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
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Work of the month
Work of the week 60: John Boyd Dunlop Fitting Tricycle Tyres by Edward Bawden RA
One of many linocut illustrations from Dunlopera: the works and workings of the Dunlop Rubber Company, by Paul Jennings, with drawings by Edward Bawden, R.A.,1961 Paul Jennings (1918-1989) was an English humourist who had a fortnightly column Oddly Enough, in The...
Work of the week 59: Bust of Lewis Fry
Visitors entering the Fry Gallery will find in the lobby a Victorian bust of the Rt. Hon, Lewis Fry, MP for Bristol executed in 1882 by James Havard Thomas, and perhaps wonder why he is there in “a shrine to my favourite Essex artists” (to quote Grayson Perry). The...
Work of the week 58: Southend by Bernard Cheese
Now known as Southend, this amusing lithograph by Bernard Cheese was originally listed in Zwemmer’s catalogue as: What’s for Lunch - Cheese
Exhibitions
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Visiting us
Opening Times
The Gallery is open in 2024 from Sunday 7th April to Sunday 27th 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
