Carlisle and Cumbria Artists will present their 55th annual exhibition at the Fratry Hall at Carlisle Cathedral this summer.

From Saturday 27 July to Sunday 11 August, there will be hundreds of original paintings along with cards for sale by 60 local artists, who are all locally based in and around Carlisle.

The exhibition includes local landscapes, still life, and abstract work in a wide variety of techniques and styles.

Carlisle and Cumbria Artists’ first exhibition took place at the Old Town Hall in 1968. It was organised by the late Mrs Molly Mawson to raise money to save the 15th-century Tithe Barn.

The first exhibition was so successful that the Dean asked Mrs Mawson if future exhibitions could raise money for the Cathedral. Since then, it has been an annual event in the city’s social calendar, raising valuable funds for the Cathedral and other local charities.

The exhibition will run from 10am to 4pm daily. Admission is free, though donations would be welcomed.

This is a great opportunity to visit one of the city’s most beautiful historic buildings. The entrance to the Fratry is accessed via the café. The surplus from the exhibition will be donated to Carlisle Cathedral.