the exhibition
Landmark Art Centre Art-in-Action
20
Text by Diana Pattenden and photos supplied by Janet Morton
It all seems like a blur now looking back with so much that has happened, or not happened. How did it all come about?
The Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington is an impressive Gothic building, a converted church with flying buttresses that reach the sky. For twenty-five years it’s been on the map as an arts centre serving the community with exhibitions, concerts, fairs, live performances, comedy, exercise and art classes for all ages, not forgetting choir practice.
For the Landmark Arts Centre, the year 2020 was going to be one of celebration marking that anniversary. It was not to be... Doors were closed shut, just like many other entertainment venues and galleries, protecting us from spreading the Coronavirus.
Without a paying audience, the future of the Landmark Arts Centre was in jeopardy. Not surviving was too much for the community to bear. When I heard about a plan to have a Summer Exhibition at the Centre, the local community had already raised £48,000! It sounds like a lot but running costs, even when closed, still have to be covered.
I logged onto the website and came across a fundraising campaign where the Landmark Arts Centre Manager, Lesley Bossine, was singing the most beautiful song from that amazing place to raise money – ‘You’ve Got a Friend’ written by Carole King. It was just sublime.
The passion of keeping the Landmark Arts Centre going runs through the blood of those on the Board of Trustees, the volunteers, those employed and pretty much anyone who’s been there.
Swallow by Victoria Hunt
Taking the Plunge by Claire Nelson