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
New season opens
Ransomes RHA Plough This horse drawn plough, manufactured by Ransomes of Ipswich, the biggest agricultural equipment manufacturer in Britain, is on show in the exhibition in the main gallery 'Bardfield and Beyond: A Working Landscape'. Ploughs and other farm...
Colourful bird spotted in the gallery
Sheila Robinson, Parrot 1965, cardboard cut. The pictures are going up on the walls for this season’s exhibitions at the Fry. Keeping an eye on the gallery is this colourful parrot, one of the highlights of this year's opening exhibition in the Gibson room. The show...
New acquisition: Woman & Cat by Robert Colquhoun
New acquisition: Woman & Cat, by Robert Colquhoun Lithograph, 1951 At the Fry annual sale last November, the gallery was able to boost its collection with a clutch of works by 'Fry' artists. They include two late watercolours and a print by Edward Bawden, a...
Work of the month
Work of the Month: My Mother’s House by Chloë Cheese
My Mother's House, Lithograph, 1986. Sheila Robinson was a pupil of Edward Bawden at the Royal College of Art. Encouraged by him, she moved to Great Bardfield in 1953, and immersed herself in the creative life there while raising two small children, Ben and Chloë. She...
Work of the Month: Young Chickens by Walter Hoyle
Young Chickens, Gouache, pen and ink, 1958. ‘If I were asked which were the best years,’ wrote Walter Hoyle (1922 - 2000) ‘I would not hesitate to answer those spent in and around Great Bardfield and Great Saling'. During that happy time, between 1952 and 1975, Walter...
Work of the Month: Ives Farm by Edward Bawden
Edward Bawden CBE, RA, RDI (1903 - 1989) Ives Farm, Great Bardfield 1956, Linocut Edward and Charlotte Bawden moved to Brick House in Great Bardfield in 1932 sharing the house with Eric and Tirzah Ravilious. Ives Farm backed onto the garden at Brick House. This...
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
