What's on

We are a group of eleven textile artists who live in Kirklees, Calderdale and the surrounding area. We are a diverse and creative group working in a variety of ways in stitch and print to play to our individual strengths.

Focusing on the lives of four extraordinary women; Anne Lister, Edith Durham, Liz Humphries and Gertrude Bell. This exhibition will tell the story of the journeys they took, the objects they collected and the many people they met along the way.

An exhibition of children’s books and favourite characters for all the family to enjoy. 

An exhibition of works from Calderdale Museums' collections, celebrating West Yorkshire’s artistic talents and the region’s inspiring landscapes, history, people and architecture. This exhibition is in partnership with the four other West Yorkshire Local Authority Museum Services (Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees and Wakefield) as part of a celebration of our collections relating to the theme 'We are West Yorkshire: A Celebration of People and Place'.   Join us for a free drop-in family activity on the 1st August 11am to 3pm to create your own Yorkshire landscape.  Image shown is 'Mytholmroyd and Cragg valley from Ewood Hall' by John Holland, 1869.

September 2019 is the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War. Calderdale was directly affected: men and women were conscripted for military and industrial service; industry was placed on a war footing and many workers took on Civil Defence and Home Guard duties.

2019's Calderdale Open Art Exhibition will showcase 2D work by professional and amateur artists in any medium in our North Gallery at Bankfield Museum.  Exhibition opens on the 9th November with prize giving at 2pm. The £100 People’s Prize will be announced on Friday 20th December. Artwork submissions accepted at Bankfield Museum from 10am Tuesday 8th October 2019. Submissions close at 3.30pm on Saturday 26th October.

This exhibition is currently closed until further notice.  An exhibition celebrating the costumes of some of Britain’s best loved TV dramas including Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Poldark, Victoria and many more. Alongside a new display of historic costumes from similar periods in the Fashion Gallery.

A selection of images from this exhibition are available online, please see: Brighouse: A Town Through Time. An exhibition capturing a century of Brighouse, West Yorkshire on canvas and camera.

Showcasing Calderdale Museums’ fashion and textile collections from ancient Egypt to modern day. Calderdale Museums has one of the best but little known textile collections in the country.

Explore the history of photography from the first permanent image made in 1826, to the estimated 14 trillion we take each year across the world today. With a click and a flash, photographs allow us to capture the world around us.

Exploring the influence of the West Riding of Yorkshire on contemporary fashion, this exhibition brings together works from a range of fashion designers and creatives who have been inspired by the many elements that make the area unique. Drawing on themes such as landscape, community spirit, wit and humour and the enduring influence of the textile industry, this multi-disciplinary showcase celebrates the distinctive character of the place and the creative people connected to it.

Discover inspiring stories and uplifting poetry in this new exhibition by artist Ian Beesley, designer Martyn Hall, cartoonist Tony Husband and poet Ian McMillan. During lockdown this collective created a series of large scale, colourful banners celebrating the NHS, carers, keyworkers and volunteers.

Calderdale Museums is marking the 600th birthday of one of the most important buildings in the region, a building of international renown. The first mention of Shibden Hall was in 1420.

Anne Lister had her own unique style that contrasted with what women were expected to wear. This exhibition explores the many different styles of fashion during her lifetime.

A new exhibition at Bankfield Museum to mark 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II and her relationship with the people of Calderdale. Featuring some of the most colourful objects in the museum collection; a bright and uplifting celebration of our longest-reigning monarch.

A world exclusive exhibition of costumes by renowned designer Tom Pye for the BBC One TV Series ‘Gentleman Jack’. The programme written by Sally Wainwright tells the story of Anne Lister (1791-1840) of Shibden Hall and her relationship with local landowner Ann Walker (1803-1854).

An Exhibition by the Halifax Photographic Society in collaboration with creative writers from the area. Over forty creative writers and photographers have come together to take part in the Calderdale Grid Project.

Saturday 16th July marks the beginning of South Asian Heritage Month. A celebration of the ongoing cultural legacy of the region and the lives of the people of South Asian heritage in Britain today, many of whom live in Calderdale.   Bankfield Museum are marking the occasion with a display of some of the highlights of its collection of South Asian art and cultural objects.

During 2023 the main hall at Bankfield will be hung with several works by John Holland (1829-1886), held in Calderdale Museums Service’s collection. Holland was born in Nottingham and painted landscapes and coastal scenes.

A unique exhibition celebrating women’s clothes and the stories they tell. This exclusive exhibition features highlights from the private collection of dress historian Lucy Adlington.

Celebrating all things hats! This new exhibition examines the style, function, and symbolism of headwear in British society. Showcasing highlights from the Museum collection and contemporary examples from Yorkshire milliners, the exhibition traces the evolution of the hat from the bonnet and topper of the Nineteenth Century to Royal Ascot and catwalk showstoppers of the present day.

Both galleries at the Smith Art Gallery in Brighouse will showcase highlights of the art collection of William and Susannah Smith. Alderman William Smith (1839-1922), who was Mayor of Brighouse from 1893-1895 and 1904-1907, and his wife Susannah (1838-1916) began collecting paintings in the 1870s from exhibitions around the UK.

The Calderdale Open is returning in 2023! Showcasing the best works entered into the Calderdale Open Art Competition. To mark Calderdale’s Year of Culture in 2024, the theme of this year’s exhibition is the landscape, people, history, and heritage of Calderdale.

The watercolours of Jane Austin A special collection from watercolour artist Jane Austin that explores both the famous views and the hidden wonders to be found within three miles of her Halifax home. Jane’s work explores the effects of light and the changing of the seasons on architecture and the natural world, creating a deeply personal celebration of the local area.    Jane will be appearing in Bankfield Museum throughout the exhibition to give demonstrations of her painting.

This exciting new exhibition showcases fashion makers from across the country who design and make clothing based on historical dress. It explores the process of how you go from a museum garment or fashion plate to producing an item of historically inspired dress that is ready to wear.