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.
Results from the Annual Exhibition and Sale 2021.
Over the weekend of the 20/21 November the Sale attracted 472 visitors and made a profit for the Gallery of over £20,000. The Fry does not receive any regular core funding and so this income helps us to meet our running costs and maintain free admission to all.
A Singular Obsession and Lithographic Fever have now ended. The Gallery will reopen in April 2022, with exhibitions including REGENERATION, which will include many of the highlights of collection, together with The Many Sides of Isabel Rawsthorne.
Christmas Shop Online
The Fry’s online shop has a range of gifts suitable for Christmas presents, from textiles to books.
Please click HERE for more information.
The Fry receives no regular funding and the pandemic has continued to affect visitor numbers during 2021. 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.
Art & Artists
Work of the Week 43: Rialto Bridge by Edwin Smith
photograph Within the collection at the Fry Art Gallery are many photographs. Trained as an architect, Edwin Smith (1912 – 1971) was a prolific photographer and artist, and in later years lived at the Coach House, Windmill Hill, Saffron Walden with his second wife,...
Work of the Week 42: Caravans by Eric Ravilious
watercolour, 1936 These two wagons, supposedly 'fever wagons' from the Boer War or earlier, were purchased by Eric and Tirzah Ravilious after they were shipped back to Newhaven. One can only speculate on the exact nature of their previous use, perhaps for isolation...
Work of the Week 41: The Bull by Michael Rothenstein
linocut, 1956 'This image was based on a memory of a bull being driven down the High Street at Great Bardfield. The street is so simplified here that it is unrecognisable. There used to be a cottage with three dormer windows... I used sand and gravel impressed into...
Exhibitions
North West Essex Potters (online)
Online Exhibition (published 18th September 2020) The Fry Art Gallery has had for some years a small collection of the work of studio potters who have lived and worked in North West Essex. Recently this has been developed and two new ground-breaking potters, Ian Auld...
Random Spectacular
Please note that this exhibition has now closed due to government restrictions.
Walter Hoyle – A Versatile Artist
Please note that this exhibition has now closed due to government restrictions.
News
VIDEO: Gallery Walk-Through of Ayrton Exhibition
Join us for a walk-through of the current Goldmark sponsored exhibition at the Fry Art Gallery, A Singular Obsession – Celebrating the Centenary of Michael Ayrton, with Dr. Justine Hopkins. Hopkins is a writer and freelance lecturer in Art History, and also the...
Ravilious and the New Online Shop
This Ravilious handkerchief is just one of the many items available in our online shop. Books, tea-towels, cushion covers and a host of other items are available to purchase. SHOP
Michael Ayrton: Centenary Celebrations
2021 is the centenary of Michael Ayrton’s birth. Among the exhibitions in 2021 is A Singular Obsession - celebrating the centenary of Michael Ayrton, here at The Fry. Ayrton’s Minotaur is a striking denizen of the Barbican’s St Alphage Garden, while the legendary...
Visiting us
Opening Times
A Singular Obsession and Lithographic Fever have now ended. The Gallery will reopen in April 2022, with exhibitions including REGENERATION, which will include many of the highlights of collection, together with The Many Sides of Isabel Rawsthorne.
Contact us
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Location
