Hagley Art Club brings a splash of colour to local railway station

The platforms and waiting areas at Hagley station have been brightened up by a local art group.

A set of ten original pieces created by Hagley Art Club, are featuring in a new 'On Platform Art Exhibition' - the first of a number planned for railway stations across the West Midlands.

The artwork has been printed onto posters and put on display around the station.

The exhibition is set to be a permanent fixture, with new pictures displayed every two or three months.

Bob Haywood-Lister, Hagley Art Group member and West Midlands Railway employee, who arranged the display said: “The artwork on display reflects the diversity of the work produced by our members. The pieces include local views, landscapes, cityscapes, wildlife and works of pure imagination. Members submitted their favourite pieces – which have been created using all sorts of media, from traditional oils and watercolours to collage and the humble pencil.”

Simone Carter, station manager for Hagley, said: "It's an absolute honour to host the first 'On Platform Art Exhibition' at Hagley station on behalf of Hagley Art Club. Bob and the group have worked very hard work to make this happen and we are looking forward to seeing who they can inspire to take this initiative to other railway stations in the area."

Hagley Art Club meets regularly to encourage artists of all abilities from Hagley and Stourbridge areas. The club has monthly demonstrations by professional artists, as well as a weekly painting circle for members to enjoy painting together and learn from each other. The club also stages a number of exhibitions throughout the year, giving members the chance to show off and sell their work. This year the club is celebrating thirty years as part of the local community.

The group is also resident station adoption group at Hagley station. West Midlands Railway’s station adoption scheme encourages community groups with a wide range of interests to help brighten up their local station. As well as making the overall environment more welcoming, involvement in community rail activities has been recognised as having a significant impact on bringing people together and combatting issues such as loneliness.

Fay Easton, head of community and stakeholder for West Midlands Railway, said: “Art displays like this can really transform the overall feel of a station. This new 'On Platform Art Exhibition' at Hagley station is a great reflection of the group who created it, and it shows how a new lease of life can be brought to a station through adoption and related activities.

“Community art exhibitions are just one of the many things that our station adopters do, and in fact the possibilities of what community engagement on the railway can look like are endless! If anyone has similar ambitions for bringing community groups onto their local station, then we would love to hear their ideas.”

For more information on station adoption go to westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/adopt-station

For more information on Hagley Art Club go to the Hagley Art Club Facebook page

Below are some of the pieces that are currently on display at the station.

ENDS