This year the University is celebrating 180 years of delivering creative arts education in Leeds. Drawing on a rich history of specialist teaching, we are marking this anniversary with a year-long programme of exhibitions and events that showcase our past and embrace our future.
To mark this milestone, Leeds Arts Union has put together an exhibition showcasing 180 individual pieces of artwork created by our students to represent what the University and their creative practice mean to them. Students were encouraged to work in any medium and to submit anything, from sketchbook pieces to experimentations and final outcomes.
The exhibition was intentionally curated by the Student Liaison Team to give no medium priority, with each artwork printed at A4 size and exhibited alongside the University café, the main social hub on campus. They were able to exhibit exactly 180 pieces of work, representing the diversity of creative outputs across all levels of study, including further education, undergraduate, and postgraduate.
“ It has been great to see the breadth of inspirational work submitted across courses and mediums from students of all levels. We think that this gallery of artwork reflects a timeline into the future for Leeds Arts University that we hope gives staff and students pause to reflect on the heritage of the institution and where we might go next.”
Lisa Boardman, Student Liaison Officer
The Vice-Chancellor will choose three winners, who will receive £180 for their designs. The three designs will also act as the Freshers poster designs for incoming students in September 2026 and will be printed and distributed as part of the Freshers 2026 promotional campaign.