H•Art - John Byford & May Jones
Pop-UP Gallery, Hildreds Centre - Skegness, UK 🇬🇧
Pop-UP Gallery, Hildreds Centre - Skegness, UK 🇬🇧
John Byford - H Art Gallery, Skegness
H•Art Pop-Up Gallery - Skegness.
In 2014, the Hildreds Shopping Centre became home to a bold cultural experiment: the H•Art Pop-Up Gallery, a temporary creative space that brought contemporary art directly into the everyday life of Skegness. For several weeks, an empty retail unit was transformed into a vibrant gallery, offering residents and visitors the chance to encounter art in the most unexpected of places — between shops, coffees, errands and conversations.
Curated by John Byford & May Jones, the pop-up was conceived as a way to break down barriers, inviting people who might never step into a traditional gallery to experience photography, painting and installation work in an informal and welcoming setting. The project embraced the belief that art should be accessible, immediate and woven into the fabric of community life.
The H•Art Gallery showcased a diverse mix of local and regional talent, giving emerging artists a platform while offering audiences a fresh cultural doorway in the heart of the town. The response was remarkable: thousands passed through, many discovering new artists, others unexpectedly reconnecting with their own creativity.
The pop-up proved how powerful a temporary space can be — not just as a gallery, but as a meeting point, a talking point and a spark for imagination. For Skegness, the H•Art Gallery became a reminder that art thrives wherever people gather and that even a small, temporary room can have a lasting impact.
The H•Art Gallery raised over £10,000 in art sales, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the RNLI.
Text and images ©John Byford ~ All rights reserved