THIS autumn, the Harlow Art Trust is proud to present Touch Point, a major exhibition celebrating the recent gift of John Graham’s art collection to the Trust.

John Graham, architect, collector, and local gallery owner, first curated a selection of works from his collection for the Gibberd Gallery in 2006. Nearly two decades later, Touch Point builds on that moment, showcasing highlights from Graham’s collection alongside works from two other significant holdings under the care of the Trust: the Sir Frederick Gibberd Collection and the Foundation for Essex Art (Basildon Art Trust).

Together, these three collections offer a fascinating insight into the tastes and ideals of two individuals and one public body, all shaped by a shared connection to the vision behind England’s post-war New Towns. The exhibition explores how these ideals, community, environment, optimism, shaped not only urban planning but also artistic expression in the second half of the twentieth century.

Touch Point also paints a portrait of a certain kind of English art: reflective, place-based, and deeply engaged with landscape and identity. These themes, so rooted in a specific time, resonate anew today as questions of Englishness and national identity take on fresh urgency in post-Brexit Britain.

We warmly invite you to the private view on Saturday 20 September, where curator Andrew Mummery will give a guided tour and lead a discussion of the works and ideas behind the exhibition.

To book your place at the Private View, visit Eventbrite or click the link here.

Touch Point will be open to the public from Wednesday 24 September to Saturday 13 December at the Gibberd Gallery.

NEW GIBBERD GALLERY OPENING HOURS FROM 22 SEPTEMBER

Touch Point, and future Gibberd Gallery exhibitions will be open to the public, Wednesday to Saturdays, 11am to 4pm.