Swindon & Wiltshire News
Pop-up art spaces bring colour and animation to Trowbridge town centre
A series of art displays has been popping up in empty retail units in Trowbridge, in an initiative spearheaded by Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce.
The displays feature the work of local artists, photographers and creatives, bringing colour and animation to the high street.
Trowbridge residents and visitors have been stopping to admire the work saying how uplifting it is to see such vibrant artwork filling previously empty shop windows.
Artwork includes paintings by local artists Annette Smith, Jennifer Quinnell, Jane Scrivener, Susan Cook, Roy Wilson, Yvonne Powell, Alan James Gardner and Nicola Hawkins, and poems by Diana Durham, whose work can be viewed in the windows of the former Starbucks unit in Fore Street.
The Trowbridge Camera Club, which organises weekly meetings for photography enthusiasts, is exhibiting members’ photographs on subjects ranging from motorsport to cityscapes and wildlife in the former Woolworths/British Heart Foundation store.
The Sustainable Image Lab, known as SILT, a visual arts research studio for image-making with ecologically sound materials, is displaying work in a newly renovated unit in Fore Street.
Pop-up art spaces not only make the town centre more attractive but also help to encourage new businesses to take over previously empty units.
Several businesses are opening soon in Trowbridge, including the Always You Bridal Shop in Silver Street, which previously featured pop-up art displays organised by the Trowbridge Chamber, Bether’s Dog Spa & Services in Roundstone Street, owned by 18 year old entrepreneur Beth Gover, and the British fashion brand Cotton Traders, which has just opened its latest store at the Trowbridge Garden Centre.
Trowbridge Chamber is a not-for-profit, community interest company with over 220 members and is one of the largest business networks in Wiltshire.
The Chamber champions local businesses, organises monthly networking events, represents businesses at local and national level, liaises with Wiltshire Police and town councillors, and promotes Trowbridge as a good place to do business.
