AN art gallery which claims to be the oldest in Colchester has re-opened to the public after a three-year break.

The Minories, in High Street, opened its doors again in August with a new exhibition.

It had closed in 2020 after falling victim to the financial pressures of the coronavirus pandemic.

Art lovers turned out in force to celebrate the long-awaited re-opening, with more than 150 visitors attending the gallery’s first major exhibition opening event.

Gazette: Cheers - a glass of wine was the perfect accompanimentCheers - a glass of wine was the perfect accompaniment (Image: Maddie Pierce)

The reopening of The Minories, which was established in 1956, is an exciting development for Colchester’s art scene as there are now two art galleries - Firstsite and The Minories - open to the public within a stone’s throw of each other in the city centre.

Gallery director Emma Howe said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be back open to the public after more than three years of closure.

“At our first major opening event, it was such a joy to see the building come back to life and hear visitors’ stories about the gallery and garden.

“The love for The Minories from our local community is overwhelming and I feel very proud to be supporting its journey into the future.”

Gazette: Meaningful - visitors checked out the exhibitionMeaningful - visitors checked out the exhibition (Image: Maddie Pierce)

To support the reopening of its popular café, The Minories will be hosting a fundraising event on Saturday to raise much needed funds to refurbish the kitchen and café spaces, and to purchase essential new equipment.

The new exhibition, Michael Rothenstein: Exploding the Boundaries, is open to the public until September 24. Another exhibition showcasing the wealth of talented artists in the region will open on September 30.

Exhibitions are free to attend and more information on opening hours, as well as the fundraising event, which will feature a raffle and a live DJ, can be found at theminories.org.

The gallery is owned by the Victor Batte-Lay Foundation which is named after Colchester-born art collector Clarence Victor Batte-Lay.

He died in 1935, leaving his collection of paintings and furniture to his wife Margaret, whose wish was for the artwork to be housed and exhibited “for the benefit and advantage of the inhabitants of Colchester” following her death.