Jack Moskowitz, a Thames local, opened his first solo exhibition titled "Jack's Exhibition" at the Vessel Art Gallery on April 18. The show features 32 artworks including portraits, landscapes, and cars, rendered in pastels, watercolour, ink, and dye, with a strong emphasis on colour. Jack, who has been making art since age five, received tutoring from several local artists including Sue Clark and Laurie Spera, and many pieces sold quickly to the public.
Thames Art Gallery in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, is organizing an exhibition titled "Queer Portraits" that celebrates the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The gallery is now accepting submissions from artists, with entries required to show a meaningful connection to Chatham-Kent, be created from the perspective of or in allyship with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and portray a specific person or their defining characteristics. A jury will review submissions, which are due by 4 p.m. on May 29, with up to two pieces per artist accepted across various media.
The Reading Guild of Artists (RGA) has partnered with Honesty Café in Thames Quarter, Reading, to host monthly art exhibitions by its members. The first display features vibrant prints by artist Mark Burden, launched at an event on April 16. This initiative follows other RGA projects at Reading Museum and Royal Berks Hospital, expanding the guild's community outreach.
The Thames Art Gallery in Chatham-Kent is launching two concurrent exhibitions on April 17, 2026, featuring a blend of professional and student work. Ukrainian artist Lana Matskiv presents "Hyphenated," a solo exhibition of over forty pieces including paintings and installations that explore the intersection of cultural histories and personal narratives. Alongside this, the gallery hosts "Here I Am," a juried showcase of artwork by local high school students from grades 9 through 12, culminating in a public reception and awards ceremony.
On December 18, Grays Shopping Centre hosted Winter Welcome, a community celebration produced by Thurrock-based arts organization Together Productions in collaboration with Welcome to the UK. The event featured visual arts activities, a 'Creating Home' art exhibition by the Together Create Visual Arts Collective with artists Marsha Ashley and Salina Jane, participatory singing led by Ashley Beauchamp and Thames Opera Company, and food prepared by Welcome to the UK community members. Thurrock's Deputy Mayor Cllr Steve Liddiard attended, and shoppers enjoyed a pop-up performance.
Bow Arts, a UK charity founded in 1994, has acquired two buildings in east London to create permanently affordable studio spaces for artists. The purchases include a site in the Hackney Yards development, developed in partnership with housing association Notting Hill Genesis and supported by Arts Council England and the London Legacy Development Corporation, which will provide 38 studios by 2026, and the Brutalist Lakeside Centre in Thamesmead, already housing over 40 artist studios. This follows Bow Arts’ first owned building, Three Waters, acquired in 2022 on a 999-year lease with 70 studios. The charity now owns three of the 28 buildings it manages across London, with an annual turnover of £5.1 million, most of which is reinvested into the creative community.