Bridgetown Art Galleries

(Bridgetown, Saint Michael, Barbados)

The average art gallery in Bridgetown tends to specialise in Caribbean art and it is certainly worth noting that a chunk of the work on sale here will have actually been produced in Haiti, rather than on Barbados itself.

The arts community is alive and well in Bridgetown and throughout the parish of St. Michael, with a number of local galleries and craft centres often appealing to tourists looking for quality souvenirs and gift ideas. The Red Clay Pottery is especially notable, as is the Barbados National Art Gallery, which is located within the neighbouring town of Warrens and is just a short distance to the north of the city centre. Winter visitors to Barbados will be able to experience the numerous art exhibitions and open-air crafts fairs held around the island, while visits to artists' studios can often be arranged by appointment.

Further art-appreciating opportunities around Bridgetown come in the form of the On the Wall Gallery at Champers Restaurant - on the south coast, the Aweipo Gallery at the Crane Hotel in St. Phillip, the Gallery of Caribbean Art in Speightstown, and the Earthworks Pottery in St. Thomas, where authentic glazed Bajan ceramics have been created since 1996. Also very much of note are the monthly exhibitions of Barbadian artists at historic Queen's Park, as well as the Pelican Arts and Crafts Village, where you will discover the Barbados Arts Council, together with a series of quality craft shops.

Barbados National Art Gallery

Address: Warrens, Barbados, BB
Tel: +1 246 310 2700
The Barbados National Art Gallery is owned and maintained by the island's very own National Art Gallery Committee (NAGC) and features a regularly changing exhibition of paintings, photographs and sculptures, often carved in stone. Founded in 1998, this committee actively works to acquire important pieces, whilst preserving its existing collection, which now numbers more than 2,000 pieces and comprises paintings, ceramics, public statues, murals and large installations.
Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Red Clay Pottery and Fairfield Gallery

Address: Fairfield Cross Road, Bridgetown, Barbados, BB
Tel: +1 246 424 3800
This gallery features a range of ceramic vessels, dinnerware and souvenirs made from local clay. It is well worth stopping for a look, even for those who don't plan on buying anything. The building itself is interesting, as it was once used as a boiling house for sugar syrup.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: free