Not many people seem to be aware that Wakefield has an art gallery, which is a shame because it has…read moresuch great potential. Even more of a shame is that this potential has not been developed - the gallery is small and cramped, has few exhibits and those that there are are not that inspiring, which I find incomprehensible considering that the area has spawned such artistic talent. They do run various workshops and activities for children, which I have not attended and may be worth a visit, but personally, to see art in the area, I would recommend visiting the sculpture park in Bretton instead.

Small art gallery on 3 floors. Very cramped, but some interesting work. Some exhibits are changed…read moreon a reasonably regular basis. Some art trolly's dotted round the place for kids to draw pictures and complete activities. Worth a visit if you've nothing better to do but not worth and outing in its own right (in my opinion). Due to be replaced by The Hepworth gallery in 2009/10 which is currently under construction.

Well, it has been a while since I last did any Yelping! I've gone to ground due to other…read morecommitments, most noticably the second year of a very intense university degree! But enough of all that ... Due to my lack of presence, I thought that I would make a comeback in style. So here is my review of The Hepworth Wakefield for all you lovely Yelpers out there! The Hepworth Wakefield is apparently one of the largest specific built galleries outside London. It sits spectacularly on an island in central Wakefield with the River Calder rushing past its stained concrete exterior in quite a picturesque and dramatic way. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the Hepworth Wakefield consists of ten superb gallery spaces in a stained concrete cube of a building. The gallery spaces are airy international style modernist affairs with light flooding in through the angled roofline. Upon approaching the gallery, the visitor is met by a gantry-type bridge of a hard geometric form which crosses the river bridging the gallery and Wakefield city centre, again crossing a weir of the Calder. The gallery brings together work from Wakefield's art collection, exhibitions by contemporary artists and rarely seen works by Barbara Hepworth. Hepworth was brought up in Wakefield before moving to Europe and later to the south coast of England. Some of her major sculptures are displayed alongside notebooks, macquettes and studies giving the inquisitive viewer an exciting insight into her thought processes and ways of working. As well as the somewhat feminine and calming Modernist works of Moore and Hepworth, the viewer will be delighted to find a surprisingly diverse range of works from artists who lived and worked alongside Hepworth - such as Ben Nicholson and Patrick Heron amongst others. There are also some beautiful paintings that nicely contextualise what was going on down in St.Ives - from Modernist geometric exploration of formal qualities of form and relationships to exquisitley naive works of fishing harbours with surreal perspectives by lesser known artists (I will find their names and update this review - sorry). There is even a mature Mondrian to take in - apparently Mondrian exhibited with Hepworth in a group known as 'The Circle'. The collection also houses historical documentation of the city of Wakefield itself and the nearby Chantry Chapel. Watercolours, engravings, pencil sketches and oils record Wakefield with particular attention given to Chantry Bridge and Chapel - the site of many medieval battles. Visitors can sit and view Chantry Bridge and the Chapel from a comfortable interior seat after viewing the works - which has been specially located to view the chapel which sits perched on Chantry bridge. There is also space for touring exhibitions and artists which is currently home to the work of Eva Rothschild before the paintings of Clare Wood take centre stage - an intelligent nod to the appreciation of landscape as well as careful and ironic questioning of Modernisms sculpture. The cafe is of a moderate size serving everything from tea to continental coffees and small meals. (I will update this soon too) The gift shop stocks books relating to Hepworth as well as the St Ives community. It is also nice to see the Hepworth Wakefield stocking applied arts pieces by local artist-designers such as Laura Slater. Toilets are on the ground floor and are clean and accessible. With a café, shop, learning studios, outreach and community education rooms and a stimulating events programme, the gallery is an opportunity to explore the work of Barbarra Hepworth and artists that worked alongside her at St.Ives. It is a great addition to Wakefield and I hope it goes from strength to strength. Entrance is free with donations accepted.

This new entry to Albion Street in the centre of town is truly a breath of fresh air. This…read moreparticular street is quite clogged with coffee shops and eateries as it is and so the addition of an art gallery shop is the perfect answer for diversity. The store itself is laid out like an art gallery with relaxing white space with which to adorn the artwork - perfect for maintaining an uncluttered feel with such a variety of artists on show. There is the main space on the ground floor and a further gallery down the narrow stairs. The lady who was working when I popped in was absolutely lovely, she was really friendly and talkative about the shop, but didn't push to sell me anything which I always appreciate. The art itself was wonderful and diverse, from the kitsch cutesy cow art by Caroline Shotten, to the modern pop-art stark portraits of Simon Claridge, to the bold graffiti art of Ge Feng there was something for everyone. My difficulty is that I could have purchased all of their pieces, since diversity is what I like best, however at around £400+ per painting I simply couldn't afford to be impulsive. I certainly don't think that it is overly expensive - art is quite often underpriced and undervalued, but in my current state of pauperdom I would have to really fall in love to make such a spend. If you are lucky enough to have that kind of cash to spend, I suggest you search for a gift in this gallery. You will find something unique and delightful herein.

I couldn't agree more with the first review. This is such a wonderful place to step into and at the…read moremoment they have a sale on so there are loads of completely juxtaposing pieces. From cartoon like paintings to classical fine art portraits of bare ladies. Rather scruffy looking as I was at the time I was pleased coercive such a warm welcome from the lady, Angela, who was working at the time I entered. Some truly breathtaking art work on display and ready for someone to buy and proudly display, unfortunately I need a new par of climbing boots before I buy anything else.

I was sooooo looking forward to the opening of this Prime historic cornerstone of Leeds City…read morecentre. The iconic building has been brought to life with art space and The Tetley kitchen. A lot of the original features have been preserved in the building and its lovely to get a venue at the Hunslet end of town with such grandeur! So, in to the Tetley kitchen we ventured for lunch! I hope that they sort out the little 'flaws' such as too many staff but no-one doing much, not being able to have a tab unless you're eating in the restaurant and the confusion over which is the 'correct' entrance! Anyway, they have a good selection of drinks both alcoholic & non-alcoholic so we purchased and had a look at the menu which has slight variations depending on if you sit in the 'bar area' or the restaurant. As there wasn't much available space in the bar we went for the quieter option and got a table in the restaurant. The setting is a mix of old & new. Quite simple and works well. The menu offers a good mix of dishes. My dining companion ordered mushrooms on toast followed by fish & chips and I ordered Homity pie (for something a bit different) The mushrooms on toast went down well, the portion was a bit small though. A mixture of mushrooms in a creamy sauce on sourdough toast- it didn't hang around long! The mains took a little while to come out and when they did we both had a little disappointment. The peas on the fish and chips were stone cold! the fish & chips were lovely but this took the shine off really. The Homity pie I was expecting to be with a 'pie' crust and it wasn't! It was basically mash potato, leeks which were on the bitter side and a nice undertone of cheese. I'd asked for a side of chips so it was a spud overload! I would go again, possibly not order the same food, and be tempted to just sit in the bar. I can see the potential and what they're tryig to achieve but it needs a bit more 'polish'.

So these days the idea of being stuck in a pub with just Tetley on scares me. Happily their old…read morecorporate headquarters has been turned into a more arts orientated building now - though still sign posted 'Brewery' as you approach. It's just over the river from the central area of Leeds. There's a couple of sculpture pieces outside, which I liked. The galleries are upstairs, in the old boardrooms and directors offices, which are fine wood panelled rooms - not your traditional gallery space. There's maybe 9 rooms, of which half have Tetley related art, and the other half more contemporary pieces. The guide is pretty handy, and there's an attendant around to make sure you don't stand on the floor based art, which you could easily do if you're distracted by your mobile figuring out your day lalala. It didn't take me that long to go round it. Probably just longer than walking there. It was worth it, but I think perhaps a few more pieces are needed. I didn't venture into the bar, but it felt homely with large leather chesterfields to relax on, and good music playing on the jukebox, a decent range of food, and a display of A LOT of old Tetley beer bottles. Will be interesting to see how it evolves.

It's a curious side-effect of being in the presence of true talent that one's own efforts suddenly…read morefeel incredibly shabby and irrelevant. It's also telling that despite being there for the opening night a full two weeks ago, every word I've attempted to write since in praise or portrayal still seems as clumsy and malformed as a pre-schooler's crayoned Christmas card greeting. Regardless, here's the skinny... Modifications of the Host by Rachel Goodyear is an exhibition of works inspired by her time spent in the Canadian wilderness plus one or two other bits, and includes drawings, animations and porcelain sculptures. It's at the Bothy Gallery in the amazing Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The vast majority of Rachel's works on display here are her trademark style of finely detailed drawings, the recurrent theme (I guess) being one of contradictions, often removed from their traditional context and/or relationship. The influence of the North American countryside is telling, with wild animals from the region featuring heavily in many of the new pieces, their intricate level of detail itself in direct contrast to the vast expanse of the white canvases on which they exist. Men and women, human and nature, pleasure and pain, beauty and horror, all are explored with a keen eye for succinct comment and no little wit and mischief at times, leading to a collection that is as accessible and entertaining as it is clever. The animations are fairly subtle, and are more like enhanced versions of a still canvas drawing rather than noisy reinterpretations that intrude upon your own subjective understanding of the artist. I think these were done in collaboration with a technical expert but they definitely complement the rest of the collection rather than detract. A lot of people turn their noses up at contemporary art in the belief that it's all giant rhinoceroses made of crisp packets and bogeys***, but Rachel's talent at combining technical excellence with common social experience means that I would recommend the show to art-snobs and casual meanderers alike. The upside is that even if you think it's rubbish you still have the whole of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park to go and play in. Free entry, parking £5, restaurant on site, bring a brolly. Exhibition runs until 3rd January 2012. ***originally written as a joke but I think there's one on display at the Tate in Liverpool.

Admittedly, I don't often visit the galleries and museums in Leeds, and that's a huge faux pas on…read moremy part. It's not through a lack of interest in art, nor a lack of intention, but the classic 'I never seem to find the time' excuse rears its ugly head and six months have passed and I still haven't had a look in to some of Leeds' more cultural and exciting spaces. Shame on me. So, when I realised I was available to see the third installment of 'The Grief Series: What is left' last night at Leeds Gallery, I dived on the opportunity. Let me explain what I know about The Leeds Gallery. It's a new (ish) space in Leeds for exhibitions, and a welcome one, since it offers something very different to the stalwart that is the Leeds Art Gallery on the other side of town. From all the exhibitions I have read about (sign up to their newsletter for the latest) the focus is a far cry from the more classic art collection you can find across the way. For starters, it's a commercial gallery, which means you can actually purchase art there. They specialise in photography, fine art and illustration, which means you get a fantastic range of art to peruse- I'm still regretting not making it over to see the Back 2 Basics flyer exhibition. One of the other major boons is that the gallery is attached to Café 164, which means you can while away a good hour or so taking in what's on, and the bob next door for a fantastic cuppa and piece of cake. And when I say fantastic, I mean fantastic. The exhibition last night was one night only deal, but even so, incredibly well displayed and brilliantly interactive. The exhibition displayed portraits of people, holding/wearing an object they had inherited from someone that they had lost, as part of The Grief Series ongoing research and development project. (Look it up, it's really worth checking out.) Each portrait came with a booklet, with excerpt transcripts from the audio where they were discussing the object and the person connected to it, which you could listen to via headphones whilst looking at the portraits. A lovely touch was that each portrait had a chair -armchair/stool -to sit on whilst listening and viewing.Essentially, the exhibition was fantastic, thought provoking, and really well put together. Just hearing and seeing the range of different people discuss loss through an object that linked them to their person was fascinating to be immersed in, and certainly made me think. So. Essentially, what I need to do is get out and see more. With an ever changing range of emerging and established talent, programme of events and more, this place is certainly not to be overlooked. Take a constitutional down past the bus station, and head for Munro House.

From the owner: The Gallery at Munro House is an independent gallery, art shop, exhibition and event space in…read moreLeeds. The Gallery exhibits and represents artists and designers practicing in photography, illustration, painting, print, sculpture, animation, film and graphic design. Alongside our rolling, month-by-month exhibition programme, the Gallery is available to hire for exhibitions, corporate functions, launches, screenings, events, workshops and more. Our in-house café - Café 164 - is a fully licensed eat-in and take-away sandwich shop and espresso bar, selling an extensive selection of sandwiches, soup, salads and cakes made in-house and sourced from specially selected local suppliers, including the famous ciabatta and focaccia sandwiches from their sister shop by the University of Leeds - Bakery 164; these include Vegan and Vegetarian options. The café offers a range of speciality teas, coffee is direct trade and all milk is organic. Also available are a selection of beers and wine, as well as soft drinks and snacks.

On a jolly jaunt about town with a chum, we decided to check out the Leeds Art Gallery after a good…read moreluncheon. 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…read moreamount 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,