A world first – and a warning
The Mostyn was the first art gallery in the world built to show the work of women artists – but it is important to distinguish between the building of 1901 and the organization established in 1978 which uses it today. The building itself remains Lady Augusta Mostyn’s major legacy to the town of Llandudno, but today’s Mostyn organization has no connection with the one founded by Lady Augusta in 1901.
Lady Augusta Mostyn, head of the Mostyn family since 1861, noted benefactor of the Arts and an accomplished landscape photographer since the 1850s, was President and Patron of Gwynedd Ladies’ Arts Society (GLAS). GLAS members came from all over Great Britain but on gender grounds were denied membership of the Royal Cambrian Academy, whose exhibitions were held in nearby Conwy. Lady Augusta therefore had the Mostyn Art Gallery built so that GLAS members could exhibit their works to the public.
Designed in 1900 by the Mostyn estates architect G A Humphreys, the Gallery was built on the site of the 1896 Arts and Crafts Pavilion of the National Eisteddfod of Wales. It began showing exhibitions from 1901 and was opened officially in 1902. The Gallery’s role as home to GLAS ended after only a few years however, and it closed altogether in 1913 when, with war looming, it was requisitioned for use as a drill hall. In subsequent years it was used for a variety storage and commercial purposes and was again requisitioned in 1939, this time by the Inland Revenue on the evacuation of its headquarters to Llandudno during the Second World War.
In 1976, with the gallery spaces being used as piano and organ showrooms, the noted artist Kyffin Williams, with others, suggested that it should house the new public art gallery proposed for north Wales. A company with charitable status, the Mostyn in its present form was formed in 1978 and opened on xx August 1979 with an exhibition entitled The Native Land. The building’s original 1901 terracotta façade and exhibition galleries were more or less intact, restored under the under the auspices of architects xxxxx. As ‘Oriel Mostyn’ it became widely known as a leading contemporary gallery.
The building was granted Listed Building status in 1971, although many years earlier parts of it had been sold and joined internally to the Post Office Building next to it. Relocation of postal facilities led to these being sold in 2003, together with other areas to the rear which were later additions. Some of these were acquired by Oriel Mostyn and redevelopment began in 2007. Shortly after redevelopment started the shop area, which was let and run separately, was also acquired.
In a design by Ellis Williams Architects integrating old and new, the façade, canopy and original exhibition galleries were fully restored while other areas were demolished and completely remodelled to include new gallery spaces and social facilities including a café. Renamed simply ‘Mostyn’ the new, expanded gallery reopened to the public on 22 May 2010. A poem to commemorate the reopening was commissioned from the National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke.
