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Cambridge School of Art (Anglia Ruskin) Graduate Showcase 2026: dates, venue, and what to expect

A note before anything else, because it matters for accuracy. The University of Cambridge does not run a Fine Art degree show. Cambridge's contemporary gallery, Kettle's Yard, programmes major exhibitions but does not host graduate shows. The art school in the city of Cambridge is Cambridge School of Art, part of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). If you came here looking for a "Cambridge degree show 2026", this is the right page. The Cambridge School of Art Graduate Showcase 2026 runs from 4 to 13 June 2026 at the Ruskin Gallery on East Road.

At a glance

  • Show: Cambridge School of Art Graduate Showcase 2026
  • Headline exhibition: 4 to 13 June 2026 at Ruskin Gallery and studios
  • Wider Showcase season: 23 April to 13 June 2026 (covers performance, film, fashion across the broader ARU Faculty of Arts)
  • Private view: Thursday 4 June 2026, 5pm to 8pm, free
  • Venue: Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge School of Art, ARU Cambridge Campus, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PT
  • Admission: Free
  • Closest station: Cambridge rail (around 20 minutes walk or 6 minutes bus)

Confirmation status: 2026 dates and private view confirmed by Anglia Ruskin University on the Creative Showcase page. MA Fine Art typically runs a separate later summer show; 2026 MA dates are not yet published.

When is the showcase?

The headline Graduate Showcase runs Thursday 4 to Saturday 13 June 2026 at Ruskin Gallery. The wider ARU Creative Showcase season runs from 23 April to 13 June 2026, taking in performance, film, and fashion across the Faculty of Arts.

For visitors specifically interested in fine art, the 4 to 13 June window at Ruskin Gallery is the relevant one.

MA Fine Art at Cambridge School of Art has historically run as a separate later summer show, with 2025's running 25 July to 6 August 2025. 2026 MA dates have not yet been published.

Where to find it

The Graduate Showcase is at Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge School of Art, ARU Cambridge Campus, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PT.

Don't confuse this with the Ruskin School of Art at Oxford. The Cambridge "Ruskin" is named after the same John Ruskin (the Victorian critic), but the institutions are entirely separate. The ARU campus is on the eastern edge of central Cambridge, on East Road, between Parker's Piece and the city centre.

Getting there:

  • Rail: Cambridge station is around 20 minutes walk via Mill Road, or 6 minutes by bus on routes from the city.
  • Bus: Multiple routes serve East Road.
  • Cycle: Cambridge is a cycling city; the campus is well-served.
  • Walk: From Parker's Piece, 5 minutes east on East Road.

ARU Fine Art students also exhibit separately at Cambridge Artworks and Cambridge Artspace, two artist-run galleries in the city. Those secondary spaces are typically used for individual or small-group MA work, not the headline graduate showcase.

Private view and opening night

The Graduate Showcase opens with a free public private view on Thursday 4 June 2026, 5pm to 8pm. No ticket required, but RSVP via the ARU page if requested.

Who is showing

The June showcase covers the BA programmes from Cambridge School of Art including:

  • BA Fine Art
  • BA Illustration
  • BA Graphic Design and Illustration
  • BA Photography
  • BA Animation
  • BA Film and TV Production
  • BA Interior Design
  • BA Graphic Design
  • BA Architecture (with separate event listings)

Cohort sizes are not numerically published for 2026.

What makes Cambridge School of Art distinctive

Cambridge School of Art has been around since 1858 and is the working art school for the city of Cambridge. Its graduates feed Cambridge's local creative industries, the wider East Anglia art and design scene, and the London graphic and illustration markets.

For visitors, the show is easy to drop into. The Ruskin Gallery is a public gallery space already used to walk-in visitors. The work tends toward illustration, design, and photography rather than the more conceptual practices you'd see at Goldsmiths.

The school's own framing: degree shows are "free public exhibitions hosted across the Ruskin Gallery and studios, offering a unique insight into the ideas and research that have shaped the students' final projects."

Adjacent Cambridge context

Worth knowing for visitors planning a Cambridge art day:

  • Kettle's Yard, Castle Street, Cambridge CB3 0AQ. The University of Cambridge's contemporary gallery. Summer 2026: Handpicked: Painting Flowers from 1900 to Today, 25 April to 6 September 2026.
  • Cambridge Artworks and Cambridge Artspace show ARU Fine Art alumni and emerging local artists.
  • The Fitzwilliam Museum for traditional and historical art.

A full Cambridge art day pairs the Graduate Showcase at Ruskin Gallery, an afternoon at Kettle's Yard, and a stop at the Fitzwilliam.

Tips for visiting

  • Don't search for "University of Cambridge degree show". Cambridge University doesn't run one. Search for ARU or Cambridge School of Art instead.
  • Combine with Kettle's Yard for a half-day art tour.
  • Cycle the city. Cambridge is small enough to do all the relevant venues in one day on a bike.
  • Mill Road has the best food. Ten minute walk from the campus.

Are you a graduating Cambridge School of Art student?

If you are graduating from Cambridge School of Art and want a digital home for your portfolio, build your Etch page in 15 minutes. Free during the show and for thirty days after, with QR labels for the studio walls and a reserve flow for the work that visitors fall for.

For pricing your first works, see how to price your degree-show artwork. For private view night logistics, see how to run a private view: the checklist.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Cambridge School of Art Graduate Showcase 2026? 4 to 13 June 2026 at Ruskin Gallery. Private view Thursday 4 June, 5pm to 8pm.

Is it free? Yes. Free admission. Free private view.

Where is Cambridge School of Art? At the ARU Cambridge Campus, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PT.

Is this the University of Cambridge? No. Cambridge School of Art is part of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), a separate institution from the University of Cambridge. The University of Cambridge does not offer a practice-based Fine Art degree.

When is the MA Fine Art show? The 2025 MA Fine Art show ran 25 July to 6 August. 2026 MA dates have not yet been published. Watch the ARU Cambridge School of Art page.

Can I buy work at the Showcase? Yes. Most graduating artists list work for sale.

What's the difference between Cambridge School of Art and Ruskin School of Art Oxford? Different institutions, different cities. Ruskin School of Art is the University of Oxford's fine art department. Cambridge School of Art is part of Anglia Ruskin University. Both are named after the Victorian critic John Ruskin but are otherwise unrelated.

Sources

Last updated 10 May 2026. Compiled by Etch from official Anglia Ruskin University listings. If you spot something out of date, email hello@etchapp.art and we will correct it within 24 hours.