People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol Favourites: Alison Bevan
Alison Bevan has been the director of the Royal West of England Academy (RWA), the historic art gallery on Queens Road, since 2013.
She is at the helm of its transformational capital project to revive the 175-year-old building with the hope to make it “the most accessible gallery from London to St Ives”.
When it reopens in May, it will be the setting for a landmark exhibition called Me, Myself, I: Artists’ Self Portraits featuring the works of 80 artists, from Lucian Freud to Tracey Emin.
is needed now More than ever
Here are Alison’s top-five Bristol favourites:
Blaise castle is 650 acre parkland with a children’s play area, museum and castle – photo: Bristol Design
“What a fantastic place! So many meandering paths to choose from through the spectacular wooded valley, topped by the enchanted castle of a folly, and with fascinating bits of heritage and nature to discover around every corner. All that, plus a museum, a cafe and regular events. I’ve got really happy memories of visiting often as a child, while we waited for my older siblings to finish school, and more recent memories of going there for dog walks. Heaven!”
The Bristol Loaf at Bristol Beacon
The Bristol Loaf opened its first site in Redfield in 2017 and four years later unveiled its third site in Bristol Beacon – photo: Franklin & Franklin
“A great cafe for a working lunch or meeting up with pals, with absolutely delicious food that is great for everyone, whether you want a really healthy but tasty brunch or a wickedly indulgent treat with your (great) cup of coffee. AND you can get a fabulous loaf fresh from the bakery to take home with you.”
Grayson Perry at Grayson’s Art Club, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery – photo: Jon Craig
“Whilst I think M Shed is absolutely brilliant, and a great place to take anyone from toddler to granny, you can’t beat the original Bristol Museum. As a child, my favourite thing was visiting the “Dead Zoo”, and particularly Alfred the Gorilla, who my mum used to visit at the zoo decades before. Now I go for the extraordinary range of art and artefacts from every era of human history, including superb contemporary work such as the current Grayson Perry’s Art Club exhibition.”
SS Great Britain
“I have never really got over sulking that my mother wouldn’t take me to watch this fascinating ship being floated back up the Avon, as I was “too young to understand”. When I finally got to see it, about 40 years later, I completely fell in love with everything about it. Whatever you’re interested in, there’s a part of the SS Great Britain story that will fill you with awe. We’re so lucky to have her in Bristol.”
RWA
Alison Bevan and Mike Hedges, regional director of Beard – photo: Robert Browne
“Okay, so it’s probably cheating to put my own ‘gaff’ on the list, but seriously, it’s one of the most beautiful art galleries in the country with an extraordinary history that’s full of inspiring pioneers – particularly women. When we reopen in May after our transformational capital project, we hope to be top of everyone’s list of favourites, whether you come to be inspired by the masterpieces we bring to Bristol to show in our outstanding art gallery spaces; to find and develop your own creative voice through workshops and activities, or just to chill out and meet friends in our huge new cafe.”
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Main photo: Robert Browne
Read more: First look at £4.1 million restoration of landmark Bristol gallery
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