York Art Gallery stands in Exhibition Square facing Bootham Bar, in a Victorian Italianate building that was substantially extended and reorganised when it reopened in 2015. The renovation added the Centre of Ceramic Art — known as CoCA — which is the finest collection of British studio ceramics anywhere in the world. The collection spans the entire studio ceramics movement from its early-20th-century origins to contemporary work, with particular strengths in Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, and the Leach Pottery tradition. The decision to build a ceramics centre in York connects to the city's York-born potter William Staite Murray, one of the pioneers of the movement.
The painting collection spans European art from the 14th century to the present, with solid holdings in northern European and British work. There is a particular emphasis on artists with Yorkshire connections. The building's new roof provides a pleasant view over the Bootham Bar area, and the combination of the ceramics centre and the main gallery makes this a more interesting visit than most regional art museums. Admission is charged for the permanent collection; check the website for current temporary exhibitions.