A thriving town centre art studio is launching a new studio sale and exhibition with a twist at this weekend’s ‘The Big Fat Salon Hang‘ in the Old Arcade.

Since moving into their space in The Arcade, the POP STUDIO4 artists have gone from strength to strength.  The last weekend of October will see this working studio transformed into a floor-to-ceiling feast of original art for sale; from framed originals and limited-edition prints to never-before-seen work created in the space. 

“Our aim is to provide an unpretentious, welcoming, creative show for Bedford’s residents and visitors across three days,” said founder and artist, Talia Giles.

“This is a chance to see an art exhibit in the same space that is actually made, right in the heart of the town centre.”

The Big Fat Salon Hang runs from Friday, 25 – Sunday, 27 October, from 10am – 5pm, with a Friday evening late event.

All the work on show will be for sale, with artwork to suit all budgets and tastes, from abstract and figurative painting through to intricate illustration and fantasy work.   

Creative community

POP STUDIO4 is a shared artist studio and part of the Pride Of Place Bedford Project (POP), founded by artist and creative producer Talia Giles and opened in May 2023. 

Located next to the iconic Leonards, it is currently home to five Bedford-based artists at varying stages of their career: Emily Baxter, Giacomo Verdura, Fiona Wilson, Mo Rahman and Talia.

Studio artist Giacomo Verdura told the Bedford Clanger: “I have been part of POP STUDIOS since the beginning, and the way I work and cohabitate amongst other creatives has massively progressed since then.

“We bounce off of each other when painting together, probe, dance and challenge one another. We discuss and give input, we encourage one another, reassure when it’s ok to step back.”  

Talia says that the vision has always been to help nurture and grow the creative ecosystem here in Bedford, but in addition, ensure that the project can support individuals’ Professional Development and grow their skillset.

Illustrator and animator Emily Baxter said that, “since joining the studio, numerous opportunities have emerged, both creatively and
professionally.

“Being surrounded by like-minded artists has broadened my network significantly, allowing me to collaborate on exciting new projects I wouldn’t have otherwise known about.

“The studio’s community has introduced me to art collectors, curators, and other small business owners, opening doors for potential partnerships and commissions. Overall, it has been a pivotal experience for my growth and visibility in the art world.”

POP Bedford

Pride of Place Bedford is a cultural placemaking initiative that is artist-led, for the community, which aims to reinvent and reimagine vacant retail and office space across the town centre.

Founder Talia Giles says: “It is my hope that I can open up more shared studio spaces such as these across the town centre using long-term vacant units, as there are over 70 artists and creatives in Bedford currently in need of a space.

“But, it’s an uphill struggle to get landlords, and even the council onside, despite the latter using POP STUDIO4 as a showground for important visitors. 

“It would be great to see the council show a united front, and actively campaign for landlords to open up their
spaces for these types of projects.”

POP STUDIO4 itself is completely self-funded and Talia was able to negotiate a deal following the relationships she had built up with agents and landlords whilst looking for a pop-up space for the POP BEDFORD project in partnership with Bedford Creative Arts (BCA) last year. 

“It looks great, draws a lot of interest and interaction with passers-by, and makes use of what was an otherwise empty retail unit,” she said.

“From a build perspective, all we did was paint the floor and we moved in.” 

Landlords have also realised the advantages of working with POP BEDFORD.

“There are huge advantages for landlords such as rates mitigation, short notice periods, or simply, a chance to keep your unit looking more attractive whilst it’s vacant,” said Talia.

“The beauty of creatives is that they can organically transform the space into something wonderful and attract more visitors to the town centre and surrounding businesses.

“So, if you are a landlord or commercial agent reading this that is interested in unlocking the potential of their space for meanwhile use, using either a license (for the windows only) or a shorter-term lease period for the whole premises, I have artists and projects ready to go that can transform your space – we just need functioning facilities!

“As soon as we moved into 5 Midland Road last year for the pop-up on a three-month lease, the landlord secured a full-time tenant which shows proof of concept. The space instantly became more desirable.”

Talia currently relies on funding for any work she does on the project, and much of it is purely out a of a passion for change [read: unpaid].

And as others have found before her, this approach is not sustainable in the long run.

“Hopefully an answer is imminent so we can finally start providing meaningful access to creative spaces for both artists and the local community very soon.”

To attend the Friday evening event from 6pm – 9pm, please RSVP to popbedford@gmail.com.  For more details on the exhibition, head to the event page here and find out about the wider Pride of Place Project here.