Storiel Celebrates a Decade of Art and Community

Storiel, Gwynedd's museum and art gallery in Bangor, is celebrating a special milestone this year as it marks the 10th anniversary of opening its doors to the public.

Storiel was opened on 30 January, 2016 after a £2.6 million transformation project that breathed new life into the Bishop's Palace as a home to museum galleries, contemporary art, a shop, café and a community space.

Over the past decade Storiel has welcomed tens of schools and community groups and over 370,000 visitors. From artwork openings to live performances and creative workshops, the venue has become a vibrant hub for art and culture in Gwynedd.

To mark and celebrate the special anniversary, a full day of activities has been arranged for Saturday, 4 July 2026.

The activities include:

• Guided tours of the collections
• A Fossil Slate Workshop with Hannah Coates-Shea 
• Official opening of the LLORIOG // GWALLUS exhibition and a talk with artist Erin Hughes
• Official opening of the Toria Cameron exhibition and an introduction to the work by Helen Rees Leahy
• A 'Zines' workshop with Elin Angharad
• Football skills and games with Byw'n Iach
• Fun activities with Gisda

 

As part of the preparations for the celebrations, Storiel is inviting local people to share their memories and experiences of visiting by sending a short video clip (portrait) to be featured at the event and shared over the coming months: storiel@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

Councillor Medwyn Hughes, Cyngor Gwynedd's Cabinet Member for Economy and Community, said:

"We are very proud of Storiel – it is an important venue for the residents of Bangor and the whole county which celebrates the history and culture of Gwynedd.  It is an important platform for Welsh artists and makers and for people of all ages to take part in activities that foster their creativity.

"The strong partnership between Cyngor Gwynedd and Bangor University has enabled Storiel to continue to develop and discover new ways of bringing people together to enjoy stories and art on their doorstep."

Gwenan Hine, University Secretary at Bangor University added:

"We are very proud of our partnership which has existed for over a decade now with Cyngor Gwynedd to preserve the Storiel and Bangor University collections. The collaboration ensures the best possible standard of care for the collections as well as access to them for our communities and students."

The staff and Friends of Storiel look forward to welcoming visitors to Storiel between 10am and 4pm on 4 July, 2026.

All activities are free of charge, but you must book a place on the workshops in advance via the Storiel website:  #STORIEL10 Birthday - Storiel (Wales)

In addition to the July celebrations, countless exhibitions and workshops have been arranged throughout 2026 – visit the website for more information: www.storiel.cymru