The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum

A&C closure statement

The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum is preparing to reopen its newly refurbished museum wing in Autumn 2026.

In October, we will be re-opening our newly renovated collection galleries which will re-present key objects from our collection in an ambitious thematic display for our audiences and provide a dedicated learning space and programme for schools and community groups. We will also be re-launching our Friends Gallery as a dedicated space for our Art collection.

This is the result of a 2 year project, The Big Museum Project, which is working closely with Cheltenham’s communities to co-curate their new museum wing. This project has highlighted the importance of listening to our communities and providing an engaging visitor experience.

As we launch the newly refurbished and redisplayed museum galleries, we will be temporarily closing the Arts and Crafts gallery for much needed repair and refurbishment. 

The care and conservation of our Arts and Crafts collection will always remain a key priority which is why we have taken the short-term measure to close the Arts and Crafts Gallery in June 2026. Key objects from the Arts and Crafts collection will be displayed in other areas of the museum whilst we plan an ambitious redisplay of this collection.

In the meantime, our ambition is to present a major exhibition on the Arts and Craft Movement in our Art Galleries in June 2027 which will offer fresh perspectives on the Movement, its early origins, its evolution in the Cotswolds and it’s enduring global influence.  We aim to reopen the permanent Arts and Crafts gallery in 2028 following a fundraising campaign.

We recognise the impact this temporary closure may have on our visitors and the community. Our team is continuously working to regularly redisplay and reinterpret all our collections to provide an engaging visitor experience for our audiences.

We continue to appreciate the understanding and support of our visitors as we work through the ambitious task of maintaining and caring for our collections and galleries.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience.