Loughton Art Trail 2018 is an annual community arts event that offers engagement with the visual arts for local artists in Loughton Essex and immediate area, through town-wide arts exhibitions, arts workshops, walks, and children’s workshops. Shops and businesses, churches, community centres, libraries and colleges will be displaying artwork by artists from the area.

Art, sculpture, photography and mixed media exhibitions will be on across Loughton and Debden in Lifeworks Creative Arts Centre, Loughton Library, Hope Centre, Lopping Hall Gallery, Epping Forest College, Restore Centre, Hobbycraft and Crate.

The Trail is run by volunteers and artists within the Loughton community. Our mission is to give local artists of all levels the opportunity to share their artwork with the community; and bring the community together in celebrating the visual arts.

There are a whole host of people involved in making sure the trail runs smoothly, including town councillor Stephen Pewsey, Lifeworks co-ordinator Jenna Thorne, artist and teacher Ruth Dronsfield, photographers Ruth Batten and John Price, Lopping Hall Gallery manager Diane Rhodes and many volunteers.

The organisers ran a successful pilot trail in 2014 with Loughton Arts Centre and pop-up venues around Loughton taking part. The 2017 Loughton Art Trail saw 56 artists exhibiting over six venues, with six events including a children’s fun day in the High Road and an art trail walk, around 1,000 visitors across all the venues and almost £1,000 of art sold.

Find out more about the 2018 trail, taking place between May 12 and June 2, at loughtonarttrail.co.uk.