Re:Box, the Island’s smallest art gallery, located in a classic red phone box on Lind Street in Ryde, is inviting local artists to use the space for future exhibitions.
The organisers are calling out to creatives who want to “think inside the box” and bring fresh ideas to this unique public art space.
A literary collaboration
For its latest exhibition, Re:Box has partnered with Brevity, The Isle of Wight’s Literary Handbill, to showcase the work of 16 Island writers.
The collection features 50-word stories that range from a woman pregnant with a vegetable to a devout keyboard warrior.
Brevity editor and Re:Box co-founder, Anmarie Bowler, said,
“This collection of 50-word fictions focuses on precise, sometimes quirky moments in time and is easy to read as you walk by the phone box.
“They may even inspire you to write your own 50-word story.”
Stories that stop you in the street
Since 2019, Brevity has been publishing free, short-form writing by Island authors, printed at Boojum&Snark in Sandown and distributed through local libraries and arts venues.
Re:Box co-founder, Zoë Barker, added,
“Up to now we’ve always featured visual art in Re:Box, but we knew one day we’d try out text, and super short stories are a natural fit.
“It’s an interesting art form. Crafting narratives with no more than 50 words is a challenge but in this case the resulting street reads are comical, emotional and thought-provoking.”
Those who want to submit their own short stories of up to 500 words to Brevity can do so via Brevity’s website.
About Re:Box
Re:Box is housed in a Kiosk No.6 red phone box that Ryde Town Council purchased for £1 through BT’s ‘Adopt a Kiosk’ scheme.
Local artists Bowler and Barker transformed it into a miniature gallery, giving new life to the decommissioned box.
Lit from within, the gallery glows after dark, creating the effect of illuminated stained glass.
Part-funded by Ryde Town Council, Re:Box continues to showcase creative ideas and invites artists who want to display their work to get in touch via ReBoxRyde@gmail.com or on Facebook at ReBoxRyde.
