Helga died of cancer in March, aged 52. She had lived in the Rugby area for a number of years before emigrating to New Zealand in 2003.

The exhibition is in the Art Room at Rugby Art Gallery from now until Sunday, November 30. It features works that have not been shown in the area before and they display a change in direction and maturity of technique and style.

Pete Thornley, of Rugby's Tantalus Project, of which she was a founder member, said: "We wanted to have an exhibition in Rugby because of the community projects she had been involved with. She did a lot with local kids and she was a true community artist."

The exhibition will feature just eight examples of Helga's art.
"They are quite different to most of Helga's work. and people won't recognise them as her style. They are all landscapes," added Pete.

One of her most lasting achievements as a community artist was the décor of the Brownsover underpass. Completed in 1995, it features exotic, colourful mermaids and other marine life.

She also helped create the community park in Craven Road, the youth club at Long Lawford and the Jubilee Bridge Project in Abbey Street.

Pete said: "All the projects fired and enthused sometimes disaffected young people. Helga got them and their communities involved and these works are still looked after by the communities which helped create them."

While living in New Zealand, Helga bought a redundant church.
In it she created an arts centre which is still used as an art gallery and meeting place today.

"Helga had just started to become recognised in the international art community, exhibiting in New York, Venice, Barcelona and the Saatchi online gallery, when she tragically lost her battle against illness," added Pete.

Tonight (Thursday) there is a tribute preview in The Art Room between 6 and 8pm to which friends, acquaintances and artists from the area are invited. The room is on the ground floor to the left of the library.