FUAM 2026: The Friends of University Art and Music Graduate Art Prize

The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery is hosting FUAM 2026: The Friends of University Art and Music Graduate Art Prize, an exhibition that brings together work from the University of Leeds' graduating art students. It's now in its 14th year, so it's a bit of a fixture in the university's calendar. The show features students completing their BA studies in Art and Design and Fine Art, and the prize itself is supported by the Friends of University Art and Music.

The way it works is straightforward: a panel of expert judges looks at the artists' final degree shows and picks four finalists. Their work is then exhibited together in the gallery, and you get to have your say too. There's a People's Choice Award, and you can vote for your favourite either online or in person at the gallery, so you don't even have to be in the room to get involved.

If you want to see the work when it first opens, there's an opening evening on Tuesday 15 September, from 17:30 to 19:30. After that, the exhibition runs from Wednesday 16 September right through to Saturday 19 December, open 10:00 to 17:00. It's a long run, so there's plenty of time to drop in whenever suits you over the autumn and early winter.

The gallery is in the Parkinson Building on Woodhouse Lane, LS2 9JT, and it's free to visit. The space also has step-free access, so it's easy to get into. If you're around the university area, it's a good chance to see what the graduating class has been working on.