Located snugly between The Halpern Conservancy Building and the Guildhall Museum you will find MedwayArtBox: the smallest art gallery in Rochester.
The repurposed red BT Telephone Box is a place for artists and the local community to display and share their work and take part in creative projects and installations. As of January 2022, Nucleus Arts officially own the kiosk through BT’s Adopt-a-Box scheme
Since its launch in December 2020 by studio resident Rachel Moore (@iPrintedThat) and Vanessa from the Nucleus Arts team, the MedwayArtBox has been home to a series of art exchanges as well as projects with local schools, an art hunt and a poetry installation - and there’s much more to come.
Want to get involved? Please email vanessa.crew@nucleusarts.co.uk to find out more!
EXHIBITIONS CALENDAR
SIX WORD STORIES
4 December - 14 January
During December, MedwayArtBox will be covered in mini-tales written by you. Find out how to submit on our blog below.
Read more about the latest projects on the MedwayArtBox Blog
PREVIOUS PROJECTS
Greetings from… Medway August 2023
The return of the postcard project held every summer.
FLORA August 2023
Paper cut flowers made by local artist and community groups to form an installation inspired by Anne Pratt.
Ann Palmer MOSAF July 2023
Artist takeover by Ann Palmer giving a behind the scenes insight to her ‘studio’ as part of Medway Open Studios and Arts Festival
River of Words June 2023
A collection of poetry and art by local literary duo Wordsmithery, installed as part of Medway River Lit festival.
Can I Come Out Yet? May 2023
Installation by local artist and photographer Aaron McNulty which used paint, portraits and photography to express feelings of claustrophobia and panic.
Sweeps Festival Art Swap May 2023
Decorated with daisies for Sweeps Festival, inside artists were invited to swap a piece of work.
Phone Cards April 2023
Rachel from iPrintedThat collected memories of phone boxes from the local community and displayed them on phone cards. Original installation took place in a phone box in Strood as part of the Welcome project
Seed Swap March 2023
Annual event where local gardeners and artists fill the box with seeds and decorated seed packets
Woman, Life, Freedom March 2023
Installation by British Iranian artist Roya Rahmanzadeh themed around the current woman-led revolution in Iran, sharing her feelings with her home town, Medway.
Medway Light Nights February 2023
A portion of Magical Medway, the Nucleus Arts Chatham installation for Light Nights, was set up in Medway Art Box
Digital Teen Art Takeover November 2022
Nucleus Arts digital art group worked together to create a comic strip style illustrated story, Detective Duck.
Colony Takeover November 2022
Medway arts collective Colony filled Medway Art Box with work to coincide their exhibition at The Halpern Gallery in Rochester.
Mt Moon Press Zine Launch October 2022
Mt Moon Press used Medway Art Box to launch three zines: Meet Me at the End of the World, Mono and Hummingbird
Blue Jelly September 2022
Rachel Moore aka iPrintedThat (also one half of the Medway Art Box team) filled the box with cyanotype printed jellyfish with a pulley system which allowed people to interact and float them up and down.
Greetings from… Medway August 2022
The return of the postcard project held in summer 2021.
Great Big Art Swap April 2022
Decorated with daisies for Sweeps Festival, inside artists were invited to swap a piece of work.
Seed Swap March 2022
Local gardeners and artists filled the box with seeds and decorated seed packets.
High Street Happenings by Dan Gardner February 2022
Exhibition by local photographer Dan Gardner to promote book “High Street Happenings”, an intimate look at the people and places of Rochester.
MedwayArtBox x Medway Light Nights February 2022
Nucleus Arts groups Teen Art and Social Art created colourful translucent window panels which were installed in MedwayArtBox as part of the Medway Light Nights festival in Rochester.
One Hundred Haiku December 2021
Installation inspired by the work of artist Chiharu Shiota with the aim to fill the phone box with 100 haiku within a month. Haiku submissions were open to anyone and the target was met within two weeks.
CONFESS Takeover October 2021
Artists filled the box with origami confessions and prints. The week-long takeover took place alongside Confess in The Halpern Pop, an exhibition by Holly Chadd, Sharon Cooper and Aisha Young.
Greetings from... Medway September 2021
People were invited to send their art on a postcard to be included in this MedwayArtBox display and art exchange. Artists from Medway, across the UK and even as far as France and the USA sent their postcard submissions to be included in this project.
Medway 2025 Art Hunt June 2021
25 pieces of art gifted by Medway artists were hidden across the Medway towns for local residents to find in the lead up to the City of Culture bid.
Medway Print Festival June 2021
Print artists filled the box to coincide with Medway Print Festival throughout June. Prints were gifted for anyone to take and enjoy.
Poppies May 2021
Elaine Primary School filled the box with poppies painted by Year 2 pupils.
MedwayArtBox Launch & Gifted Art December 2020, throughout 2021 - present
Artists locally and beyond gifted work to be included and displayed, which was available for anyone to take a piece and enjoy. This is a recurring and evolving exhibition in the MedwayArtBox which takes place between projects, and is open to all artists to get involved.
