The Wivenhoe Bookshop’s Over-the-Sofa Gallery is probably the smallest of its kind worldwide,  occupying a space of 4ft x 4ft above our much-loved Bookshop sofa. Space being at a premium in our shop, we were delighted to be able to fit one in!

The idea for the gallery came when we were given a delightfully comfy red velvet sofa where readers can relax whilst browsing, and an artist friend suggested she show one of her pictures in the space above it.Ten years later the gallery is still going strong, largely due to the abundance of artistic talent in Wivenhoe and the locality, where many of our exhibitors  live and work.

We show a different artists’ work each month and each December hold a unique annual retrospective where we ask each artist to produce a work no larger than 7” x 9”, in order that they will all fit into the space.

Books and artists go so well together and some of the artists who have shown their work in our gallery are also printers, notably James Dodds and Dale Devereux Barker, who exhibited their books as well.

As well as established professional artists we have also shown the work of young artists who are keen to have a platform for their art. We show a range of media include photography, textiles and woollen crafts and pottery as well as painting.

Artists wishing to put forward a proposal for an exhibition are advised contact us by email for terms and conditions.