y Gaer – Museum, Art Gallery & Library is a new cultural venue at the heart of Brecon, it includes Brecknock Museum, one of the finest small galleries in Wales, along with Brecon Library. The Museum was established in 1928 and remains housed within the Grade II* listed old Shire Hall in Brecon. It holds a significant art collection, spanning the eighteenth century to the present day. The collection is particularly strong in contemporary art with a local Welsh connection. The collections began with the aim of acquiring works and objects with a local importance to Brecknockshire.
There is a mixture of gifts and purchases in our collection, the latter have often been made through the assistance of the Brecknock Art Trust, the Art Fund and the V&A Purchase Grant Fund. Our collection is continually expanding and we actively look to acquire works which complement our existing collection. The collection contains works such as Augustus John’s ‘Welsh Mountains’, Iwan Bala’s ‘Santes Mariona’ and numerous works by Josef Herman.
y Gaer reopened to the public in December 2019, after a major Powys County Council and National Lottery Heritage Fund, Restoration project.