The Ann Bryant Art Gallery seeks through its collections of fine and decorative arts to increase aesthetic awareness of cultural diversity and to afford our whole community means of enjoyment and enrichment from the visual arts. It also seeks to promote the work of worthy contemporary Eastern Cape artists. The Ann Bryant has a strong collection of South African art, especially from the 1960’s but also earlier works.

At one time the East London Fine Art Society took over the running of the gallery and had major exhibitions, for example by Thinus de Jongh and Hugo Naude.  The gallery sometimes bought from these exhibitions.  It holds works by Norman Catherine, Judith Mason, Walter Battiss, Sydney Carter, George Pemba, John Maufangejo, Cyprian Shilakoe, Willie Bester and many others.