Established in 1983, The Worple Art Group has long been a cornerstone of Wimbledon’s cultural scene, with artists from all over the world contributing to a spring and autumn exhibition each year since its inception.
That is until 2020, when the group was forced to cancel its bi-annual exhibitions for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first national lockdown in March 2020 came just weeks before the group’s planned spring exhibition, triggering its cancellation and marking the start of what became a considerable hiatus for the group.
Yet despite the difficulties posed by an extended layoff, Wimbledon’s best artists returned revitalised in November 2021 for the Worple Art Group’s first exhibit in more than two years.
Now boasting a stable of 21 artists living in South West London – from locations such as Zimbabwe, Poland and San Francisco – the group is eager to resume regular service, with their spring exhibition already in the works.
Some of the group’s key members, including Chairman Mark Lodge and Event and Social Media Manager Samaira Ali, spoke with South West Londoner about the challenges posed by the pandemic and how the time away helped develop the group for the better.
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Great collection 👏👏👏I really like all the painings