Visit Bath - find great art in Bath
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Bath has great galleries, hundreds of artists and an arty atmosphere.
Just for a minute, forget the swathes of Georgian architecture, the addictive boutique shopping and sumptuous hot water springs... and think about Bath's amazing collection of art galleries.
This westcountry city has had a long connection with culture and the arts, dating back to fantastic artefacts discovered at the Roman Baths.
But how does this affect your city break, short break, holiday or day trip? Well, as someone who lives quite nearby, I find this arty bohemian atmosphere makes Bath more quirky and, dare I say it, interesting, than some other old English cities like York or Chester.
Bath has 16 art galleries at the last count. That's in a town so small you can walk from one side to the other in a few minutes and where the surrounding countryside is always visible from the town centre... in all directions.
Allied to this is the fact that hundreds of artists work in or near Bath. You'll see plenty of arty types around the alternative Walcot Street area, in the Bell pub or around the suburbs like Larkhall, Weston, Widcombe and Bear Flat.
So it's a place that attracts the serious collector, enthusiastic amateur art lover or just people who like being in a place where there is a lot of art going on. You can browse the big galleries, find specific visiting exhibitions or just soak up the vibes.
Some of Bath's best galleries include:
Artist Nick Cudworth opened a gallery in Bath 10 years ago to exhibit his own oil paintings, pastel drawings and limited edition prints. You can still visit his gallery on London Street and pick up a landscape print of Bath.
Beaux Arts on York Street near the Abbey is the longest established gallery in the city and holds exhibitions throughout the year to showcase developing talent.
Mauger Modern Art you'll find a commercial gallery with work from well known artists such as Andy Warhol and Peter Blake.
The largest art site in the city is the free public gallery, The Victoria Art Gallery, is housed in a wonderful period building next to Pulteney Bridge. This council gallery has a permanent collection of art from the 15th century to today as well as a fascinating and changing annual programme of exhibitions. Leading westcountry landscape painter Kurt Jackson is a frequent exhibitor.
The best of the lot is likely to be the Holburne Museum, a grand old mansion in period gardens right at the end of the elegant Great Pulteney Street. At the time of writing the trust owning the Holburne are busy spending a multi-million pound grant by building a striking avant-garde extension to create a world class art centre and gallery due to open in 2011.
Visitors will also note that street art has become popular in Bath in recent years with a number of local and touring exhibitions. Following the success of an exhibition in 2008, when more than 100 pig sculptures lined the streets, 2010 welcomes 100 life-size lions, all individually decorated. Visitors will be able to follow a trail to find the lions dotted around the city.
Useful links
Visit Bath Tourist Office
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