diff --git a/examples/desktop/image/image_cmap.py b/examples/desktop/image/image_cmap.py
index 9a9f0d497..b7f7b39af 100644
--- a/examples/desktop/image/image_cmap.py
+++ b/examples/desktop/image/image_cmap.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ============
 Example showing simple plot creation and subsequent cmap change with Standard image from imageio.
 """
+
 # test_example = true
 
 import fastplotlib as fpl
diff --git a/examples/desktop/image/image_rgb.py b/examples/desktop/image/image_rgb.py
index f73077acf..2642962fd 100644
--- a/examples/desktop/image/image_rgb.py
+++ b/examples/desktop/image/image_rgb.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ============
 Example showing the simple plot creation with 512 x 512 2D RGB image.
 """
+
 # test_example = true
 
 import fastplotlib as fpl
diff --git a/examples/desktop/image/image_rgbvminvmax.py b/examples/desktop/image/image_rgbvminvmax.py
index 4891c5614..e5c4af531 100644
--- a/examples/desktop/image/image_rgbvminvmax.py
+++ b/examples/desktop/image/image_rgbvminvmax.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ============
 Example showing the simple plot followed by changing the vmin/vmax with 512 x 512 2D RGB image.
 """
+
 # test_example = true
 
 import fastplotlib as fpl
diff --git a/examples/desktop/image/image_vminvmax.py b/examples/desktop/image/image_vminvmax.py
index ae5d102fa..e764f6775 100644
--- a/examples/desktop/image/image_vminvmax.py
+++ b/examples/desktop/image/image_vminvmax.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ============
 Example showing the simple plot creation followed by changing the vmin/vmax with Standard imageio image.
 """
+
 # test_example = true
 
 import fastplotlib as fpl
diff --git a/examples/desktop/image/image_widget.py b/examples/desktop/image/image_widget.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c50d914d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/desktop/image/image_widget.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+"""
+Image widget
+============
+Example showing the image widget in action.
+When run in a notebook, or with the Qt GUI backend, sliders are also shown.
+"""
+
+import numpy as np
+import fastplotlib as fpl
+import imageio.v3 as iio  # not a fastplotlib dependency, only used for examples
+
+
+a = iio.imread("imageio:camera.png")
+iw = fpl.widgets.ImageWidget(data=a, cmap="viridis")
+iw.show()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    print(__doc__)
+    fpl.run()
diff --git a/fastplotlib/__init__.py b/fastplotlib/__init__.py
index 98dc17e26..27545f0ad 100644
--- a/fastplotlib/__init__.py
+++ b/fastplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -4,19 +4,13 @@
 from .graphics import *
 from .graphics.selectors import *
 from .legends import *
+from .widgets import ImageWidget
 from .utils import _notebook_print_banner, config
 
 from wgpu.gui.auto import run
-
-try:
-    import ipywidgets
-except (ModuleNotFoundError, ImportError):
-    pass
-else:
-    from .widgets import ImageWidget
-
 from wgpu.backends.wgpu_native import enumerate_adapters
 
+
 with open(Path(__file__).parent.joinpath("VERSION"), "r") as f:
     __version__ = f.read().split("\n")[0]