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
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 19: Great Lodge Farm Cottage, Great Bardfield by Walter Hoyle
Watercolour, 1952 Walter Hoyle (1922 – 2000) visited Sicily in August 1951 in the company of fellow artist, Edward Bawden. Both found the heat and dust almost unbearable and eventually took refuge up in the mountains at Enna. On their return to England, Hoyle was...
Work of the Week 18: Apple Tree, Dunmow Allotments by Tom Deakins
This small (6” x 8”) oil painting perfectly captures the intensity of feeling for a particular place that Deakins (b.1957) manages to convey in his work…
Work of the Week 17: Sun Maze by Michael Ayrton
bronze, 1970 Sun Maze (1970) is a late double-sided bronze by Michael Ayrton. The myth of Daedalus, Icarus and the labyrinth at Knossos is familiarly told by Ovid in his narrative poem of 8AD and became an obsession of the artist over many years. On one side, Icarus,...
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
