Welcome
The Fry Public Art Gallery was opened in 1987 and houses an impressive number of paintings, prints, illustrations, wallpapers and decorative designs by artists of the 20th century and the present day who have local connections and have made a significant contribution to their field. There is an emphasis on those who for a variety of reasons settled in Great Bardfield between the early thirties of the last century and the death in 1983 of John Aldridge RA who had lived in the village for fifty years.
The Gallery is run by volunteers, both invigilators when it is open to the public and other helpers throughout the year. Please contact us if you would like to become more involved.
The Fry Art Gallery is open from Sunday 6th April to Sunday 26th October 2025.
The Gallery is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. We are delighted to have as guest curator of the exhibition in the main gallery Ella Ravilious, with a celebration of art and design depicting or made for the domestic space ‘Finding a Home at the Fry’.
In the Gibson Room, Alan Powers and Neil Jennings present a fascinating insight into the murals work done by the Bardfield artists, with many rarely seen pieces.
Film by Thomas Völker © 2022
Online Shop
The Fry’s online shop has a range of gifts, from textiles to books.
Please click HERE for more information.
The Fry receives no regular funding. Should you wish to contribute to our running costs, please use the button below.
Become a member
If you would like to become a Fry Gallery Member you can now do so online. Please choose an option below.
Visit the Collection
Browse the Fry Gallery collection online here.
News and Events
Treasures
Collage & Drawing Workshop with Chloe Cheese A summer workshop based on the Fry Gallery exhibition Finding a Home at the Fry (which we shall visit). Participants will bring along a shoe box filled with personal belongings – treasures - which will be used to...
Fry Gallery Lecture series: Alan Powers
FINDING THE LOST MURALS OF THE BARDFIELD ARTISTS A talk by Alan Powers Friday 25th April at 7.30pm Quaker Meeting House, High Street, Saffron Walden, CB10 1AA Tickets, £6 are available from the link below, or on the door. Alan Powers will uncover the long-lost or...
Forty years of the Fry Art Gallery
The Fry Art Gallery celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. To mark this milestone, the gallery opens in April 2025 with two exhibitions: In the Main Gallery: Finding a Home at the Fry containing art and design depicting and made for the domestic space, curated by...
Work of the month
Work of the Month: Richard Bawden’s Sitting Room
Sitting Room of His Home Watercolour by Richard Bawden 1997 Many of the artists in the Fry Gallery's collection liked to fill their homes with interesting and decorative objects, as if their homes were an extension of their creative practice. This is one of the themes...
Work of the Month: Design for a mural by Edward Bawden
Study for a mural Watercolour by Edward Bawden 1951 A recent addition to the collection of the Fry Gallery is this wonderful preparatory sketch by Edward Bawden for a mural entitled 'Country Life' in the Lion and Unicorn Pavilion at the 1951 Festival of Britain. In it...
Work of the Month: Braintree Station by Edward Bawden
Braintree Station Linocut by Edward Bawden 1960 With the approach of the Bank Holiday weekend, it's time to think of an excursion, possibly to the sea side, and possibly by train. This print by Edward Bawden shows a diesel railcar about to set off from the 'up'...
Exhibitions
Richard Bawden: The Hadleigh Years
26 July 2025 to 26 October 2025 Richard Bawden: The Hadleigh Years We continue our 40th anniversary season with an opportunity to view and buy a selection of works from the later years of Richard Bawden's creative life. Richard, like the Fry Gallery, started a new...
40th Anniversary Exhibition: Finding a Home at the Fry
6th April to 26th October 2025 Finding a Home at the Fry The Fry Art Gallery is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and we are delighted to have as guest curator of the exhibition in the main gallery Ella Ravilious, granddaughter of Eric Ravilious and Tirzah...
Bardfield Murals: Ravilious, Bawden, Rowntree and others
6th April to 13th July 2025 Bardfield Murals: Ravilious, Bawden, Rowntree and others We kick off our 40th anniversary year in the Gibson Room at the Fry Gallery with an exciting exhibition which brings together rarely-seen works that shed light on an important strand...
Visiting us
Opening Times
The Gallery will open in 2025 from Sunday 6th April to Sunday 26th October.
Admission is free. Step-free access is available.
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 2pm – 5pm |
| Wednesday | 2pm – 5pm |
| Thursday | 2pm – 5pm |
| Friday | 2pm – 5pm |
| Saturday | 11am – 5pm |
| Sunday and bank holidays | 2pm – 5pm |
Contact us
We would be delighted to hear from you and you can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The links are in the footer below.
Location
