Launch of Community Portrait Exhibition

We are delighted to announce the commencement of our Community Portrait exhibition, at The Higgins Bedford. The art gallery and museum opened the doors to the exhibition to the public on Saturday 28 September 2024; it will run until 25 February 2024. The exhibition features over 200 portraits of Bedford locals taken by local school-age children, Bedford College students, community groups and professional photographers, creating a ‘Community Portrait’ of the town. It explores the history of photography from 1840s glass-plate techniques, through to current digital techniques, and onwards towards to a potential future involving AI.

A symposium will also take place on 7 November 2024, exploring AI and community image creation: questioning the reimagining and reinterpretation of community images and the dramatic shift from traditional methods of photography.