Wokingham

There were smiling faces all round on Thursday January 11 when Wokingham District Council’s Mall Gallery hosted a private viewing for the People, Places and Faces art exhibition. The event celebrated the end of a month-long display of community artwork by residents of Gorse Ride, Wokingham.

The exhibition showcased three large murals featuring people and places from the Gorse Ride area, created by residents during a two-day community art project in August 2006. The murals used photographs taken by local artist Patrick Harte during a litter-picking day on the Gorse Ride estate. These images were put onto paper and boards and were then painted by the residents.

The event on Thursday was an opportunity for Gorse Ride residents to view the completed artwork and celebrate the successful completion of the project. Wokingham District Council chairman Cllr Angus Ross was on hand to congratulate the residents on their achievements, along with executive member for community development Cllr Dianne King and representatives from Wokingham District Council’s tenant services and cultural services.

The project was organised by Wokingham council’s tenant services to promote positive engagement and participation within the local community through art. The exhibition was sponsored by the Wokingham District Cultural Partnership.

Wokingham District Council chairman Cllr Angus Ross said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved for all their hard work in creating these wonderful murals. This project was an opportunity for the residents of Gorse Ride to come together again and create some truly unique artwork that shows the people, places and faces of their community. The experience was assisted by the artist Patrick Harte and also the cooperation and support of a number of services in the district council. It proves that art projects can make a difference to local communities.”

Claire Denham, Wokingham community development worker for the area, worked with the residents on the project. She said: “It is so encouraging to see members of the community working with the district council on such a valuable initiative. The project brought people together from all over the Gorse Ride neighbourhood and encouraged them to participate. Everyone worked non-stop all day to create artwork that really means something to them – anyone from the local area can look at the murals and see a place or face they know. I would like to thank everyone for making the project happen!”

Wokingham District Council