Operational since May 2010, the Portico Gallery offers an exciting neighbourhood Art resource for the community.

John Price and Rick Pinn are the intrepid artists committed to the community coming together and examining how Art, mutually with the performing arts, can help challenge and explore social ideas and issues and most importantly are dedicated to Art for All. Aiming to galvanise individuals and the collective community to provide the opportunity for dynamic and positive enjoyment, change, cooperation and well being Portico is particularly interested in Encouraging the Encourager and seeks to ensure that community groups can use the resource and expertise within our exciting space.

An aesthetic and inspirational gallery where both new and established, trained or untrained artists can exhibit and sell their work and where groups can aspire to excel by exhibiting.

A welcoming community space which local groups can use for seminars, meetings, lectures and discussion:
Innovative Art and Performing Art workshops that use the medium itself to create a finished art work or to explore ideas.

The Portico Gallery is a 'Not for Profit' organization designed to:
Find, encourage, showcase and celebrate artistic endeavour from unusual sources and unusual themes, and ensure that this work is given similar importance to work from established artists

The space available in The Portico Gallery allows local groups to use an exciting facilitative space  to hold events at a low cost. The neighbourhood is a diverse community much in need of flexible and professional resources. We welcome groups from most areas of good community interest and currently host local yoga, music and film groups.
Portico Workshops

Experienced and skilled artists will develop a programme of collaborative workshops which will provide an opportunity for participants to be involved in learning and developing a range of new or existing skills including sculpture, conceptual art, painting, collage, drama, music, yoga and photography and film.

• The programme of workshops is organic emerging from artists’ interests and from community ideas and needs.
• There is not a restrictive target age group more a coming together of generations and developing opportunities for all age groups to enjoy and create art together. We are just beginning to tap the possibilities in our local community.
• The Portico Gallery is based in the labyrinth which is Knights Hall situated on Knights Hill in West Norwood, Lambeth. Entering our space is a joy; we are thrilled by their response when visitors walk through the doors for the first time. The shop front opens to a vast hall built in 1885 as the first and original West Norwood public hall. It has hosted theatrical productions and musicals, and indeed Charlie Chaplin performed here to an audience arriving in horse drawn carriages.
• Knights Hall ceased to be used as a community space after the first World War and sadly fell into disuse. More recently it has been used for light industry, from a sheet metal works to a laundry and then a chandelier warehouse; which we think is rather fitting given the grand proportions of the gallery.
• 1995 saw the arrival of John Price FRSA FIDM who lovingly restored the grandeur of Knights Hall and introduced a mezzanine floor inspired by the proportions of the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. For 10 years he ran a successful call centre being one of the largest employers in West Norwood. He is a leading figure in the telemarketing industry and has tirelessly campaigned for an end to nuisance telephone calls.
• Knights Hall has already hosted artistic events ranging from a popular Film club to regular yoga courses and children’s art events. It is the success of these informal events that has led friends John and Rick to develop the concept of The Portico Gallery – a door open for all.