A lasting legacy for the Friends – how you can help

How you can help the Friends of the RWA donate spectacular new glass doors for the revamped Main Gallery…

The RWA is soon to undergo a very exciting renovation. The £3.8 million Light and Inspiration project will make urgent repairs to the Grade II* listed building, transform the visitor experience, and give Bristol a prominent, world-class art gallery for generations to come.

This is in no small part thanks to the Friends, who last summer came to the rescue in the RWA’s hour of need, raising the £25,000 urgently needed to qualify for matched funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Now we have the opportunity to create a permanent, visible reminder of the Friends’ role in securing the future of the RWA.

With your help, we would like to raise the funds needed for the spectacular glass doors at the entrance to the Main Gallery. Situated at the top of the stairs, within the existing impressive timber frame, the plate glass doors will stand over 3 metres high. They will keep the gallery climate stable and allow visitors a tantalising glimpse of the art, encouraging ticket-buying.

If we succeed, there will be a special inscription in the glass commemorating the Friends’ donation – a lasting legacy and a highly visible reminder of our contribution, right in the heart of the RWA.

How you can help secure the Friends’ legacy

The glass doors are one of many elements of the Light and Inspiration project that still require funding. The RWA will be launching various fundraising campaigns over the coming months, but this is our opportunity to make a significant contribution now, specifically on behalf of the Friends.

We need to raise £8,000 to cover the cost of the inscribed glass doors. Any donation you can make, however large or small, will be hugely appreciated as we try to reach this target. You can donate in either of the following ways:

• Online by card or Paypal at cafdonate.cafonline.org/14170
• By cheque. Send cheques payable to ‘Royal West of England Academy’ to: RWA, Queen’s Road, Bristol, BS8 1PX. Please write ‘Glass doors’ on the back of the cheque.

Thank you – and we very much hope to meet again at the RWA soon, and for years to come!

The Friends of the RWA is an independent charity that supports the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol’s first art gallery. 

For just £35 a year Friends can make unlimited visits to RWA exhibitions and enjoy a host of other benefits, as well as making an important contribution to the arts in Bristol and the South West. Find out more and join up here.