Some point soon I'm hoping to make a trip to Southend-on-Sea to visit the Focal Point Gallery. Founded in 2009 with support from the Art Council, it's one of numerous similarly funded galleries that are popping up around the country that is putting on relevant, exciting exhibitions, bringing contemporary art to an audience outside of London in a genuinely positive way. Their current show Anti-Photography features a number of big names, from Walead Beshty to Wolfgang Tillmans and Ed Ruscha, reflecting on the nature of the photographic image. Along with the likes of Nottingham Contemporary, who hosted the recent British Art Show 7 and an exhibition of David Hockney's work, and the forthcoming Hepworth gallery in Wakefield, a mix of good architecture and a programme of compelling exhibitions are coming together to prove that perhaps the arts can thrive in spite of the cuts.
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