Parcevall Hall is pleased to announce a new programme of Art and Contemplation exhibitions for 2026, created in partnership with Craven Arts.
Studies suggest that in a gallery setting, people spend an average of just 15 seconds looking at a work of art. At Parcevall Hall, where historic paintings accompany guests in the halls and dining rooms, engagement often sits somewhere between the fleeting and the familiar. These works quietly open windows into other eras and lives, becoming part of the Hall’s atmosphere for many regular visitors.
Contemporary art has also become an integral part of the retreat experience. Exhibitions in the Milner Room are chosen to evoke a contemplative response, enriching the environment and offering visual prompts for spiritual exploration. Last Easter, an exhibition by retreat leader David Hawkins, centred on care for creation, received overwhelmingly positive feedback for its depth, relevance, and the way it transformed the space.
Building on this success, Parcevall Hall and Craven Arts will host three Art and Contemplation exhibitions throughout the year, each showcasing work inspired by the nature and heritage of the Yorkshire Dales. Alongside the spring exhibition, future shows will feature work by David Crompton, Bridget March, Karen Blacklock, and Shelagh Powell, offering a rich and varied exploration of local creativity across the seasons. The programme celebrates the region’s artistic talent while supporting the Hall’s longstanding commitment to rest, renewal, and spiritual attentiveness.
Spring Exhibition: Featuring Julie Bruce and Leticia Suarez
The first exhibition in the series opens this spring, presenting new work by Julie Bruce and Leticia Suarez, two artists whose practices are deeply rooted in colour, landscape, and personal connection to place.
About the Artists
Leticia Suarez
I am inspired by movement and energy. I express this in my art especially through texture, colour and the experience of painting. I love to challenge myself and think it is good to paint what you don’t want to paint so that you try new things. In the pieces I will be showing I sought to express what the Dales means to me. I grew up in a city where the skies feel smaller than here. I am from Colombia but have made my home here – I am a palm tree in the Dales.
Julie Bruce
I have lived in Yorkshire all my life; I was born in Otley and moved to Skipton in 2020. In 2015 I decided to leave my full time demanding job in the corporate world to immerse myself in beautiful peaceful surroundings and focus on my lifelong love of painting. My art is all about colour and I love the act of painting. I don’t paint the obvious, I play with colour and have been experimenting with colour in my paintings inspired by the woods at Skipton.
Parcevall Hall and Craven Arts look forward to welcoming retreatants, neighbours, and art lovers to this year’s programme — a celebration of creativity, place, and the contemplative power of art.
Key Dates:
As Parcevall Hall is primarily a retreat house, the exhibition is not open to the public except during the following opening event and community viewing sessions.
Opening Event
● Thursday 26 March
○ Ticketed Event with the artists: 6-8pm
Community Viewing Opportunities
● Monday 11 May
○ Community Viewing: 2–4pm
○ Contemplative Viewing: 6–8pm
● Tuesday 26 May
● Community Viewing & Coffee Morning: 10am–12pm
