Reviews of The Bateman Gallery (Museum)

Sherwin Arnott

Went there to see the One Shot for Coastal Carnivores exhibit, with Raincoast Conservation Foundation, and was really inspired.

Paul Taylor

This is a wonderful display of Robert Bateman's art and art from others all with a nature theme. Quote of the day, the world would be a better place if everyone was a bird watcher.

Chris N.

It is a fun exhibit, affordably priced. Changed my mind (for the better) about Bateman's work. The 1 Maple Exhibit is also very worthwhile.

A S

I am a big fan of Robert Bateman.

Stephen H

Enjoyed a couple of hours here. Lots of wildlife art .

Greg Curno

Enjoyed my visit, worth listening to the tour guide. Good bar restaurant.

Krystle Raymond

Was not opened as advertised on their webpage: late Tuesday evenings. Went into town especially to see this gallery and was very disappointed to be greeted with a locked, dark glass door.

Monique Th

Lovely little gallery to visit that features the progression and diversity of Bateman's art. A free tour was offered with admission and this offered a lot of insight on the artist's life and creative process. It is worth checking out what time the tour is at and plan accordingly. There is also an art/colouring room for kids that overlooks the harbour.

Striking Crayon

You pay for the food and the burger was almost worth the price without the view.

Yvonne Perrett

Gorgeous paintings!!! I liked it better than the Victoria art gallery

Silvestro Alcuri

Great sense of the detail. Extremely sober and huge sense and respect for nature. My top best artist.

nicole alexandra (il6unas)

Such a bright, beautiful space. Their exhibits are always enjoyable as well, and I can never spend enough time here - so peaceful and with amazing views of the harbour.

Ric Johnson

A good way to explore Bateman's larger career. Everyone knows his photo-realist wildlife images but he was much more than that. Check it out. BTW, this is not a large gallery and a couple hours are plenty for most people. Only about $10 admission.

Darnell Kebo

10/27/19: Visiting Victoria for the weekend and has to stop in to see the Into the Arctic exhibit. Beautiful pieces!!

Erin Ross

Beautiful display of One Tree and Robert Bateman, a great mix

Gilly M

I enjoyed the original artwork, but found there was a lot more of his older bird paintings, then other animals, such as bears and wolves. The price is 10.00 a person, which isnt to bad, but still a bit expensive for how small the gallery is

A. Castley

My first experience of this gallery was on a first date in the Fall. Bateman's work has the ability to pull you into the magic of nature and the stillness of peace, it is a kind of meditation to experience in person. I found the video a sincere and intimate account of Bateman's purpose to connect people with nature and actually watched it a couple times in a row. Great gallery for the artist and naturalist alike. 45 minutes is a good average time for the curious.

Anneke Rotmeyer

Fantastic gallery and gift shop. This is a must-see for any Robert Bateman fan.

Ofek Gila

Amazing artwork with picture-perfect detail. The artist is still with us, and the tour guides know him personally, so it allows you to gain a closer sense of intimacy with the pieces.

Adrian Uddhava

After visiting I felt deeply connected to Bateman on a human level. The amazing artwork is just the surface of a true naturalist, earth-protector, and biology geek. A national treasure for sure.

Wies Vanstockem

Lovely small gallery with some beautiful artwork! I really liked the poems as well, and the VR video. Inspiring place!

Jamie Irwin

Paid $20 +taxes for 2 of us and it's a 10 minute walk through. I understand supporting the artists but kinda pricey for 500-600sqft. area with only a few of Bateman's works. The rest were other artists.

PerryKari G

Waste od time The one tree exhibit is no longer there. Actually, very few pieces of Robert Bateman's work is there.

Liam Cline

So vivid and moving! Defs worth it to take the guided tour every day at 2PM, you'll learn so much more about the man

Mathieu Powell

Attended a function, and I enjoyed getting to know Mr. Bateman through his work. Family friendly too.

Krystle Middle

Small but lovely gallery. If you want to be thorough a bit more than an hour ought to do. It was by donation in liue of covid which I thought was very sweet.

Jane Curry

A great sampling of his work across his 7 decades of work. The birds gallery included sounds of the calls of birds depicted. Catch the Tuesday 2pm tour to learn personal insights on a sampling of his work. Well worth a visit.

Vanessa Del Priore

Fan of Robert Bateman visiting from Toronto. Loved the exhibit, and really enjoyed seeing the variety of his work. I only wish it were just a bit bigger. The paintings are stunning in person.

Laura Simms

The gallery was well set up with a broad assortment of Mr. Batemans work over his career. The video clip at the beginning was especially nice, in his own words!

土萠ほたる

Special tip: Reserve a Robert Bateman family pass at the Greater Victoria Public Library. It's a wonderful way to get friends and family immersed with the lovely artwork collection. Then if you're local, you can decide if investing an annual pass for yourself or the household is the way to go.

Realistic Reviews Mrs. G

We just visited today with our daughter for her birthday. What a disappointment. We felt that it was faulty deceptive marketing. We had anticipated viewing Robert Bateman's work but found very little of his work inside. Within 20 minutes we were out. The lady working there told us that because his showing was in the gallery for an extended period of time ...that theu had to change things..that people wanted to see something new. There is no way we would have wasted our money if we knew that there was so little to see.

Anne Carroll

Lovely gallery tucked into a pretty building right on the waterfront. Well-presented and interesting information about the artist's background and large body of amazing work, helpful and insightful supporting interpretive content, and well-done special exhibitions.

Amanda Eads

Good family experience. Had an area for kids to color and some interactive exhibits.

Rupert Gadd

Gallery of Robert Bateman's art plus a rotating gallery. Now is poetry by Victoria's Poet Laureate, Yvonne Blomer written in response to the artwork. This is a must see event. The poetry is provocative and thoughtful, complementing the paintings. Yvonne Blomer has recorded audio tracks of the poems, that you can listen to on provided iPads. The poems are also displayed next to it's painting. Some of these paintings are not usually on display, so seeing them is a nice treat. Robert Bateman is one of Canada's best loved painters, best known for his paintings of nature and animals.

The Simmering Pot

I have always appreciated Robert's art and the museum gives you a different perspective on his story. Some of the pieces are absolutely beautiful up close. I really enjoyed walking through and learning more about the artist!

James Deptuch

The one tree exhibit. All the pieces made of wood come from a single tree.

Burton DeGroot

Great atmosphere and location to view some amazing, and interactive art displays. Right on the historic inner harbor, it's easy to get to and fit into a trip to downtown Victoria.

George Sranko

Bateman's artwork is outstanding and there are often interesting and timely speakers on various nature-related topics.

Marg MacQuarrie

Great vintage building. Bateman tries to promote people who care for nature.

Calum Mackinnon

Beautiful building, beautiful art! ‘One Tree’ exhibit was stellar, all art made from the same tree!

Shannon Bowles

The Bateman Centre is a gallery of Robert Bateman's art in an open setting which also allows for the space to be rented for gatherings or meetings. The Bateman Centre is located on the upper floor of the Steamship Terminal in Victoria's Inner Harbour. The Bateman Centre does not have a restaurant (as per another bad review of fish & chips lol) but is in the same building as a restaurant called the "Steamship Grill". Great facility, wonderful gallery.

Philip Schram

Loved this place. Robert Bateman an incredible artist. You see more of his early work and learn more about his personal views. Worth the visit.

A Hesitant Traveler

A true legend! This small gallery has a very good amount of education and information about Robert Bateman, his life in the early years and the latter ones as well as quite a lot of his works displayed. A good place to go for a shorter tour (20-30 minutes) rather than the larger Royal Museum down the block (1-2hours). Well done! Donate generously to keep this great man's vision alive for our children and future generations!

fishomelette

Walked through while travelling in Victoria and plenty of astonishing murals, paintings and artifacts. Starbucks is located outside of the entrance.

Ron J

Always loved Bateman paintings and loved seeing some up close at this winderful gallery in an equally beautiful setting. Well worth admission to browse the beautiful works of art or pick up something at the gift show to remind you of the exsperience.

TL A

I went to see the "One Tree" exhibit at The Robert Bateman Gallery. This spectacular display of master crafted unique items, all are carved from one massive maple tree! This incredible exhibit also had featured artists. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with Christi York whose contemporary basketry, uses a large wedge of the maple as her base. Her manner of describing the artistic process, provided wonderful imagery!The exhibit closes at the end of February. Items are priced and many are for purchase. A fantastic addition, is the Gift shop at the base of the Gallery stairs, which has exceptional customer service!

Clint L'Heureux

An interesting little gallery. At the time of our visit there was an exhibition of objects made from an oak tree that had to be taken down.

Tanis Abuda

Small but a fantastic opportunity to see his art which is so much better in real life. The indigenous art was neat to see also.

Eric Davis

Great little gallery dedicated to the work of Robert Bateman. His work is definitely worth a look.

Shael Zelunka

Really lovely spot for a 1hr visit.. not a huge place but good quality and dedicated staff. Can't pretend like there's many other options for art in Victoria

Romina Miranda

This space is BEAUTIFUL. EVERY time I come I'm AMAZED by the artist & dedication to Mother Earth‼ There was a Juno folx singer, a poet & interactive ART. HALLELUJAH we DANCED 2 ????❤

Alexis MacMillan

An intimate look at Robert Bateman's work and thoughts. Go for the tour.

Christine “Xtine” Belliveau

This artist has a wealth of paintings and the space is too small.

Devin Watson

Incredible art, definitely worth a visit

Luna See

Lovely gallery with helpful staff. Amazing art. Go on a Tuesday for a tour.

Allan Miller

An interesting collection. Well curated and presented. A quiet place to visit in the city of Victoria. Very accessible!

Asad “Arcane”

Good gallery with lots of amazing and interesting paintings from Robert Bateman. If you have never experienced his paintings then you must visit the gallery to experience capturing nature in beautiful artwork.

Beth Brown

If you love the artwork of Robert Bateman, you must go to this! Check out when they offer the guided tour. The tour is free and added a lot to the overall experience.

Nicole Slater

A bit of a smaller collection than I expected with a focus on his earlier work but a lovely space, convenient location and some fabulous pieces!

Robyn (Birdbeans)

Amazing display of Bateman's work. The One Tree exhibit was also incredible. I had a really lovely experience.

Lorraine Buchanan

Really enjoyed the "One Tree" event, and the fact that they gave us a reduced admission rate since we came so late in the day.

Tim Stoner

I received some passes from the library to bring my family. We were welcomed by a modest venue that manages to get a lot of really fabulous works from Robert Bateman (and others!) into a small space. There's a special spot that my 4 year old loved - a small alcove that has some intricate and meticulously painted birds with the sounds they make. Great homage to a local legend.

Lisa R

Amazing photographs. It's an outing that is good for all ages

Donald Cassidy

I was first introduced to Robert Batman when I was a teenager in the 80's so the first thing I did when in Victoria was visit the Center. Lucky for me Mr. Bateman was there and I had a wonderful visit and he was grateful enough to sign a print for me that I purchased. Momentum Siberian Tiger AP 63/150 this is a treasure to me.

Michelle Menard

Really worth checking out so take your time and enjoy it all especially the bird call area.

Tara Simpson

Beautiful gallery in a beautiful location. The art was displayed wonderful, the staff were open and friendly and it was an all around lovely experience!

Sadie Greenaway

Excited to see that Robert Bateman finally has a place to exhibit his incredible art. Great experience.

Terry Sellers

I enjoyed the gallery tremendously and the nice young lady helped me order a few prints to be shipped to my house, she was exceptionally patient with me as I know I can be a pain sometimes, it happens with age and injury. I will be back next year. Merci

Alanah

Featuring local artists for special events and supporting art and nature, what a winning combo!

Maureen Gusway

You must see the one tree exhibit. Lovely, breath taking and free today for kids. Feb 14 2020

Len Conrad

I love RB's works and this is the best collection that I know of - great gift shop too!

Sandra Weiler

Robert Bateman's artwork always involves a reaction of peace or mindfulness of the message he sent to the viewer through the masterful interpretation of the world around us. The atmosphere portrayed can either make you almost feel the damp cold air of a foggy morning, the feel of snow flakes falling on your face, or the song of a bird along the edge of a brook, and on and on and on..... It is unbelievable how he has been able to impact so many people in such a positive way through his work!

Jeffery Will

Located in the old wax museum building, updated surroundings with a few of the original furnishings still in place, has very large gallery areas for viewing the paintings

Greg Johnson

Fantastic studio. Intimate space with the one and only Robert Bateman in person. Amazing as Robert is very comfortable here, generous with his time. A great story teller. I will be back.

Michelle Gregoire

Fantastic! Both the One Tree and Robert Bateman exhibits exceeded my expectations

Mark

Great little exhibit to see into the life and history of the painter. (Wish it was bigger)

Nick McMaster

This is a great art gallery! I visit multiple times a year not just for Robert Bateman but for all the amazing shows that come through. Truly always a joy to come through.

Brad S

The restaurant on the main floor is nice looking and has a lovely patio but the food was not worth it. The batter on the fish and complimentary calamari was awful. Too thick and tasted strongly of old frier grease, completely over powered the taste of the meat inside. Would not eat here again. On the plus side this build has one of the few public washrooms around and (though i didn't tour the gallery but i do own some of his work) an art gallery of an incredible artist.

Beth Knight

Beautiful artwork. Interesting and knowledgeable guide. But I expected more of Robert Bateman's work rather than artists in his genre.

Jim Hall

Really enjoyed viewing Bateman's work and learning about his development as an wildlife artist. Also really enjoyed seeing Terry Venables incredible wildlife photographs.

Debbie Hailstone

Robert Bateman gallery is so inviting. Thete is a video we can watch upon entering the entrance to the Gallery. I would highly recommend watching it.

Jimmy Cameron

Great fish!!! This is a great restaurant to enjoy the day and watch the world go by. Killer deserts and the staff truly enjoy the guests.

Karen B

Glad it was free the day we visited. Nice to see original works.

crazy white nomad

Not much Robert Bateman to see but overall it's a good display

Alan Keser

The building has been very well restored to it's old charm

Terry Novak

Would go just to see his work.The original wood exhibit was the bonus.

wilsonamyc

Beautiful museum. A great value. You can't beat seeing these lovely paintings close up.

K C

Lovely place! Kids friendly and they love it. Remember to read the notes beside the pictures, then will feel the connection with Robert Batwman.

Kirsta Fontanilla

We saw the ONE TREE exhibit, and I was blown away by the diversity of inspiration and high level of craftsmanship. Well worth seeing!

Fong Deep

We did the guided tour and it was a very informative and inspiring tour. The tour guide made it seem as though the artist was there talking with us and she was very knowledgeable about all of the artwork. This is a great place to visit if you are into art, or nature as Robert Bateman's art captures the soul of the animals he paints. Luckily we had the guided tour as otherwise there weren't enough other sources of information to explain the art, but all in all this was a great experience.

Barbara Giuliany

Beautiful facility. The One Tree exhibit, as always, is simply amazimg again this year. The Bateman art as a backdrop is an unbelievable combination!

Derek Miura

An interesting and historical reflection on Robert Bateman's work.

YVR Vancouver

BC Family Day is free admission! Until February 29, 2020 is the One Tree exhibit -- not to be missed! One of a kind wood works! See them soon since all pieces are for sale and some are already sold.

David Nelson

We have been members for years. Always great exhibits, very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Pleasure to visit.

Celia Payne

Amazing.

Aaron Jacques

Wonderful works of art by perhaps one of Canada's most recognizable artists. If you have seen wildlife art on a chocolate tin or calendar in Canada, you have probably seen at least one of Robert Bateman's pieces.

Heidi Bevington

Small gallery but beautiful work. Paintings are realistic. Would be a good place to take kids for an intro to art because its not too big.

JR Stokes

Very lifelike paintings. Like how he is trying to encourage people to enjoy and appreciate nature more. Very nice gallery, although it is a little small.

Teresa Kaup

So disappointed that most of the Robert Bateman paintings were taken out! Not worth $10 anymore. Please bring back all of his paintings! So sad. Most of the museum is taken up by contemporary plastic bags taken from the ocean to promote not polluting the ocean. Please have one small area for that. So sad to take away beautiful paintings by an artist who is an environmentalist as well. Please bring his paintings back!

Carolyn Hart-Mylie

We love his paintings and the museum gave us a glimpse into his life as well.

Melanie Freer

The food was quite good. The pasta was beautifully presented and had a little bit of spice to just keep it interesting and not overbearing. I was impressed at the thought put into the patio dining which overlooks the harbor as each seat has a fleece blanket for the lap (or shoulders) and a patio warmer from above. The staff was very friendly and quite helpful at making sure we were out in time to catch the ferry back to Port Angeles. My son liked the grilled cheese sandwich; however, given the thickness of the bread used, I wouldn't recommend the grilled cheese sandwich for toddlers. This restaurant shares the same building as a Starbucks and an art gallery. It is right next door to the Blackball Ferryline to Port Angeles, WA.

Paul L

Small, but very cute exhibition of paintings chosen with love and care. I was really impressed by great work of the entire team and enjoyed this place a lot. They absolutely leave Vancouver Art Gallery in the dust. Will come again at my next visit to the island.

Eileen Harrison

Impressive unique pieces recycle creative Valued gallery

Annette Freisinger

Lots of different paintings in different styles from years of his work. They change the paintings every once in a while cause they have lots to show.