Artists Garden
The Artists Garden is situated within the original abbey walls at the rear of York Art Gallery. Together with the Edible Wood, it was created to coincide with the gallery’s £8 million development. The site is used to display contemporary art for free.
The two acres of land were previously closed off to the public but now link with the original York Museum Gardens and through to Exhibition Square via a new snickleway to the side of the gallery. Museum Garden opening times apply.
Current Installations
Wildflower Meadow:
York Museum Garden Team has created a new wildflower meadow behind York Art Gallery, which is now in full flower and perfect for a summer visit.
The popularity of the wildflower meadow with over 500,000 visitors last year, as well as insects, birds and pollinators meant it undoubtedly had to become a recurring feature of the garden landscape. Planted with 27 native species including corn cockle, field poppies, and corn camomile (a daisy-like plant), the meadow has provided a wealth of habitat for wildlife, both whilst in bloom and into the winter months with the dried grasses being used as nesting material for birds and small mammals.
It also provided opportunities for the Gardens Team to get to grips with heritage farming techniques such as scything (aided by St Nick’s Nature). Once cut, the grasses were used throughout the gardens and the wildflower seeds were sold in the York Art Gallery and Yorkshire Museum gift shops, with all proceeds reinvested into the gardens.
The tranquillity of the meadow in the heart of the city emphasises the importance of nature and colour in everyday life. Visitors are invited to step inside the meadow, following the winding path that has been mown among the blooms. Or why not enjoy the view from above and take in the meadow from the balcony bar at York Art Gallery. Serving drinks and light refreshments every Saturday and Sunday 12pm-5pm.
The investment into green spaces for wellbeing has also been reflected down at the riverside, where a serpentine path has slowly been cultivated for the past three years to provide a new route for visitors to enjoy. Steve Williams, Garden Manager at York Museums Trust said “Due to the flood risk in this area of the garden, the plants chosen are very hardy to be able to withstand extreme changes to their environment. The rejuvenation of these areas of the garden help to create a diverse ecosystem to be enjoyed by wildlife and visitors throughout the seasons.”
Previous Installations
Living Art in York Museum Gardens: Harland Miller’s ‘Far Out’ in Florals.
Art and nature beautifully blend in York Museum Gardens this summer due to an exciting collaboration with York Art Gallery, introducing a popular artwork into the gardens in a unique and stunning way.
York Art Gallery’s current exhibition, Harland Miller: XXX, spills out into the Artists’ Garden at the rear of the Gallery, where Far Out, one of Harland Miller’s famous letter paintings, has been carefully re-created in a floral display alongside the wildflower meadow.
Far Out, currently hanging in York Art Gallery, is a diptych showcasing Harland Miller’s signature exploration of colour, form and letter styles. The gardens team replicated the vibrant colours by selecting flowering plants and foliage of similar hues and mapping out a planting plan to ensure the living art would burst into bloom during the height of summer.
Visit the balcony bar at York Art Gallery and view the floral Far Out from above. The balcony bar serves drinks and other refreshments on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm-5pm. Then head down into the Gallery to see Harland Miller’s original piece.
Steve Williams, Garden Manager at York Museums Trust commented: ” The Garden’s version of Far Out is a beautiful display of florals and other plants replicating Harland Miller’s iconic paintings in a new medium. It is a contemporary interpretation of traditional summer bedding. Bringing art outdoors and working alongside York Art Gallery across the range of exhibitions each year is such a wonderful part of York Museums Trust’s public programme. The positive impact of art and nature on wellbeing is something we are keen to highlight within York Museum Gardens, whilst simultaneously showcasing the creative talent of the gardens team.”
With just over a month left of the exhibition, the floral Far Out is reaching its peak and will come to an end on 31 August 2025, the final day of the exhibition. Don’t miss out on the exhibition or the floral display.
Jade Blood: Gardener’s World
Blood’s installation is part of Bloom, a special exhibition at York Art Gallery. Jade Blood is an artist, printmaker and organiser based in York. She co-founded York Zine Fest, a free biannual self-publishing event and Artists with(out) green space, a project which encourages growing without a garden. Blood embeds ‘D.I.Y ethos’ and ‘radical ecology’ in her work, often working collaboratively and facilitating workshops alongside her practice.
Michael Lyons: Ancient and Modern
25 May 2019 – May 2020
Large scale sculptures by internationally acclaimed artist Michael Lyons will be displayed in a major new outside exhibition in York. Find out more about Ancient and Modern.
The Pollinarium is a spatial laboratory that creates art installations around the world with an ecological and environmental theme. Find out more about The Pollinarium.
Foundation Myths was the first commission for the site and officially opened on 18 August 2016. The installation was created by Charles Holland of Ordinary Architecture, an art, architecture and design practice with an international profile. The installation, produced especially for the Artists Garden, drew on the rich history of the site and its many uses over the centuries. Visit the York Art Gallery website here to find out more.
The second installation in the Artists Garden was Leisure Land Golf by Doug Fishbone, which was open 3 June to 3 September 2017. The gallery successfully raised over £10,000 to loan the installation with an Art Happens campaign (Art Fund’s crowdfunding platform). The installation comprised of seven fully playable golf holes, each designed by a different artist. Find out more about the installation here.
