An Artist's Guide to Bristol

Bristol is a city of the arts, through and through. Let us take you on a tour of Bristol, through it's brilliant art and institutions.

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

Located just at the top of Park Street, the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery has been enriching the lives of Bristolians for over one hundred years. Its’ museum contains a number of fantastic permanent exhibits, like its’ Egyptology exhibit. The art gallery is home to famous pieces such as Giovani Bellini’s ‘The Descent of Christ into Limbo’, and a gorgeous collection of Chinese and Japanese pottery.

Banksy

Heading to the Bottom of Park Street will take you to a place many art lovers would consider a pilgrimage. One of Banksy's famous pieces resides there – The Well Hung Lover. This tongue-in-cheek piece has been a popular place for tourists, and rightly so. It is both a bit of fun and a serious art piece at the same time, and it is something that you could walk past without even knowing it is there!

Square Club

Bristol’s Private Members Club for creatives invites you to experience all that their unique space and community has to offer. Members of the Square Club are able to use the club as a home away from home. The Square Club is made up of our boutique lounge, award-winning Square Kitchen Restaurant, Lower Deck Cocktail Bar and fully heated and covered outdoor Secret Garden. Throughout the year, they run a diverse programme of events, including a rotating art collection. Non-members are welcome to visit the club to dine in the Square Kitchen Restaurant, or to attend some of the events in the programme.

Arnolfini

Arnolfini is Bristol’s International Centre for Contemporary Arts located on the harbourside in the heart of the city. Woven into the fabric of Bristol since 1961, Arnolfini is an international centre of interdisciplinary contemporary arts, presenting an ambitious and wide-ranging programme of visual art, performance, dance, film, and music. Housed in a prominent Grade II listed accessible building (Bush House) on the city’s harbourside, Arnolfini is a pioneering, inspiring public space for arts and learning, offering an innovative, inclusive and engaging experience for all. Bush House is also part of the University of the West of England, Bristol’s City Campus with over 300 students and tutors onsite.

Watershed

Watershed is Bristol’s one-stop-shop for all things film. From the latest blockbusters and Hollywood big hits to thought-provoking Indie films. Founded in 1982 with a passion for promoting new ideas and creating enjoyable experiences, since then, we have established ourselves as one of the few truly cross-art form organisations in the UK.