Discover Tenby Museum and Art Gallery’s transformation as it reopens over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend on April 3 after an extensive four-month renovation, offering fresh displays and renewed excitement.

After four months of extensive refurbishment, your new-look Tenby Museum and Art Gallery will soon be ready to welcome residents and visitors back into this historic building situated on Castle Hill.

Head along and explore the Iron Age artefacts in the Geology and Archaeology Gallery, sit and marvel at Gwen and Augustus John's artworks, and travel through time in the ‘Story of Tenby’ exhibition.

Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers who in recent years showcased his photography work at the venue for his first ever exhibition, previously remarked: “Tenby Museum and Art Gallery really is the most perfect setting – it’s one of my favourite places to let my mind drift.”

Last year, it was announced that Tenby Museum and Art Gallery was among 29 cultural sites benefiting from £3m Welsh Government funding for facility enhancements.

Money from the funding will go towards the project ‘A Fine Ship to Sail: The Future of Tenby Museum & Art Gallery’.

The funding has allowed for improvements and renovation to the building, such as:

• Solar panels being connected;

• New double-glazed windows;

• New and accessible storage created;

• Display areas re-painted;

• Exterior painting of the building and new signage.

Beth Rich and Sarah Eastlake together with their sister Jill have generously donated a portrait of their grandmother Betty Domleo (later Betty Eastlake), as part of the Museum’s new look permanent collection in the Wilfred Harrison Gallery.

When Edward Joseph Head, artist and teacher, arrived in Tenby in 1894, he was immediately influential in the early careers of both Gwen and Augustus John.

Beth Rich and Sarah Eastlake together with their sister Jill have generously donated a portrait of their grandmother Betty Domleo (later Betty Eastlake), as part of the Museum’s new look permanent collection in the Wilfred Harrison Gallery.
Beth Rich and Sarah Eastlake (pictured) together with their sister Jill have donated a portrait of their grandmother Betty Domleo (later Betty Eastlake). (Tenby Museum)

After the siblings left Tenby for the Slade School of Art in London, Head continued to teach his ‘Tenby Art Class’, one of whom is pictured in a photograph, that was posted on social media during the Museum’s closure during the Covid pandemic.

The photograph was of Betty Domleo taken on North Walk in 1911. Betty’s family identified her in the photograph, and contacted the Museum to tell them that Head had painted a portrait of her.

Earlier this year, the Museum’s then curator and one of the volunteers had the privilege of seeing the portrait still hanging on a wall in the family house overlooking Tenby Harbour, and hearing the family’s recollections of their aunt.

Betty’s family have now donated her portrait to the museum, where it will also form part of a future exhibition about the work of Edward Head and his pupils.

Betty Domleo (later Betty Eastlake), as part of the Museum’s new look permanent collection in the Wilfred Harrison Gallery.
The portrait of Betty Domleo will form part of the Museum’s new look permanent collection in the Wilfred Harrison Gallery. (Tenby Museum)

As part of the revamp, there will also be some Gwen John work on show, as well as that from Augustus, their mother and others from their artistic circle.

All the social history works will also be added to the venue’s main gallery downstairs.

Tenby Museum and Art Gallery re-opens on Good Friday, April 3 at 10am.

For more information, head to the Museum’s website at: https://tenbymuseum.org.uk