Bristol's oldest gallery has reopened following an extensive multimillion-pound refurbishment project to make the building more accessible.
Work began on Clifton's the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in May last year after three years of fundraising to finance the most significant development at the Grade II-listed building in more than a century. It reopened to the public on Bank Holiday Monday (May 2) following a nine-month £4.1million transformation to make the space safer and more accessible, without which the gallery may have faced permanent closure.
The original projected costs of the 'Light and Inspiration' capital project were £3.8million. But the Covid pandemic, supply chain delays and other unforeseen issues meant the costs increased to £4.1million and the re-opening, originally planned for January 2022, was delayed by three months.
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Alison Bevan, director of RWA, said: “The transformation of the RWA has been 20 years in the making and the biggest change to our building in over a century. Without this work, we would have faced the risk of having to close our doors permanently."
There has been significant repair work to make the building safe, such as replacing the roof lanterns and making a larger lift for wheelchair users, but it’s also provided an avenue for the gallery to completely reimagine the spaces, creating an environment that is completely welcoming and accessible to everyone.
The gallery now offers a quiet room for visitors with sensory issues or autism, a family activities space and an outdoor events space, along with the installation of energy-efficient air source heat pumps. There are also free to access galleries on all three floors for the first time.
Ms Bevan continued: “It’s been a really tough project with plenty of challenges along the way and we couldn’t have done it without the support of some amazing national and local donors, as well as the generosity of the public in contributing to our recent Crowdfunder campaign to help us raise the last £100,000. We are so grateful to everyone that has supported us."
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The building was redeveloped by construction firm Beard in partnership with the RWA and will permit them to welcome 40 per cent more visitors a year. The RWA, which is an independent charity - will expand its community and wellbeing programmes, allowing more people from under-represented communities across Bristol to engage in art and creativity. Their new café, which is due to open later in May, will be run by local chain Spicer + Cole, whose owners described the partnership it as "the perfect fit" for them.
Speaking on the reopening, Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees added: “It’s heartening to see RWA, one of Bristol’s most historic and culturally significant institutions, reopening and putting sustainability at the forefront of their transformation. We’re also thrilled they have signed up to the Bristol Climate Ask, furthering their commitment to helping Bristol reach net zero by 2030."
The RWA has reopened its doors with a landmark exhibition entitled ‘Me, Myself, I: Artists’ Self-Portraits', curated by internationally acclaimed and Bristol-based curator, artistic director and writer, Tessa Jackson OBE. The exhibition - which runs from May 2 to June 19 - brings historical context to today’s ‘selfie culture’ with an illuminating overview of 300 years of self-portraiture.
There are more than 80 classic and contemporary artworks on display from established artists including Sir Joshua Reynolds, Angelica Kauffman, Lucian Freud, Grayson Perry, Phoebe Boswell, Sonia Boyce, Tracey Emin, Tony Bevan and Antony Gormley.
Royal West of England Academy is located on Queens Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PX
