Today, readers, I'm feeling very proud. My local art gallery has been given a fabulous makeover turning an area usually associated with Only Fools and Horses, Lorraine Chase and Status Quo into a proper London destination. Hip hip hooray! Built in 1891, the South London Gallery was designed as a 'gallery for the people' and that's still the case today. There are loads of art projects involving local families, artist's workshops and even a small community garden.
The beautiful Fox Garden (above) is home to a fine selection of foxgloves and we all know that the foxglove is the most stylish plant around. I'll be adding a few to the balcony area as soon as I can drag Mr TNMA down to the flower market. At the end of the garden, the Clore Studio is part of the new extension - as is the house next door, which has been elegantly restored adding extra gallery space and a pretty cushy flat for the artist in residence.
There's also a new café with a 24 carat gold leaf wall painting. I'd quite like something similar for That's Not My Age mansions. Totally bling-tastic. And the café's not bad either. We all know that friendly service and excellent food = a winning formula.
The combination of old and new architecture, and the urban setting is reflected in some of the artwork:
The latest exhibition, Nothing is Forever features 44-year-old artist, Fiona Banner's Black Hawk Down film script, hand-written in Indian ink on the wall. If I didn't have a blog, my walls would look just like this:
But my favourite piece has to be Yinka Shonibare's work on the side of a neighbouring tower block and visible from the gallery. The 48-year-old artist works in textiles using patterns associated with African dress - I'd like to think of this print as Peckham Paisley. Shonibare is the man responsible for Nelson's ship in a bottle (on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square) - he's even given HMS Victory batik sails.
All of this and free ice cream too (only for the opening weekend though, so get yourself down there on 26-27 June)
Nothing is Forever: 25 June - 5 September 2010
South London Gallery, 65 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH