Glan-yr-Afon/The Riverside gallery opens its doors

Written by Visit Pembrokeshire

With Kyffin Williams: Land and Sea as the opening exhibition

The gallery at Glan-yr-Afon/The Riverside in the heart of Haverfordwest is a unique collaboration between Pembrokeshire County Council and The National Library of Wales and to celebrate its opening the gallery will host two exciting exhibitions showcasing items of both local and national importance.

Opening exhibition of Kyffin Williams: Land and Sea

Kyffin Williams: Land and Sea, will feature a fantastic collection of work from one of Wales’ most famous artists Sir Kyffin Williams to celebrate the centenary of his birth

Sir Kyffin was Wales’ most successful and prolific artist of all time. Awarded a knighthood in 1999, Sir Kyffin was an ambassador for the arts in Wales, assisting his fellow artists and helping to establish art galleries in north and south Wales.

Glan-yr-Afon / The Riverside gallery, Haverfordwest

Best known for his impasto landscapes of Wales and vigorous portraits of local and national personalities, his style has become the epitome of the nation, and his work a definition of Welshness. He also visited and painted other countries, and Glan-yr-Afon/The Riverside is thrilled to be exhibiting several of his paintings of Patagonia together with the palette used in their creation. The Kyffin Williams: Land and Sea exhibition will draw on the largest most comprehensive collection of material relating to Kyffin Williams in existence that was bequeathed to The National Library of Wales by the artist himself.

The Story of Pembrokeshire is a permanent exhibition focusing on the history, culture, arts and legends of Pembrokeshire. It will consist of original manuscripts, letters, posters, paintings and photographs from The National Library of Wales collections. Highlights include an original letter from ‘Rebecca’ to the Vicar of Penbryn, dated 16 June 1843, referring to the Vicar’s transgressions and threatening him with violence, and a Richard Wilson oil painting of Pembroke Castle.

Glan-yr-Afon/The Riverside’s gallery is part of a new flagship cultural centre right on the river in heart of Haverfordwest. It includes the new county library, coffee shop and visitor information point. The opening at 10 am on Friday 7th December will be marked with a week-long programme of activities

Both Kyffin Williams: Land and Sea and The Story of Pembrokeshire exhibitions run from 7th Dec 2018 until 11th May 2019.

Funding to build the facility came from a range of sources including Pembrokeshire County Council, Welsh Government, the Wolfson Foundation, the Foyle Foundation, and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

Haverfordwest Town Council has given a five-year funding package to ensure the library is able to open throughout the year on Saturday afternoons, the previous library has been open on Saturday mornings only.