The Scarborough Art Gallery occupies a handsome Italianate villa on the Crescent, a short walk from the South Bay. The collection focuses on artists who painted the Yorkshire coast and the North Sea — landscapes, seascapes, and harbour scenes that document the area's light and character from the 18th century to the present.
The gallery has a particular strength in the Scarborough School — a loose grouping of artists who worked in the town in the early 20th century — and in the work of Atkinson Grimshaw, whose nocturnal harbour scenes were partly inspired by the Yorkshire coast. The building itself is worth seeing; the Italianate architecture and the hilltop position make it one of the more attractive gallery buildings in the region. Admission is free.