Street Art - South Acton Estate

Coming to a wall near you!

W3 Gallery on Acton's booming high street, is no ordinary gallery. 

Of course it does what it says on the tin and exhibits like any other gallery you and I would know, but this little gem is different. As well as being able to view some of the fantastic works that come from our very own local artists, a whole host of incredible extra curricular arty activities happen regularly here too.

Fortunate enough to fall into the hands of Rachel Pepper, project manager at the W3 Gallery on 

Acton High Street, I was invited to attend one of the gallery’s ‘Art Walks’ where we had the absolute pleasure of meeting some local street artists and seeing some of their commissioned wall murals. 

For our talented local artists involved in such projects as the “Love Acton” Campaign, it sees community art projects adorning walls, bridges and parks lifting the spirits of those who see the artworks in and around the place that they live. 

Wall murals, paintings, sculpture and mosaics fill the once derelict and uninspiring looking estates, with joyful colour and expression. The campaign has seen the community working hard for over the past years, to transform some of the more uninspiring housing estates, 

to something everyone can be proud of.

One of the artists who we were fortunate in meeting is local street artist ATM, whose detailed paintings of rare and endangered British birds fill the once grey and dingy walls of South Acton Estate. 

ATM's love for painting birds was born out of his concern for the environment and "my desire to make political changes, to raise awareness and to try and inspire people to really affect change so things are done differently."

His beautiful rich tones and incredibly detailed paintings, display his meticulous artistic skills. 

“This is not graffiti,” says ATM “...it’s a new ethos to spread positive vibes through Street Art, not vandalise or criminalise.” Many of the residents have been involved in curating these “outside galleries,” and are excited to see the areas regenerating. 

Both the council and artists are working together to help with these projects and many of the residents have been involved in curating these “outside galleries,” and are excited to see the areas regenerating. 

“We are bringing what has already happened in East London, to West London” - ATM

A handful of his creations now adorn the walls of South Acton Estate. They have most certainly succeeded in beautifying the area, on that account of nature being re-introduced to an urban space albeit through the paintbrush.

The Acton Snipe

The gallery itself is a start point for anyone interested in getting involved with art locally, and was a pure stroke of kindness with the help of a government grant to the Acton Forum Committee (AFC) which helped it open. When the recession hit and many of the high street shops closed, ceasing the opportunity, they set up shop and began their mission. 

‘We have now lost count of the exhibitions we have had over the past 18 months.” Says Rachel. “Not to mention the on going local projects we see popping up every day.”We are extremely lucky to be so involved with what is one of the most exciting Art Movements yet, what so many of us are immersing ourselves into quite by accident, is a world of experimentation and free expression." 

The W3 Gallery is at the fore front of its existence www.w3gallery.org.uk

To find out more  about the Art Walk:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIGVaeOGpk4