Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Encyclopedia
The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is the public art gallery
of the city of Swansea
, Wales
. The gallery is situated in Alexandra Road, near Swansea railway station, opposite the old Swansea Central Library and near Swansea Central police station
. It was completed in 1911 after Vivian's death.
The gallery displays a broad spectrum of visual arts
from the original bequest of Richard Glynn Vivian
(1835-1910), and includes work by Old Masters as well as an international collection of porcelain
and Swansea china.
In October 2011 the gallery was closed temporarily for a £6 million refurbishment and recladding of the 1974 extension. It was estimated this work would last two years. During the closure, the gallery planned to continue a programme of activities using alternative local venues. The former chair of the Arts Council of Wales was quoted as saying "The Glynn Vivian is a major civic facility and the only purpose-built art gallery in Wales that is still open. It will be missed by the people of Swansea but they will welcome it back in its renewed form".
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
of the city of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The gallery is situated in Alexandra Road, near Swansea railway station, opposite the old Swansea Central Library and near Swansea Central police station
Swansea Central police station
Swansea Central police station is a 21st-century-designed building, located on the former Swansea Fire Station site in Alexandra Road, near Swansea Magistrates Court, Swansea...
. It was completed in 1911 after Vivian's death.
The gallery displays a broad spectrum of visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
from the original bequest of Richard Glynn Vivian
Richard Glynn Vivian
Richard Glynn Vivian was the founder of the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea.Born on 31 August 1835, Vivian was the fourth and youngest son of industrialist John Henry Vivian and his wife Sarah, daughter of Arthur Jones, of Reigate. He graduated from Cambridge University as M.A...
(1835-1910), and includes work by Old Masters as well as an international collection of porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
and Swansea china.
In October 2011 the gallery was closed temporarily for a £6 million refurbishment and recladding of the 1974 extension. It was estimated this work would last two years. During the closure, the gallery planned to continue a programme of activities using alternative local venues. The former chair of the Arts Council of Wales was quoted as saying "The Glynn Vivian is a major civic facility and the only purpose-built art gallery in Wales that is still open. It will be missed by the people of Swansea but they will welcome it back in its renewed form".