A DISUSED telephone box in Westbury Market Place has been transformed into a tiny gallery to display the imaginative artwork of pupils from local schools.
The creative new addition to the Market Place currently features 15 pieces of art from Westbury Junior School, but it will feature art from across schools in Westbury every six weeks or so.
Also on display are two mosaics, a Westbury shield, and the winning design from a competition that invited children to design a shield to go into the new gallery.
Cllr Jane Russ who helped bring the idea to life says, “I got the idea for this when I visited a town in Somerset that had something very similar, and I thought it was a very good use of a space that is no longer being used, as it brought some colour and life to the area.
“We’ve had some delays unfortunately, but I’m glad to say that it is now here for people to enjoy. I must add that I was blown away by some of the pieces; I used to be an art teacher myself, so I was so pleased to see the efforts some of the children have gone to!
“We’re still sorting out the process of how this will work moving forward as we want to get as many schools involved as we can, so we are looking at swapping out the art every six weeks or so. I really want kids to take a look as they walk to school or as they pass it on the weekends, so they can either see their work on display or be inspired to create something themselves.
“This felt like the right thing to do as the alternative would be to leave it there to fester, whereas turning it into a gallery allows it to live again as something new. Keep an eye on it over the next few months to see the new additions.”
The phone box gallery can be found near Garston Vets in the Market Place.
Contact the team at Westbury Town Council for more information – info@westburytowncouncil.gov.uk / 01373 822232
