A KENDAL art gallery will return with a major exhibition by an internationally-renowned artist.

Abbot Hall is scheduled to reopen on Saturday May 20 2023, launching a fresh direction for the gallery with a major exhibition by Julie Brook.

Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP), with Cumbria County Council as the accountable body, provided funding of £495,000 towards the project through the Government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative.

Phase I of the Abbot Hall project got underway in the summer and good progress is being made on improvements to the Grade I listed building’s electrics, flood resilience, and redecoration, managed by South Lakeland District Council (SLDC), which owns the building.

What is it That Will Last (20 May to 30 December) is a multimedia experience spanning three decades of Julie's work in the UK, Japan and Africa.

A selection of works from Abbot Hall’s collection will also be on display throughout the exhibition. Selected by Julie Brook, works including those by John Ruskin, Frank Auerbach, JMW Turner and John Piper will further explore the relationship between artist and landscape.

Julie was in Cumbria last week at a local quarry getting inspiration and ideas for a new outdoor sculpture specially commissioned for the reopening.