Croeso Cynnes | Warm Welcome

Who are we?

Oriel Davies is a friendly art gallery located in a park in the town centre of Newtown, Powys, Mid Wales, but we are so much more. We're an independent charity providing opportunities for the people of Mid Wales and beyond to connect with contemporary art. We recently opened a cafe as a way to provide a space for people to socialise, spend time and work. Any profits from the cafe go into our programme funds to enable workshops, exhibitions, events and projects for our local community.

Community impact

As an organisation we bring the very best of contemporary art to our local community. 

Oriel Davies connects people with contemporary art and culture in Mid Wales, providing opportunities to experience artists working within a Welsh context in a stimulating, engaging, inclusive and welcoming environment. 

We are one of the leading galleries in Wales and the principal contemporary visual arts venue for the Mid Wales and Welsh Borders region. We are a meeting place for communities and society. We play an important role in creating spaces that are relevant to our local communities by working in partnership to deliver diverse, inclusive and meaningful programmes, opportunities and experiences.

Our story feeds into our programme. We celebrate the green spaces, the environment, the River Severn, the Montgomeryshire Canal, our industrial and agricultural heritage, our history. We look to the Davies Sisters, Robert Owen, David Davies, Laura Ashley and Pryce Pryce Jones. We want to tell these stories through contemporary, creative responses.

Our exhibition programme explores ideas and thoughts from a Welsh perspective. We currently have our third National Gallery Masterpiece tour bringing old masters by Chardin, Rembrandt and Verrocchio to mid Wales. 

Our Wellbeing in Green Spaces project is exploring Newtown's green and blue spaces through art, gardening and nature with individuals and groups, for the health and well-being of our communities.

Kind to The Mind - creative adventures for children is an art club for 8 - 12 year olds providing a nurturing space for curiosity, imagination and friendship to flourish.

Why are we crowdfunding?

People who visit OD regularly describe us as warm, welcoming and friendly. Everyone who visits is greeted by one of our staff team when they first come into the gallery – that’s always the way.

Now though, as the temperatures drop and the cost of heating rises, we want to extend that warm welcome to those that are interested in who we are and what we do. We’re an independent charity. This is your space and you are welcome here. You don’t need to have a reason to come to Oriel Davies to spend time and keep warm – just come in, make yourself comfortable and let staff know if you need any help (staff may be wearing a sweatshirt with DAVIES written on the back). We may not be able to meet all your needs but here’s what we can offer:

• We have free exhibitions to see.
• We have a cafe with underfloor heating. All proceeds go towards our programme. You’re welcome to sit in here as long as you like. You don't have to buy anything.
• We have a programme of events, many of them free, that you can sign up for and join in.
• We have information on more resourced ‘warm banks’ nearby, details of other supportive organisations in the area, and a community noticeboard for information about what’s on elsewhere.
• We have an accessible, gender neutral toilet.
• We provide warm fleece blankets made from 100% recycled material.
• You are welcome to bring your own portable devices to charge them and use our Wi-Fi for free.

How we’ll spend the money raised

Our Cafe is only open Wednesday to Saturday 11-3. With additional support we could open the cafe area on Tuesday and extend the hours to 4pm to enable more people to take advantage of our warm space. We'd like to provide some books, newspapers, creative activities and games, and we would also offer some yoga, mindfulness workshops and creative activities in a warm space to help keep mental wellbeing as an integral part of people's day to day activity.

To do this we need your help. We rely on donations to stay open, to provide a space where everyone feels welcomed, safe and warm. 

Please donate whatever you can to support this project and lets stay warm, focused and friendly this Winter.