Written By Louisa and Samantha

Dear All Skaters was a free community art exhibition by Girl Skate Mag, held on 10 and 11 October 2026 at Boombox Skate Shop & Cafe, Hereford Skatepark Community Cafe, Holmer Road, HR4 9RX. Doors opened at 2pm on Saturday, and we were back on Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

It is kind of crazy how one small idea can turn into something this big. Here is how the weekend went, who showed their work, and what we learnt along the way.

How the weekend unfolded

This weekend we held our very first Dear All Skaters Exhibition at Hereford Skatepark’s own Boombox Cafe and Arts Space. Known locally as the DIY park that’s expanding in phases, Hereford was the perfect choice for our first exhibition - a grassroots, community effort for the culture, not for profit. As we set up on Friday night and prepped the space, we looked around at the empty room and it’s almost as if we were transported to a land of opportunity and excitement. The possibility of the modest space being full of art and people because of what we organised was becoming real right before our very eyes.

Saturday comes around quickly and artists start to arrive throughout the morning, positioning their art where they liked in the space with full creative freedom and direction. We arrange artworks from all over the Mids, the South West, Wales - all people who have come across Girl Skate Mag in the wild, be it a magazine in a skate shop or witnessing us at events over the years. With every new artist’s arrival, the tangible sense of curation and community buzzes through the air. It’s almost time to open, the art has been displayed, and Sammi and I are able to take a moment to behold the room in its fullness. The exhibition looks so correct you would half believe this was just the usual decor of the upstairs space at Boombox, especially as it was originally intended as a gallery.

Throughout the day, punters at the park or people who came for the exhibit especially browsed through, the mixed media and varied materials really pulling focus with the desired audience. Whether it’s painted and burnt decks, lino, realism, photography, or merely the Girl Skate Mag Sticker and Temporary Tattoo station, there was something for everyone to enjoy though the curated halls of skate culture and art.

It’s also worth mentioning how fantastic the team at Boombox Skatepark are, and have been with us throughout. From providing the space to being on site and handling catering, the support has been fundamental to the success of our first exhibition. Martha, Lauren, Louis and Joe all had a hand in bringing the exhibit together, and it was a delight to work with such passionate volunteers. The care for the community is loud and clear, and very much evident that the Skate Culture in Hereford heartily appreciates the efforts.

The artists and the work on the wall

The variety was my favourite part. Every piece came from a different way of seeing skating.

Willow Medley, 15, from Leicestershire, showed Dinner and a Show, an acrylic painting on a skateboard deck of a cat watching fish swim round a bowl. She used dry brushing for a rough, non-perfect style she chose on purpose.
Zo from Cheltenham showed Predator and Prey, a pair of wood-burnt maple decks inspired by the British countryside. She started skating at 25 after being told as a kid she never could.
Amy Holland from Stourbridge painted Master of Challenges, an X-ray of skater Andy Elwood's extreme skateboarding injury. It is a tribute to his resilience, and to every skater who has faced hardship and got back on their board.
Laani-bleu Mann from Cardiff showed Delve, a project in photography, text and graffiti that began at a theatre camp in New York, where a skatepark became a creative space.
Jodie Haslam from Weston-super-Mare made a digital illustration about the energy skating gives your whole body, and called it I can't actually do this trick yet but this is what skating feels like to me.
Jemma Haley painted SkateBuddies in acrylic, inspired by a photo with friends from the Skate Buddies and Unserious Skater Girls communities.
Emily Seage from Porthcawl showed lino prints, including Trucks. She has been lino printing for 17 years and co-owns Balsa Surf, a surf and skate shop.
Briar-Lily Tulloch, an illustrator from Bristol, brought colourful work where skateboarding tends to sneak in.
Sophie Monaghan from Nottingham painted a deck of cartoon cats being abducted by a spaceship.
Michael Billington and Charlotte Lyon showed photography, from street portraits of people lost in what they are doing to roller derby and a sense of belonging.
Me, with my A3 portrait prints.

Beside each piece was a small card with the artist's name, title and a few words about the work, so visitors could get to know the person behind it.

What people wrote in the guest book

I left a guest book out on the Saturday, and reading it afterwards meant a lot. Some of my favourite lines:

"Amazing artwork, exhibit and lovely ladies hosting." (Jemma H.)
"Gorgeous exhibit. Stunning art from the community." (Jess)
"Rad stuff!!" (Brandon)
"Love the work, Girl Skate Mag." (Willow M.)
"Thank you for this!" (Charlotte and Lewis)
"Lovely to meet you all!" (Mike)
"Girls shred hardest. So proud of you!!"
"Skate Mag is amazing."
"Skate hard, have fun."
"Amazing job my lovely! Go my queens!"

There was even a graffiti-style tag signed with the date, 10/10/26. The words that came up again and again were community, proud and thank you, which is exactly what I hoped the room would feel like.

Why I made it

Skaters are some of the most creative people I know, but there is rarely anywhere for us to showcase our work. I saw that gap and wanted to make a space for it.

The name comes from my own portrait photography. I was a photographer before Girl Skate Mag existed, and that series documented the community rather than the tricks. It became a reminder that a skater can be anyone, of any age, gender or ethnicity.

The community built it

I did not do this alone, and I could not have. I reached out to local businesses, skate organisations and Hereford creatives to spread the word, and each conversation led to another. For a lot of the artists, it was their first time exhibiting.

It was lovely to talk to people about how they found Girl Skate Mag. Jemma heard of me through the article I wrote for SophXSilva Street Skate, which is also how I met Michael. Willow heard of us because she bought the first issue, about the Midlands, from Sessions in Cornwall. Hearing how far a small magazine had travelled was a real moment for me.

The community grew over the weekend through the connections made in the room, and that was the best part for me.

What I learnt

You do not need experience, you need people. Artists, a venue that said yes, and a community that shared the word did the rest.
Ask early and ask clearly. Most people are glad to help when they know exactly what you need, whether that is a piece's size, a title or a bio.
Make it easy to say yes. A simple call for artists, a clear waiver and a plan for hanging work, including command strips and clips for anyone without a frame, took pressure off everyone.
The small details matter. A thank-you card for every artist made the room feel finished.

What is next

Seeing everyone's work together on one wall was a dream.

Thank you to every artist who trusted us with their work, and to the Hereford skatepark community for making us so welcome. If you would like to see more exhibitions like this, let us know. We loved putting it on and we would love to do it again.

Coming soon in 2027

The Dear All Skaters snail mail service is coming in 2027. Follow @dearallskaters to be the first to hear more.

Dear All Skaters Exhibition