Please note, the Piper Gallery will be closed between the 27th Nov and 7th December for essential maintenance works. Explore our website to discover John Piper while the gallery is temporarily closed. Discover John Piper

Community Gallery

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The light and airy Community Gallery is our dedicated space to share and work with local community groups and artists.

The changing series of exhibitions and displays showcases a wide range of artworks. Recent displays have included a knit and crochet extravaganza in Yarnbombing, powerful photographs from RAF Benson, and 200 years of the Leander Rowing Club.

A view down a long gallery displaying colourful quilts of people's faces

Current Display

Closes 19th September 2023

Crafty Knit and Stitch, a local group from Whitchurch on Thames, now have a series of quilts on display as part of the Face Up to Homelessness campaign.

Face up to Homelessness is being led by Launchpad, Reading’s leading homelessness prevention charity. The quilts are meant to represent one of the most basic forms of shelter and contain the portraits to show that they are facing up to the issue. The exhibition will be on display until the 19th September and there is the opportunity to purchase quilts.

Past Exhibitions

Since opening the gallery in 2017 we have welcomed over 15 local community groups and artists to share our space.

Displays have been as wide-ranging as the groups and individuals we have worked with. From youth groups displaying artworks created in collaborative workshops at the Museum, through to ‘The Sikh Arrangement’, a display of Sikh marriage traditions made in partnership with our local Sikh community in Reading. Leander Boat Club on the opposite bank of the Thames showcased their local story to celebrate their bicentenary, while Yarnbombing saw the woolly creations of a group of dedicated crafters adorn the space – from knitted trees, crocheted Wind in the Willows characters, and so much more.

A view down the Community Gallery with a display in pink and navy all about Leander Rowing Club. Life-sized models of rowers are shown alongside trophies in display cases and information on the club. In the foreground is a table and chairs with a comments board.
A view towards the windows of the Community Gallery with a TV screen showing a military man with a Canadian flag on it, and display cases further down the gallery.

Interested in working with us?

We welcome enquiries to work with us from local community groups and artists.

If you are interested in working with us to showcase the work of your community group or local artworks, we look forward to hearing from you.  Please contact us to tell us a little more about your proposed project, including the subject matter, type of work you would like to display, and any other key details. We will get back to you to discuss your proposal further.

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Two men and a woman using tin plates to row a canoe in the 1930s
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