Cartwright Hall Art Gallery

Cartwright Hall can be found in stunning Lister Park, only a mile from Bradford City Centre.

Temporary closure of Cartwright Hall Art Gallery for facilities improvements
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford will temporarily close its doors to the public for four weeks to undergo significant facilities improvements in preparation for celebrations for the district’s year as UK City of Culture in 2025.

The Bradford Council-run venue will be closed between Tuesday 19 November and Friday 13 December 2024. Some of the exhibits are already being put into storage in advance of and in preparation for the temporary closure, which means the main ground floor galleries are  already closed.

This project for essential refurbishment is funded by the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will enhance the visitor experience and ensure the venue meets the highest standards for the upcoming cultural programme.

The planned improvements include upgrading the exhibition lighting and gallery spaces, enhancing accessibility features, and modernising the gallery’s infrastructure.

These enhancements are part of Bradford Council’s commitment to continuing to provide a world-class cultural venue that reflects Bradford’s rich artistic heritage and will be part of Bradford 2025 celebrations, hosting major exhibitions, including the Turner Prize, an exhibition that for forty years has captured the vivid interest of the British media and public.

During the closure, the Cartwright Hall Gallery café will remain open, and the museums’ team will continue with engagement through various activities and learning programmes as well as digital initiatives, across the service’s three other venues, including Cliffe Castle Museum, Bolling Hall Museum and Bradford Industrial Museum.

Cartwright Hall Art Gallery is expected to reopen to the public on Saturday 14 December 2024, unveiling a refreshed and revitalized space that will continue to serve as a cornerstone of Bradford’s cultural heritage landscape.

Inside you can find incredible paintings, drawings and sculpture from the district’s own world-class art collections. Bradford was one of the first UK local authority museum services to start collecting works by South Asian and Black artists and Cartwright Hall showcases this amazing collection.

Cartwright Hall was built on the former site of Manningham Hall and opened as a gallery in 1904. The hall housed a display of loaned artworks before acquiring its own collection of Victorian and Edwardian works using funds from the 1904 Bradford Industrial Exhibition. Our collection now includes artworks by Lowry, Warhol, Lichtenstein and Anish Kapoor.

The Hockney Gallery, dedicated to Bradford born artist David Hockney gives a playful  introduction to his life and art with a particular focus on Yorkshire and Bradford, and taking you right through to his colourful iPad experiments.

The Refreshment Room Café is at the bottom of the building.

Lister Park features a boating lake, adventure playground and features the Mughal Gardens. The park recently won another Green Flag award, reflecting its status as one of the best maintained parks in the country.