About
The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery is the public face of the University of Leeds art collection, one of the finest university collections in the United Kingdom. Housed in the iconic Parkinson Building — the university's most recognisable landmark with its striking Portland stone tower visible across Leeds — the gallery presents a programme of exhibitions drawn from the university's holdings alongside touring shows and contemporary displays.
The collection has been built over more than a century through gifts, bequests, and purchases, and now numbers over 5,000 works spanning from the seventeenth century to the present day. Particular strengths include an outstanding prints and drawings collection featuring works by major European artists, an important holding of twentieth-century British art, and growing contemporary art acquisitions. The gallery's name honours Sir Stanley Burton and his wife Audrey, whose generous benefaction in 2007 funded the gallery's refurbishment and transformation into a dedicated public exhibition space.
The prints and drawings collection is especially notable, containing works by artists including Dürer, Rembrandt, Turner, and Whistler alongside significant twentieth-century prints. The paintings collection includes works by English and European artists from the seventeenth century onwards, with particular strengths in twentieth-century British art including works by artists associated with the Leeds art scene and the wider Yorkshire region.
As a university gallery, the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery serves both the academic community and the wider public, offering free admission and a programme of exhibitions, talks, and events that connect art history with contemporary practice. The gallery's location within the Parkinson Building adds architectural distinction to every visit, with the exhibition spaces complemented by the building's impressive Art Deco interiors and panoramic views from the entrance steps across the city of Leeds.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Monday, Friday
Busiest: Wednesday, Saturday
💡 Weekday mornings during term time for a quiet gallery experience; Saturdays for public events and talks
💡 Visitor Tips
- The gallery follows university term dates and may close between exhibitions or during university closure periods. Always check the website before visiting to confirm current opening hours and what is on display.
- Admission is completely free. The gallery welcomes all visitors, not just university students and staff — it is a public gallery open to everyone during opening hours.
- The Parkinson Building itself is worth seeing for its impressive Art Deco architecture. Take time to admire the exterior facade, the entrance hall, and the views from the entrance steps across Leeds.
- The gallery is relatively compact — a typical visit takes 30-60 minutes. It combines well with other Leeds cultural venues including Leeds Art Gallery and Leeds City Museum, both within 10 minutes' walk.
- Exhibitions change regularly, so return visits are rewarded with different displays. The prints and drawings collection is especially large, with only a fraction on display at any time. Sign up for the gallery newsletter to stay informed.
- The gallery is easily accessible by public transport. Leeds station is a 15-minute walk, and numerous bus routes stop outside the Parkinson Building on Woodhouse Lane.
- There is no cafe or shop in the gallery, but the university campus has numerous cafes and food outlets within a few minutes' walk, and Leeds city centre is close by.
- Group visits and guided tours are available for free but must be booked in advance. The gallery also runs talks, workshops, and events — check the programme for upcoming activities.
Highlights
The Prints and Drawings Collection
The university's prints and drawings collection is one of the gallery's greatest strengths, containing works by major European artists spanning five centuries. Holdings include prints by Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Francisco Goya, J. M.
W. Turner, and James McNeill Whistler, alongside significant twentieth-century prints and contemporary works. The collection provides an exceptional resource for studying the history and techniques of printmaking, from early woodcuts and engravings through etching and lithography to modern screenprinting.
Regularly rotating displays draw from this rich resource to explore themes, techniques, and individual artists in depth.
Twentieth-Century British Art
The collection holds an important group of twentieth-century British paintings, drawings, and sculptures reflecting both national developments in modern art and the particular strength of the Yorkshire art scene. Works by artists associated with Leeds and the wider region sit alongside pieces by nationally and internationally significant figures.
The collection documents the evolution of British art from early modernism through mid-century abstraction to contemporary practice, with particular strengths in works acquired during periods when the university was at the forefront of art education and practice in the north of England.
The Parkinson Building
The gallery's home is itself a highlight — the Parkinson Building is the University of Leeds' most recognisable landmark and one of the finest interwar buildings in the north of England.
Designed by Thomas Wodehouse Lanchester and completed in 1951, the building's impressive Portland stone facade and distinctive tower are visible from across Leeds. The interior features Art Deco detailing, grand entrance halls, and the Brotherton Library.
Visiting the gallery provides an opportunity to appreciate this outstanding piece of civic architecture, which honours the Parkinson family whose benefaction funded its construction.
Old Master Paintings
The collection includes paintings by English and European artists from the seventeenth century onwards, acquired through gifts, bequests, and purchases over more than a century. While not a comprehensive Old Master collection, it contains significant individual works and provides context for the university's stronger holdings in later periods.
Paintings are displayed in rotating exhibitions that explore particular themes, periods, or connections between older and newer works.
The Old Master holdings complement the prints and drawings collection, offering students and visitors opportunities to study painting alongside works on paper.
Collections
The University of Leeds art collection numbers over 5,000 works spanning from the seventeenth century to the present day. Particular strengths include an outstanding prints and drawings collection featuring works by Dürer, Rembrandt, Turner, and Whistler; an important holding of twentieth-century British art; Old Master paintings; and a growing contemporary art programme.
The collection has been assembled over more than a century through gifts, bequests, and purchases, reflecting the university's commitment to arts education and public engagement.
The gallery presents rotating exhibitions drawn from these holdings alongside touring shows, ensuring fresh displays for returning visitors and ongoing engagement with the collection's breadth and depth.
Rotating Collection Displays
The gallery presents changing exhibitions drawn from the university's 5,000-strong art collection, exploring themes in art history, printmaking, British art, and contemporary practice.
📍 Gallery Exhibition Space
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.
Nearby Museums (5 within 6 miles)
Museum of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine
Science & Technology
Leeds — ~3 min walk (0.2 mi)