Spalding’s abstract artist Joey Lowe launches new exhibition in empty shop at Boston’s Pescod Square Shopping Centre

The man behind a shop window art exhibition says he hopes it will give people ‘five seconds of escapism’.

If you happened to have been to Pescod Square Shopping Centre in Boston over the past few days you may have noticed something new in one of the empty shop windows.

Spalding's abstract artist Joey Lowe has put together an exhibition to be displayed for six weeks in the unused building opposite Select and he is now encouraging other areas to do the same – saying its the perfect way to brighten up the empty units on all of our high streets.

He feels that independent artists are sometimes overshadowed by large commercial-based art projects and says communities can benefit from allowing people to be expressive and creative.

“Everyone can gain something from art, whether that’s painting, making sculptures, crocheting or dancing – people like to create things,” he said.

“The arts are so important, we all like to be unique and alternative, I think that’s how we progress.”

His exhibition is part of a nationwide scheme by an organisation called The Artist’s Window, which focuses on easing the financial pressures faced by artists and landlords during the cost of living crisis – with a showcase for the former and a deterrent for the latter.

Hoping to save landlords money whilst also providing them with other benefits, the projects can help preserve the character of the buildings and can reduce vandalism and anti-social behaviour, which often blight such properties.

Joey also believes that projects such as these can have a wider impact on young people.

“Having children myself, the art that is taught in school is very much to the letter of sitting and drawing some fruit and having to draw it really well. I suppose with my art there is that idea that anybody can do it, so why don’t you?

“Younger generations like it when there’s not all these rules that you have to stick to, you can mix colours and stick whatever objects you want together and it doesn’t matter, you can just be creative.”

Joey’s work is not the only one on display in Pescod Square, and there are still spaces available which you can apply for here.

What do you think? Should empty shop windows be given over to artists? Post your thoughts in the comments below