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
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Work of the month
Work of the month: Burning Fields by Keith Vaughan
Keith Vaughan Burning Fields, c1965, Oil When Keith Vaughan bought a cottage at Toppesfield in 1964, it was largely surrounded by arable fields. Stubble burning was then generally practised because it was cheaper and easier than other removal methods and helped to...
Work of the Month: The Two Roberts
ROBERT COLQUHOUN 1914 - 1962 & ROBERT MACBRYDE 1913 -1966 ‘The Two Roberts’, both from poor working-class homes and aged 19 and 20 respectively, met at the Glasgow School of Art in 1933 and remained inseparable partners for life. They were funded to travel in...
WORK OF THE MONTH: Marianne Straub scrapbook final week
Only one more week to enjoy the creativity of Marianne Straub and her circle of friends at the Fry Art Gallery. Kaspar Fischer was the son of Hans Fischer a Swiss artist and his wife Bianca (née Wassmuth), both of whom had been students in Zurich with Marianne. Bianca...
Exhibitions
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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
