakeland Arts and within the wider heritage sector, including neurodiverse applicants, individuals from the Global Majority and/or those with disabilities.