The North Art Winter Exhibition brings 25 North Art member artists to the North Art Gallery here at Chapel Allerton Arts Centre. It opens with a free, informal pop up opening on Saturday 21 November, 10am to 3pm, and runs until Friday 8 January 2027, with most of the art for sale.
On display in the exhibition with be painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, resin, textiles and mixed media, by artists from across the North. Some have exhibited in London and abroad, some are showing in a gallery for the very first time, and every one of them is a member of North Art (www.north.art), the pay as you feel association of artists in the North. You can find all of them, and many more, in the North Art artists directory.
This is the first of two posts introducing the artists. Here are twelve of them, with the rest to follow next week.
Come to the pop up opening on Saturday 21 November
There is no launch party with speeches, just a relaxed Saturday to come and have a look. Drop in any time between 10am and 3pm, meet some of the artists, grab a coffee and a slice of cake in the cafe bar, and see the whole exhibition fresh on the walls. It is free and there is no need to book.
“We are thrilled to now be offering a quarterly exhibition at the North Art gallery inside the Chapel Allerton Arts Centre to offer another platform for our wonderful artist members and can’t wait to kick off with this Winter Exhibition.” - Tim Miller, the founder of North Art
Meet the artists, part one
Charlie Burman: Woodland Path
Charlie trained at Coventry and Cheltenham before settling in Yorkshire in the early 1980s, where he worked as a scenic artist in theatre, film and television. Woodland Path is an oil on paper showing an autumn view of the woods in Meanwood, Leeds, painted in the studio from sketched studies. In his words, his painting "is all about looking". See more of Charlie's work on North Art.
Lenka Pavuk: Morel
Lenka's journey began in her mother's ceramic studio, and she went on to take a Master's degree in Fine Arts. Morel is a circular piece, 60cm across, inspired by the shape and delicate texture of the morel mushroom, with layers of resin giving it a glossy, luminous surface that rewards a close look. See more of Lenka's work on North Art.
Andrew Stratford: Quiet reach
Andrew is a landscape painter based in North Yorkshire, working in oil and acrylic and drawing on the moorlands and coastlines of northern England. After a career in primary education he now paints full time and runs painting and drawing courses. Quiet reach captures the stillness of a shoreline at low tide, where land and sea seem to meet. See more of Andrew's work on North Art.
Sarah Drought: Snow Clouds (over Richmond)
Sarah spent 15 years teaching A Level Art in the North East before returning to her own work in a loft studio at home in North Yorkshire. She trained in painting at Loughborough University and still works mostly in oil and acrylic. Snow Clouds (over Richmond) is a winter's day in the North Yorkshire market town, just right for the season. See more of Sarah's work on North Art.
Dave P Cooper: Heading South
Dave grew up in Lancaster watching his father, a transport artist, paint buses and trains on the dining table. He trained in technical and scientific illustration and worked in the Netherlands and France before settling in York in 2013, and he was a finalist in the 2025 David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year. Heading South was sparked by a skein of geese flying over Balnakeil beach on the north coast of Scotland. See more of Dave's work on North Art.
Lorna Reay: The Great Disconnect
Lorna has painted since childhood and held several solo exhibitions in Hertfordshire before moving to Leeds. With the natural world and marginalised peoples under threat, she sees her work as a homage to what we too often overlook. The Great Disconnect asks what happens when we treat the living planet as property. See more of Lorna's work on North Art.
Raginie Duara: City symphony in primary notes
Raginie is known for bold, vibrant colour, in expressive portraits and busy cityscapes alike. Largely self taught, she credits the teachers, mentors and fellow artists in her community. City symphony in primary notes is an impressionistic city lane built from magenta, yellow and cyan. See more of Raginie's work on North Art.
Holly Futers: ..Witch?..
Holly is an artist from Selby who makes detailed pen drawings of strange and whimsical creatures, inspired by nature and the "strange thoughts" in her head. ..Witch?.. is a small original drawn in fineliner, one to look at up close. See more of Holly's work on North Art.
Gary Kitchen: Blencathra study
Blencathra study is an oil on canvas board looking at one of the slopes of Blencathra in the English Lake District, a small, square painting full of fell side light. See more of Gary's work on North Art.
Dea: Butterfly Effect
Dea works in pen and ink, scraper board and ceramics, drawing on natural forms, spirals and repeating patterns, with seeds and chrysalides often appearing as symbols of transformation. She studied sculpture at Bretton Hall, and one of her pieces has been shown digitally at Christie's in London through the charity Outside In. Butterfly Effect is an abstract pen, ink and gel pen drawing. See more of Dea's work on North Art.
Dean Wood: You Are Wrong
Leeds artist Dean brings one of the largest pieces in the show. You Are Wrong is an A1 mixed media work with a bold, stylised face that is hard to walk past.
Matt Fletcher: Don't care bear
Don't care bear is an acrylic on canvas that uses a playful looking bear to explore something serious: how addiction can seem easier than life, and how those journeys often begin. See more of Matt's work on North Art.
Thirteen more artists will be introduced in part two next week. Follow North Art on Instagram and Facebook, and Chapel Allerton Arts Centre on Instagram and Facebook, to see them first.
Buying a piece
Most of the art in the exhibition is for sale, from small framed drawings to large statement paintings, so it is a lovely place to find a Christmas present that nobody else will have. Ask at the cafe bar if you would like to buy something you see on the walls, or follow the links above to each artwork's page on North Art. You can also browse many more pieces by northern artists in the North Art online gallery, and if you have a print or painting of your own that needs a frame, our framing and printing service is in the same building.
When can I visit?
The exhibition will be open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.30am to 4pm, and on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm, while the exhibition is on. The gallery is also used for private events, and times may change over Christmas, so if you are making a special trip, check our What's On page or get in touch first.
Are you an artist? Want to Join?
North Art runs a members' exhibition every season for its paying members, so there are four chances a year to get your work on the walls at Chapel Allerton Arts Centre.
Join North Art at www.north.art, a pay as you feel association of artists, to hear about future exhibitions (paying mambers), sell your art on the website and other member benefits.
As a member of North Art you can set up your own artist page in the North Art artists directory and sell your work online as well as get discounts on framing and printing services.
Quick questions
Is the North Art Winter Exhibition free?
Yes. The North Art Winter Exhibition at Chapel Allerton Arts Centre and the pop up opening on Saturday 21 November are both free, with no booking needed.
When is the exhibition on?
From Saturday 21 November 2026 until Friday 8 January 2027, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.30am to 4pm and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm.
Can I buy the art in the exhibition?
Yes, most of the art in the North Art Winter Exhibition is for sale, and each label shows the price. Ask at the cafe bar to buy, or find each artwork's own page in the North Art online gallery.
Where is it, and can I park?
At Chapel Allerton Arts Centre, 31 Potternewton Lane, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 3LW (you may know the building as the old Shoulder of Mutton pub and we recently renamed from Northlight Arts Centre, read our history). There are 21 free parking spaces in the car park next door.
Is it accessible?
Yes. Chapel Allerton Arts Centre has step free access throughout the North Art Gallery and to the cafe bar and toilet. See our accessibility page for more.
Who is exhibiting in the North Art Winter Exhibition 2026?
25 North Art member artists from Leeds and across Yorkshire, each showing one piece, including Charlie Burman, Lenka Pavuk, Andrew Stratford, Sarah Drought, Dave P Cooper, Lorna Reay, Raginie Duara, Holly Futers, Gary Kitchen, Dea, Dean Wood and Matt Fletcher. Part two of this blog introduces the rest.
What is North Art?
North Art is a pay as you feel association of artists in the North of England, with an online gallery, an artists directory and the North Art Gallery at Chapel Allerton Arts Centre in Leeds. Find out more at www.north.art.
How can artists take part in a North Art exhibition?
North Art holds a members' exhibition every season, four a year, at the North Art Gallery in Chapel Allerton, Leeds. Join at www.north.art to hear about the next call for artists.
The details
What: North Art Winter Exhibition, 25 North Art member artists, one piece each
Pop up opening: Saturday 21 November 2026, 10am to 3pm, free, just drop in
Exhibition runs: Saturday 21 November 2026 to Friday 8 January 2027
Open: Wednesday to Friday 9.30am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm
Where: North Art Gallery, Chapel Allerton Arts Centre, 31 Potternewton Lane, Leeds LS7 3LW
Cost: Free entry, most of the art for sale
Organised by: North Art, www.north.art
Want to run your own exhibition or event here?
The North Art Gallery can be hired for your own solo or group show, and the rooms at Chapel Allerton Arts Centre are available for workshops, classes, meetings, rehearsals and parties. Find out about hiring the gallery and our rooms.
