About
Nature in Art is the world's first museum dedicated exclusively to art inspired by nature, set within the elegant Georgian mansion of Wallsworth Hall near Gloucester. Founded in 1982 by artist and collector Simon Trapnell, the museum has grown from a private passion into an internationally recognised institution celebrating the relationship between the natural world and human creativity across all cultures and periods.
The permanent collection spans over 600 works and encompasses an extraordinary range of media and artistic traditions — from ancient Chinese jade carvings and Japanese watercolours to contemporary British paintings, bronze sculptures, tapestries, ceramics, glasswork, and mixed-media installations. Works are drawn from across the globe and across millennia, united by a single theme: nature as subject and inspiration. The collection includes pieces by internationally acclaimed artists alongside emerging talent, creating a dialogue across time and geography that is unlike anything found in a conventional art museum.
The museum's Artists in Residence programme is one of its most distinctive features, inviting professional artists to work at the gallery for short periods and engage with visitors. Guests can watch artists at work in the studio, ask questions, and observe the creative process first-hand — a remarkable opportunity that makes the museum feel genuinely alive and dynamic. Residents have ranged from painters and printmakers to sculptors and textile artists.
Surrounding the mansion, the grounds include a beautifully maintained sculpture garden where works by contemporary artists are displayed among mature trees and lawns. Adjacent to the gallery, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) wildlife garden provides habitat for native flora and fauna, inviting visitors to experience real nature alongside its artistic representation — a juxtaposition that lies at the heart of the museum's philosophy.
Temporary exhibitions change regularly throughout the year, ensuring fresh reasons to return for regular visitors. The museum's café and gift shop complement a genuinely unique visitor experience in the Gloucestershire countryside, easily accessible from Gloucester city centre and the wider Cotswolds.
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Highlights
World's First Nature Art Museum
Nature in Art holds the distinction of being the world's first museum exclusively dedicated to art inspired by nature. Founded in 1982 by Simon Trapnell, the collection began as a private passion and grew into an internationally recognised institution.
The focus on a single unifying theme — nature — brings together works from ancient civilisations to contemporary practitioners, from Japanese watercolours to British bronze sculptures, creating connections across cultures and centuries that no general museum could replicate.
Permanent Collection of 600+ Works
The permanent collection at Nature in Art encompasses more than 600 works spanning an extraordinary range of media — oil paintings, watercolours, prints, ceramics, glass, textiles, bronze and stone sculpture, jade carvings, and mixed-media installations. Artists from across the globe are represented, united by the theme of the natural world.
Major British artists sit alongside works from China, Japan, India, and across Europe, making the collection one of the most internationally diverse of any specialist art museum in England.
Artists in Residence Programme
One of the museum's most beloved features, the Artists in Residence programme invites professional artists to work in the gallery's dedicated studio for periods throughout the year. Visitors can watch artists at work, ask questions about technique and inspiration, and gain a genuine insight into the creative process.
Residents have included painters, printmakers, sculptors, ceramicists and textile artists — the range reflects the breadth of the collection itself.
Many residency pieces are subsequently acquired for the permanent collection.
Wallsworth Hall Georgian Mansion
The museum's home, Wallsworth Hall, is a handsome Georgian country house that provides an elegant and atmospheric setting for the collection.
The mansion's period rooms lend a particular character to the display of art — pieces feel at home within their surroundings in a way that a purpose-built white-cube gallery cannot replicate. The building itself, with its classical proportions and mature grounds, is part of the visitor experience.
The contrast between the Georgian interior and the sometimes startlingly modern works on display is part of the museum's appeal.
Collections
The Permanent Collection Galleries
Displayed across multiple rooms in Wallsworth Hall, the permanent collection presents over 600 works of art inspired by nature, spanning ancient artefacts to contemporary pieces from artists around the world.
Artists in Residence Studio
A dedicated studio space where visiting resident artists work during their residency periods, open to view by visitors who can watch art being created and speak with the resident artists.
Sculpture Garden
An outdoor display of contemporary sculpture set within the mature grounds of Wallsworth Hall, complementing the indoor collection with works in dialogue with the natural landscape.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.