Events

Dig Deeper – Thu 24 Apr 2025

Dates: Thursday 24 April 2025–Friday 20 June 2025, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Venue: DIG

24 April – 20 June 2025 | 10am – 4pm | DIG | Included in admission price | Book now

Step into the world of ancient gladiators and uncover a truly unique encounter at DIG! While gladiators battling lions and bears have long captured the imagination, evidence of these fierce encounters has been limited to historical texts and artistic depictions—until now.

This spring, DIG is proud to present an extraordinary display: skeletal remains believed to bear genuine lion bite marks. Alongside this discovery, witness a stunning facial reconstruction that brings history vividly to life.

Join our Dig Deeper tours—an exclusive, adult-focused experience held at the end of each day. These tours spotlight the gladiator remains and other fascinating artifacts from our collection. Learn from real archaeologists, ask your burning questions about life on a dig, and handle replica artifacts. You’ll also gain hands-on experience in our interactive dig pits, discovering what it’s like to uncover the past.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to come face-to-face with history. Book your visit today!

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Harland Miller Gallery Late – Thu 5 Jun 2025

Date: Thursday 5 June 2025, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Harland Miller Gallery Late
Thursday 5 June 2025
6pm – 9pm | £20
Book now

Explore our latest exhibition ‘Harland Miller: XXX’ after hours.

Join us for drop-in creative workshops and thought-provoking activities celebrating the exhibition, including printing with Thin Ice Press and poetry writing with Rise Up.

Grab a drink and unwind at the Sketch Cafe Bar and enjoy the evening accompanied by a live DJ set.

Don’t miss out on this vibrant night!

This event is 18+ and is expected to be a busy and louder event.

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Workshops:

Letters across time in the Foyer with Thin Ice Press
Harland Miller is inspired by the intricate beauty of medieval illuminated letters, and by the bold shapes and forms of twentieth century typography. This fun workshop brings together the past and present of decorated letters. You will get hands on to print your own typographic X, and have the opportunity to personalise it through hand colouring and adaptation, creating a beautiful and engaging souvenir.

Drop in poster printing in the Studio with Thin Ice Press
Select your background paper and one from a small set of three-letter words composed in wood type then experiment with hand inking in colours inspired by Harland Miller’s vibrant palettes. All participants will leave with their unique hand-printed A3 poster.

Space for speculation – a poetry workshop in the Gallery with Rise Up!
Join poets Nicky Kippax and Elizabeth Chadwick Pywell for an ekphrastic poetry workshop. There will be chance to study Miller’s artworks up close and create your own poem in response to his unique exploration of language and colour. Bring your notebook, pen and a sense of adventure. No previous experience of writing poetry is required.

Nicky Kippax and Elizabeth Chadwick-Pywell are poets from York. They co-host the monthly poetry night, Rise Up! which is held at Bluebird Bakery in Acomb on the last Wednesday of the month. They are both Northern Writers’ Award winners and are widely published in journals, magazines and anthologies. To find out more, visit www.bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise

Please note the poetry workshop will be repeated throughout the evening, each with limited capacity. Visitors can sign up at the event to join a workshop.

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Txt – letterpress workshop – Sun 8 Jun 2025

Date: Sunday 8 June 2025, 10:30 am - 1:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Txt
Sunday 8 June 2025
10.30am – 1.30pm | £40
Book now | SOLD OUT

A letterpress workshop delivered by Thin Ice Press.

In recent works, especially Hz So Good and R U OK (both 2022), Harland Miller has played with the snappy, abbreviated forms of txt speak or ‘platespeak’ (the language of personalised number plates). In this workshop, we will do the same, stripping words down to their essential components. Participants will learn the basics of letterpress, and will hand set metal type in order to create a snappy txt abbreviation or communication. All participants will go home with a set of unique A5 prints, showcasing the results of their work.

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MeRit Celebration Event – Yorkshire Museum – Fri 13 Jun 2025

Date: Friday 13 June 2025, 10:30 am
Venue: Yorkshire Museum

With colleagues at the Yorkshire Museum and York St John University, the MeRit project team has been working with representatives from the local metal-detecting community on a co-curated display of finds relating to medieval lived religion and ritual activity in a landscape context.

Medieval Ritual Landscape (MeRit) is an AHRC-funded project that explores the archaeological evidence for lived religion in medieval England (AD 1000-1600). It is a collaboration between the University of Reading and the British Museum, working with partner organisations in England, Denmark and the Netherlands. Alongside other sources of evidence, key to the project are metal-detected finds recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), examples of which are highlighted in this new (temporary) display.

To celebrate the opening of this display, and animation responses to its themes created by students of York St John, a FREE public event will be held at the Yorkshire Museum on Friday 13 June from 10:30 am. This will include a public lecture by Prof Roberta Gilchrist (MeRit project lead at the University of Reading), presentations of the student animations, and the opportunity to see the new detector-finds display.

Book your place via Eventbrite.

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Life Drawing – Model as Muse – Sat 14 Jun 2025

Date: Saturday 14 June 2025, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Join us at York Art Gallery for life drawing workshops; whether you are a regular participant, would like to hone your skills, or try life drawing for the first time, these regular two-hour immersive Saturday sessions, led by Rob Oldfield, are a wonderful way to experience life drawing in a supportive and friendly environment.

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Audio Described Tour – Harland Miller: XXX – Wed 18 Jun 2025

Date: Wednesday 18 June 2025, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Audio Described Tour – Harland Miller: XXX
Wednesday 18 June 2025 | 11am
Included in gallery admission
Book now

Join us for a live audio described gallery tour of the works of Harland Miller as shown in his latest exhibition ‘XXX’.

Our audio tours have been developed for people with sight loss but are accessible to all visitors seeking an alternative way to experience the exhibition.

You will be guided through the exhibition by audio describer, Gemma Murray, who has previously led tours at Dulwich Picture Gallery and across Sheffield Museums Trust. The tour will explore a variety of artworks in the exhibition through evocative descriptions and discussion.

Bring an inquiring mind and enjoy this chance to slow down, engage differently and see what you can find.

Tours will last approximately 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the length of discussions). The tour guide will meet visitors in the gallery foyer before heading into the exhibition space.

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Sketchbook Circle at York Art Gallery – Wed 18 Jun 2025

Date: Wednesday 18 June 2025, 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

1:30pm-3:30pm, £5 per person

Book tickets here

Tickets will become available approximately a month in advance.

Pick up a pencil – draw and discover!

Give yourself time to sharpen and share your drawing skills in this two-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. Materials provided.

These informal practical art sessions are for adults only (16+) and are suitable for absolute beginners or those who create regularly.

Sessions will run on one Wednesday each month.(Please book separately for each session).

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Art for Wellbeing – Sun 22 Jun 2025

Date: Sunday 22 June 2025, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

10.30am – 12.30pm, free

Art activities to release your creative energy!

Set in the beautiful surroundings of York Art Gallery’s Studio space, this 2 hour workshop gives opportunity for discovery and time to explore a variety of art materials and inspiring themes designed to promote wellbeing.

Enjoy the company of others, creating art with gentle guidance from artist Griselda Goldsbrough. For adults (16+ only) and running one Sunday each month, there is no need to book for this workshop, session will start at 10:30am and run for approximately 2 hours, it is a practical art session which is suitable for all abilities.

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Life Drawing – Model as Muse – Sat 12 Jul 2025

Date: Saturday 12 July 2025, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Join us at York Art Gallery for life drawing workshops; whether you are a regular participant, would like to hone your skills, or try life drawing for the first time, these regular two-hour immersive Saturday sessions, led by Rob Oldfield, are a wonderful way to experience life drawing in a supportive and friendly environment.

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Platespeak- letterpress workshop – Sun 13 Jul 2025

Date: Sunday 13 July 2025, 10:30 am - 1:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Platespeak
Sunday 13 July 2025
10.30am – 1.30pm | £40
Book now

A letterpress workshop delivered by Thin Ice Press.

In recent works, especially Hz So Good and R U OK (both 2022), Harland Miller has played with the snappy, abbreviated forms of txt speak or ‘platespeak’ (the language of personalised number plates). In this workshop, we will embrace the personalised number plate as an art form. Participants will play with sense and meaning to create a bespoke ‘number plate’ using wood type. You will print your type and a bespoke border to create your own personalised number plate on paper. Participants will go home with a set of unique prints, showcasing their work.