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.
Don’t miss Alan Powers’ lecture ‘Finding the lost murals of the Bardfield artists’ on Friday 25th April at 7.30pm. 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
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Work of the month
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
Work of the week 57: Tottenham Hale by Edward Bawden
This is the design for platform murals at Tottenham Hale station on the Victoria Line on the London Underground system which opened in 1968. Thousands pass it every day without knowing it is the work of Edward Bawden. During the Covid-19 pandemic we used it to remind...
Exhibitions
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
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
