Welcome to the Bracknell Communi


Welcome to the Bracknell Community Gallery outside St Joseph's Church in Bracknell town centre RG12 1HA United Kingdom


CO-ORDINATOR Hugh Gibbons hughgibbons@just1.org.uk	THE GALLERY CAME TO A CLOSE IN MID-SEPTEMBER 2106 This is in readiness for planned changes to the front of St Joseph's Church. The pictures have gone to new homes. Some are back with their artists. Some have found apt new exhibition sites (eg the Iamalala Tree to the RE department at Ranelagh; Joy Aloft to White Waltham Academy). This website will remain, as will the Facebook page The concept of the World School Wall Club. (The Wall itself will be arranged on trees at St Margaret Clitherow Primary in Hanworth, with a rededication planned for the Universal Children's Day in November.) This is an opportunity thank the many hundreds of individuals, families, pupils and parents who contributed their time, art and soul to the Gallery. And thanks also go to Bracknell Catholic Parish for allowing their private space to be used for the enjoyment, education and surprise of hundreds of thousands of passers-by. ON VIEW 24/7, the Gallery was a unique contribution to civic responsibility - sort of public art with VGSOH and its sleeves rolled up. And it's made history. This is what we were were able to say. Since March 2015, the Gallery's given smiles, surprises, puzzlement and corner-of-the-eye pleasure to thousands of people passing by, sitting outside Princess Square, or sunning themselves on the grassy bank. Nearly four dozen original paintings show Greeters & Inspirers, The World School Wall, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and grins and groans of Rebuses. The Gallery had its origins in several other cheery arrays of exemplary people - made for local schools and inside and outside churches. Go here for a glimpse. The Community Gallery is different from all others - notably the National Portrait Gallery - in several inventive ways: It's outdoors, on plywood, using acrylic paints to withstand rain, rain and frost All the pictures have been created specially for the setting, and are roughly the same size, hanging on hooks, with notes on the frames The artists are all amateur - many having never picked up a brush before - with pictures involving individuals, families, school pupils, staff and parents, charities, businesses and other local organisations There's lots to smile about - and wave at - whenever you go by - while it's there.

	THE RAILINGS GALLERY OF GREETERS & INSPIRERS The Gallery was opened in late March 2015. The volunteer artists came from families, schools, churches, charities, businesses and other communities. Many of them had never before picked up a paintbrush, and were surprised at their talent and the enjoyment working to a common specification. Collectively, the exhibits make a delightful and eyecatching array - but each has its own story rich. Together they show great humanity, creativity, imagination, and lots of good humour. For detailed information on each of the exhibits, click

	THE WORLD SCHOOL WALL AND CLUB The Wall opened on 12 July 2015. It was created below the Railings Gallery as an 18th birthday present to Malala Yousafzai - but also to give thanks and admiration to all the other brave and inspiring voices or social justice. around the world. The Wall has pictures from depicting different aspects of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Several were created by pupils and parents - meaning that several hundred people become artists. The Club is a simple way by which schools or families anywhere in the world can add their own art - with an SDG collage of any size that they can exhibit and treasure on one of their own walls. For more information, click

	THE BRACKNELL REBUS STATION The Station opened in May 2016 as a little bit of visual and verbal fun to generate grins and groans for children of all ages passing the northern edge of the Gallery. The Station has six colourful boards recycled from a kitchen in South Bracknell. Each has some puzzles in which numbers and words make up well-known phrases - some of them very local and appropriate to the location. For more information, click

PDF Poster to download and circulate or print as A4/A3	PUTTING YOU IN THE PICTURE EVENINGS ARE NOW CANCELLED (but the idea might get you thinking) Under the aegis of the Gallery, this is a short end -of-year series of open and public get-togethers that should appeal to many people in the Bracknell area. Expert-led, they’re aimed at providing an opportunity to explore important developments likely to impact families, finances, interaction, education, social and healthcare services, environmental policies, and other angles on family and community life. The events are free, but with a collection to be shared by local charities. Each evening will run in the parish hall of St Joseph's Church, from 7.30pm to about 9.30pm. The first is LEXICONFAB on Wednesday 28th September - an opportunity examine the human side of Bracknell Regeneration, and consider some of the impacts on our communities. For more information click on