A community art exhibition titled 'Panacea – From and Inspired By' will open at the Panacea Museum in Bedford on June 6th and run until September 20th. The show features works by the local art group Beds Urban Sketchers, who have been creating pieces since February inspired by the museum's buildings and history. The exhibition includes paintings, drawings, sketchbooks, textiles, and sculptures, with contributions from artists such as Christine Walsh, Geoff Wicks, Talia Giles, and Helen Jones.
This exhibition matters because it highlights the role of community-based art groups in engaging with local heritage and storytelling. By partnering with a global organization like Urban Sketchers, the Panacea Museum connects its unique history—centered on the Panacea Society, a Christian group founded in 1919—with contemporary observational drawing practices. The free, inclusive nature of the show and the group's open sketch crawls foster broader public participation in the arts, strengthening local cultural ties and making art accessible to all ages and abilities.