Bushey Museum and Art Gallery tells the story of Bushey and its unique artistic history.
About Us
Note: in April 2023 Bushey Museum Trust became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation - more information at the bottom of this column.
Address
Bushey Museum & Art Gallery
Rudolph Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, WD23 3HW
Opening hours:
Thursdays 11.00 am to 4.00 pm
Fridays 11.00 am to 4.00 pm
Saturdays 11.00 am to 4.00 pm
Sundays 11.00 am to 4.00 pm
Phone
Museum - 020 8950 3233
Opening times: Thu-Sun 11am - 4pm
Office - 020 8420 4057
Opening times: Wed-Fri 10am - 4pm
Who are we?
The Bushey Museum & Art Gallery in Bushey, Hertfordshire has a local history collection, plus a major art collection spanning 200 years, with paintings, prints and drawings, sculpture, Bushey Heath lustre pottery and historic church silver as well as costume and embroidery.
The Museum has a unique artistic history - which is of national significance - and it majors on Sir Hubert von Herkomer RA with works of art, artefacts and ephemera relating to him and his famous Art School in Bushey. There is also a major collection of paintings by Herkomer's student Lucy Kemp-Welch, as well as works by other artists drawn to Bushey by its artistic reputation.
Art UK say on their website: "...the art collection is the largest in Hertfordshire and is mainly from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with special interest in the Monro Circle of artists, Sir Hubert von Herkomer, Lucy Kemp-Welch and the pupils of their Art Schools and other Bushey art schools."
Located in an Edwardian former Council building close to Bushey High Street, it features galleries with displays of local history; Herkomer and Lucy Kemp-Welch paintings and memorabilia, as well as other Galleries with changing displays, see What's-On.
Click on Museum Shop to see the wide range of local history books, greetings cards featuring local artists' pictures - and much more - which can be bought in the Shop at the Museum, or via this website. And there is also a link to the Art UK website (see below as well) where you can buy prints of over 120 paintings from our Collection. Well worth a look!
There is a Meeting Room which is available for hire to local societies or individuals for meetings, talks, etc.
Parking and Accessibility
There is limited on-site free parking and additional parking in Kemp Place (chargeable!) which is off the High Street opposite Rudolph Road. For more information about Accessibility click here.
Current Exhibitions
St. James's Church Tower Appeal
Anne Blessley Gallery
Until 14 April 2024
The church tower at St James’s, Bushey has been an iconic part of Bushey for more than 700 years. An Appeal Committee has been set up to raise funds from the wider Bushey community to fund extensive repairs of the tower roof. This exhibition will show lots of interesting, relevant picture and information about St James Church. More.
Your Favourite Painting
Council Chamber
Until 7th January 2024
We asked all those involved with the Museum to select their favourite paintings... here they are! More
Gaetano Valvona, Artist Model
Jubilee Room
Gaetano Valvona was from Italy who settled in London in 1881 where he became a successful Victorian male model, for many artists including Sir Hubert von Herkomer. More.
100 Years of Costume
Lucy Kemp-Welch Gallery
Until February 2024
A variety of dresses, coats and jackets, underwear, shoes and other fashion accessories from a significant era of changing styles and design.
A History of Bushey in Embroidery
Anne Blessley Gallery
The story of Bushey from prehistoric times to the present day as told through the art of embroidery. More
Future Exhibitions
Chandos Group – Selling Exhibition
From 20th April 2024 More.
Before Herkomer - Monro Circle
From 20th January 2024
This is an exhibition of paintings from the 'Monro Circle', including Thomas Monro, Thomas Hearne, William Henry Hunt and Henry Edridge and more! More.
Donated Artworks
From 6th July 2024
Over the years many generous people have donated artworks to us: this exhibition is an opportunity to view the variety of subjects and media. More.
Local Bushey History
Ground floor galleries
The gallery gives a social history of Bushey with maps, extracts of medieval documents, and some ancient artefacts. It includes local industries, schools, police and fire brigade history, the World Wars, transport, celebrities, and more! More.
This gallery also includes a collection of Bushey Heath Pottery, for more information, click here.
Hubert von Herkomer - paintings & memorabilia
Hubert von Herkomer Gallery
The life, work and castle of Sir Hubert von Herkomer RA, also his School of Art, and including some of his most notable paintings. More.
A Herkomer painting not seen in public for 100 years is now on display!
The Museum is delighted that it has acquired this unique Herkomer painting! Almost all of Herkomer's portaits were of men, but in 1885 he produced this portrait of Miss Katherine Grant - the painting known as 'The Lady in White'. Come and see it in the Herkomer Gallery. For more about this impressive painting, click here!
Click here to download this leaflet (pdf, 9.8MB)
Many of our Lucy Kemp-Welch paintings are on loan!
Many of Lucy Kemp-Welch's paintings normally on show with us at Bushey are currently 'on tour'! They were at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth until October. They are now at the National Horse Racing Museum, Newmarket until 25th February 2024. To visit their website click here.Bushey Museum Jigsaws!
Fancy doing an online jigsaw? Just click on the picture... enjoy! And click here to see more jigsaws!
The Defibrillator is located at the front of the Museum
Bushey Museum’s defibrillator is located by the main entrance, making it accessible to the Bushey community 24 hours a day. The move of the unit from inside was paid for by a Ward Improvement Initiative Scheme (WIIS) grant organised by Councillor Pervez Choudhury. The photo shows Cllr Perez Choudhury between the Museum's Audrey Adams and Operations Manager David Berry with the defibrillator.
The defibrillator was bought in memory of Gareth Wood, the Museum’s former Operations Manager, and paid for by Museum supporters, local residents and Gareth’s friends. Cllr Choudhury, a long-term supporter of the Museum, agreed to help and arranged for seven of his colleagues – Councillors Carter, Morris, Mortimer, Quilty, Rutledge, Silver and Swerling – to join him in contributing some of his WIIS allocation to the project.
The defibrillator is housed in an eye-catching yellow cabinet, purpose-built to provide protection and also maintain the defibrillator at the optimum temperature. Anyone needing to use the defibrillator should dial 999 and speak to the Ambulance Service, who will supply a key pad number to open the cabinet.
Artist of the Month
He was a painter in oils, watercolours, tempera and pastel of portraits, figure subjects and landscapes. He was also an important lithographer, etcher and charcoal draughtsman, and was distinguished as a writer on techniques of drawing. He studied at the Herkomer Art School from 1887. To see more click here.
