Royal West of England Academy
The Royal West of England Academy (RWA) is one of only five Royal Academies of Art in the UK. It is a registered charity which has been self-supporting for over 150 years and possesses an outstanding Grade II* listed building, galleries and permanent fine art collection. The RWA has HM Queen Elizabeth II as its patron.
Education is an important element in any gallery experience and the RWA aims to supply programmes that provide quality art education in the gallery environment for all levels of ability, age and understanding.
Ellen Sharples, was an artist associated with this group and a member of a portrait painting family, who spent considerable time in America. When she died in 1849 she left £2,000 to the Bristol Academy for the Promotion of Fine Arts. This sum, together with an earlier gift from her and money raised by other supporters, enabled the erection of a fine building in 1858 - Bristol's first Art Gallery. Early patrons included Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the Prince Consort.
Throughout its history the Royal West of England Academy has shown numerous exhibitions of note, including, in 1930, a French Modern Art Exhibition that showed among others the work of Auguste Rodin, Paul Gauguin, Pierre Bonnard and Raoul Dufy.
VISITORS INFORMATION:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 17:30
Sunday 14:00 - 17:00
Admission £4.00
Concession £2.50
Children free
Royal West of England Academy
Queen's Road
Clifton
Bristol, UK