THE new and improved Russel-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum is reopening on Tuesday, 18 May. 

Bournemouth’s Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum will be reopening on Tuesday 18 May after remaining closed since December 2020 due to the national lockdowns.

Thanks to generous funding from Arts Council England, DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund and other sources, the museum have been able to invest in improvements over the closure periods in preparation for its reopening this May.

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The Russell-Cotes is a unique Victorian villa situated on the East Cliff with spectacular panoramic sea views across Bournemouth and Poole Bay, the Purbecks, and the Isle of Wight.

Bournemouth Echo:

The Russell-Cotes Yellow Room, decorated with flora and fauna patterns reflecting Annie Russell-Cotes’ passion for natural history

An Art Gallery, a Museum, and Historic House, the Russell-Cotes has a celebrated collection of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite art, including 2,500 oil paintings and over 16,000 items in its world cultures collection.

Bournemouth Echo:

Russell-Cotes Hidden Highlights Exhibition.

Renovations, redisplays, investment in the collections, grounds and digital improvements have all been completed over the past year to improve the visitor experience and accessibility, and enhance the legacy of this unique museum, gifted to the people of Bournemouth by its founders, Merton and Annie-Russell-Cotes in 1922.

The Red and Yellow Rooms have been luxuriously reconfigured to enable visitors to see how they would have looked originally as Merton and Annie’s bedrooms, crammed with amazing art works and collections from their travels to Asia, Africa and south America. 

Bournemouth Echo:

The Russell-Cotes Red Room with stunning views across Bournemouth and Poole Bay.

Like Annie and Merton, visitors can now relax and enjoy the breath-taking coastal views with new seating and digital interactives.

The Mikado’s Room is a celebration of the Russell-Cotes’ Japanese collection (one of the finest in the UK), featuring armour, lacquer, metalwork and ceramics collected during the couple’s six-week trip in 1885.

Established as a museum within a museum by Merton Russell-Cotes himself, it has been restored to a more authentic style with conserved murals, hanging lanterns and Victorian-style cases.

Bournemouth Echo:

The Mikado’s Room with new display cabinets and video narrative, home to the Russell-Cotes’ Japanese collection.

The detailed Victorian painted ceilings have also been conserved and new features have been fitted in keeping with the original style of the house, along with interactive video material providing additional context to the objects and the Russell-Cotes.

The funding also provided the venue the opportunity to carry out additional improvements to the grounds including restoring the original building signs and creating an outdoor café space on the garden terrace.

Museum manager, Sarah Newman said: “We are delighted to be reopening our doors and welcoming visitors back after this closure period to see what we have been up to.

"It has been a tough time for museums, so, we are delighted to have been able to use this period positively to make so many improvements. 

"Our visitors will be wowed by the new rooms which have been transformed from tired and outdated spaces to exquisite rooms showcasing the best of the Russell-Cotes.

"Museums are for, and about, people and we hope that visitors come back soon to the Russell-Cotes for much-needed enjoyment and inspiration.

"We are so looking forward to seeing them again!”