The MS Therapy Centre in Bedford brought together 79 artists for its 2022 pop-up exhibition and sale, using local creative work to support services for people living with multiple sclerosis.
The display included painting, jewellery, ceramics, candles, wood sculpture and prints.
Artists working inside a community fundraiser
Several participants painted live during the event, allowing visitors to see creative processes alongside finished objects. Children’s activities, a raffle and refreshments broadened the weekend beyond a conventional sales exhibition.
Photographer Nicola Morcombe was among the participating artists. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014, she described photography as a way of expressing her view of the world and temporarily escaping the pressures of illness.
Her contribution also carried a direct relationship with the venue because the centre had recently made a significant difference in her own life.
Art sustaining therapeutic provision
The MS Therapy Centre relied on fundraising to maintain treatments and support for people living with the condition.
By presenting a large group of local artists, the event created value in two directions. Artists gained public visibility and sales opportunities, while the centre used the exhibition to finance its wider work.
The project did not require all participating artists to make work about multiple sclerosis. The connection came through the event’s structure and through individual stories such as Morcombe’s.
The pop-up exhibition demonstrated how a specialist health organisation could also function temporarily as a cultural venue, inviting the surrounding community into a space that might otherwise be known mainly by its users and their families.