Its got no Picasso, no Vincent, and no Mona Lisa. ...

Its got no Picasso, no Vincent, and no Mona Lisa. Consequently you don't have crowds milling around looking for that Instagramable shot of a weary work of art that familiarity has rendered redundant.

Instead you have exhibitions and works by local artists. If you hold in your mind that almost every artist has had a Van Gogh like struggle to self expression, then almost every piece on display here is worthy of contemplation.

Even if the art auction houses of London and Edinburgh would be dismissive of their monetary worth. The value in art we must remember, is not in money, but in the intelligent conveyance of a vision. Each piece is a skirmish in humanities battle against the fleetness of time.

Colchester is a friendly, working class town. The staff, unusually for a public gallery, have managed to bring a little of that friendliness into the gallery.



All in all a great, hardworking local gallery that even encourages the local youths to use the outside space for skate boarding and socialising. I shall definitely be back!