History

Every summer, the Hitcham and Taplow Preservation Society organises a big party on the village green. A leg of beef is roasted over an open fire, sausages and burgers are cooked, and a band provides music for dancing.

In 2001, the new parish clerk Lorna Parkin suggested that it would be a good idea to hold an exhibition of work by local artists during the party. The village hall could be used, and so could the recently restored small barn in the corner of the green. Several people were quickly recruited to transport exhibition screens and lights, and about twenty artists agreed to exhibit their work.

The first exhibition included work from 30 artists, including 8 pupils from St Nicholas School. Paintings, prints, and other 2D work were shown in the village hall, with sculpture and photographs in the barn. The exhibition was intended as a showcase of local talent rather than a commercial venture, so no work was priced. Even so, several artists made sales or took commissions during the event and it was judged a success all round.

After the exhibition, Steve Thompson wrote to all the participating artists to see whether there would be support for a selling exhibition in the autumn. Several people expressed interest, and more meetings were held to discuss the details. The idea for the website came from Andrew Findlay, who also built it and wrote the initial content.