Renovation brings the best which can not be left unseen, the Wilson Museum and Art Gallery in Cheltenham will be refurbished for £500,000 in April 2022, according to plans. The Wilson, run by The Cheltenham Trust, will feature a brand-new arts café on the ground floor, a new community gallery on the mezzanine floor, and artists’ studios on the third floor, with the goal of making the museum a significant visitor destination for the town and the heart of Cheltenham’s new cultural hub.
The ground-floor arts café will serve barista coffee and feature three flexible, multi-use rooms, each with its own distinct vibe, as well as two main entrances on either side – one going to the new Minster Exchange and the other to the old Clarence Street main entrance.
The café’s decor is influenced by The Wilson’s collection, featuring abstract art wallpaper and fabrics from the Arts and Crafts period. New artworks are also being commissioned for the space, with screen printed banners portraying pieces from the museum’s Arts and Crafts collection being created by local artist Katy Welsh.
The Art Gallery will allow local artists to display their work as well as host cultural events and groups, and will serve as a ‘lasting legacy’ for the much-loved former MP and three-time mayor of Cheltenham.
‘The Wilson will feature a full cultural programme encompassing talks, seminars, creative events, local and national exhibitions and shows, showcasing the very best of Cheltenham’s cultural community and history,’ said the press release.
The new facility will help to broaden the appeal of arts and culture while also strengthening the vital neighborhood connection. A more extensive exhibition schedule will allow to expose a wider selection of the council’s art holdings in the near future. The Wilson has been shut down since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and now is all ready and set to reopen in summer 2022 after undergoing renovations.
