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 now closed for the winter.
We re-open on Sunday 6th April 2025, with exhibitions celebrating our 40th anniversary.
In the mean time, we look forward to seeing you at one of our winter lectures. Johnny Hannah gives us ‘England, my England’ on Friday 10th January, and we have ‘an evening with Ella Ravilious’, to look forward to on Friday 14th February. More details and tickets are on this website under ‘News’.
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
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...
New Acquisition – Alan Spencer Green pottery
Ceramics by Alan Spencer Green, Potter, 1932 - 2003 From time to time, the Fry is lucky enough to be given works by North West Essex artists to add to its collection. The latest offering is a wonderful collection of vases, dishes and lidded pots made by Alan Spencer...
Work of the month
Work of the Month: Wallpapers by Edward Bawden
Quatrefoil and Swan and Grass Wallpapers, designed by Edward Bawden The Great Bardfield artists both undertook commissions to design patterned wallpapers, and liked to decorate their homes with them. Examples of these wallpapers feature prominently in our forthcoming...
Work of the Month: Design for Royal Mail Stamp by Sheila Robinson
Alternative Idea for British Rural Architecture Stamps, Ink and Pencil on Paper 1970. In February 1969 the Royal Mail’s Stamp Advisory Committee discussed the stamp programme for 1970. It was felt that the British architecture series started with Cathedrals in May...
Work of the month: Brick House by Edward Bawden
Brick House, Great Bardfield Watercolour PC350, 1955 Purchased by the Fry Gallery in 1995 with grant aid from the National Art Collections Fund To mark the arrival of the first of this winter's snow in North West Essex, we are featuring this wintry scene from Great...
Exhibitions
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...
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...
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
