You simply cannot afford to visit Bristol and not get to experience their museum! If you are into art and culture, this should be the first place you stop the minute you find yourself in the city! You will find the museums almost a km away from the city center at Clifton. The museum itself is run by the city council and does not have any fee making entry completely free. It has the status of designated museum meaning it has been granted by the national government to protect outstanding museums. The designated collections that are protected are the Eastern art, Bristol’s history, geology and the English delftware.
The sections that you will find in the museum are made up of the city’s national history and the local, national as well as international archeology thrown into the mix! At the art gallery, you will notice that the works featured are from all periods and that they include works by very famous artists. Works made in Bristol are also featured and through them, you get an insight into the culture of its people.
All the events that take place at the museum are mostly free with some paid events here and there. You will be treated to multi-week exhibitions, some workshops, and a gallery curator talk. One of their biggest events has to be the one held in February to celebrate the Chinese New Year. At this event, you will be treated to a dancing dragon and some performances that include lions, traditional Chinese dances, the martial arts and storytelling. There is also some in-depth culture through family trails, craft, and art activities. During this weekend, you get to learn a lot about the Chinese and their culture!
The collections found in the museum include the Chinese Glass and the collection done by Max Schiller famously known as the Schiller collection. The collection is predominantly Chinese and was collected by Schillers older brother. At the Egyptology section, you will find mummies, as expected and some other decorative pieces and items that are as old as 3,000 years ago. At the natural history, you will be treated to habitats as those found in the south west parts of England. These habitats are aquatic. There is also a very interactive map that shows local wildlife and their sites as well as an aquarium for freshwater fish found in the region.
The gallery has a huge supporter in the Friends of Bristol Art Gallery organization since the year 1947 and has managed to acquire more than 300 works of art specifically for the gallery. The main aim of the organization is to support the principal sites of the museums and galleries as well as archives found in Bristol.