Last chance for Walsall visitors to see contemporary photographs of life in the town

It is the last chance for people visiting Walsall to see images of the town which feature snapshots of life in the town.

The three winning images were taken from the recent Picturing Walsall competition, run by the Historic England Archive as part of the new Picturing High Streets national photography collection and arts organisation GRAIN projects. It attracted around 400 entries.

They were: The Smiling Merchant by Alisha Iqbal; The Barbershop Quartet by Anu Gamanagari which depicts an image inside a Walsall shop and Local News for Local People by Jay Mason-Burns which features an Express and Star vendor.

Local News for Local People by Jay Mason-Burns

The photographs were chosen by a panel of judges including Stephen Burke, Project Producer at GRAIN Projects, Annabel Clarke, Senior Communications and Marketing Executive at The New Art Gallery Walsall, and Tamsin Silvey, Cultural Programme Curator at Historic England.

The judges said of Alisha Iqbal's entry: "A wonderful portrait. His smile is infectious," and of The Barbershop Quartet: "Anu Gamanagari’s beautifully composed shot captures the intimacy and speed of this busy barbershop in Walsall. This photograph is both a portrait of the barbers and their clients and of a business that continues to thrive on the high street. You can’t get your hair cut online."

WALSALL COPYRIGHT SHROPSHIRE STAR STEVE LEATH 27/09/2023..Pic in Walsall in the square, just outside the Art Gallery, where its your last chance to catch an exterior national exhibition of street photography, some including Walsall and the Black Country. The project is touring the country and 3 pics chosen to represent Walsall included this one: The Barbershop Quartet by Anu Gamanagari. One of the judges was a memeber of the Art gallery staff..

Speaking about the Local News for Local People entry, the judges said: "This humorous photograph brings a smile to my face and captures a nostalgic moment on Walsall High Street. The text on the news stand 'Local News for Local People' is a reflection of what a high street can and should be."

They are on display outside The New Art Gallery, Gallery Square until Sunday.