‘Nature in Art lifts the spirits’ National Heritage Museum of the Year Awards judges report
© Nature in Art Registered Charity No. 1000553 01452 731422 An Accredited Museum with MLA
Our growing collection of art and artefacts has been amassed from over 60 countries and cultures and includes work by over 600 artists.
There is always a good selection of the collection on show at any time.
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HRH Princess Alexandra at Nature in Art in 2009. The museum was officially opened by
the Princess in 1988.
Nature in Art is part of a vibrant museum and heritage sector in Gloucestershire.
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Nature in Art is the world’s first museum dedicated exclusively to fine, decorative and applied art inspired by nature.
Our growing collection is housed in a fine Georgian mansion dating from the mid 1700’s.
We regularly change our displays and have a vibrant programme of temporary exhibitions
supported by an unrivalled programme of artists in residence. International in scope,
appeal and stature, Nature in Art is a must for all those interested in world-
The museum has twice been specially commended in the National Heritage Museum of the Year Awards. With a licensed coffee shop serving meals, plus gardens, free parking and a beautiful setting it’s a wonderful place to visit.
Nature in Art is run by Nature in Art Trust which was established in 1982 (then called the Society for Wildlife Art of the Nations).
In 2013, the museum celebrates the 25th anniversary of opening its doors to the public.
Introduction
One of the glorious things about the museums community and the family of institutions that make it up is its diversity. Not just diversity within collections but between collections. Together they provide opportunities for inspiration, learning and, perhaps most importantly, discovery. One might think that there was hardly anything that could not be addressed in depth through one or more of these collections, but, just as Nature in Art appears to have plugged a gap in the selection of publicly accessible museums, one suspects that there are many more gaps still to be filled.
Man is a painter and always has been. As early as 25,000 BC the subjects of his first paintings were animals. It is surely a remarkable fact that, while nature was the first subject for man's artistic attention, it was largely overlooked for thousands of years and has only in the last four centuries again become an important stimulus to his creative endeavour.
Perhaps then it is a surprise that, as far as we know, it was not until the opening
of Nature in Art in 1988 that the heritage of art inspired by nature has been exclusively
collected, displayed and celebrated. While national art collections in many countries
have been notable for the breadth and variety of their subject matter and the magnificent
quality of the work they exhibit, they have largely neglected works of art depicting
nature. Boosted by the growth all around the world of a sense of public and individual
responsibility for conservation of the environment and our heritage in nature, and
for inter-
Back in 1982 when the charity that owns and runs Nature in Art was established –
at that time with no money, no collection and no building, it’s only asset was a
‘good idea’ and enthusiasm – a self-
This website gives you a snapshot of the activities of the museum and a very small glimpse of some of its collections.
