We opened a gallery! I guess its always been on the cards as since we started Common Room Projects as an arts consultancy we’ve met so many artists who aren’t represented by galleries. Lots of the established galleries struggled during covid and many artists lost their representation as galleries focused on more profitable Blue Chip art (art high-value artworks, which have been created by established artists with a proven track record on the art market) and the Secondary market (artwork that has been sold before). There is so much creative talent out there and we want to connect those artists with people who are looking for art, whether it be as an addition to their home or as part of a collection.
The decision to open the gallery was cemented when artist Danny Rolph suggested we might want to show the 31 small paintings he’d made during a residency at the Mark Rothko Art Centre in Latvia. Seeing the old Victorian space – the former Station Master’s bedroom – turn into a proper gallery with clean walls and track lighting has been wonderful. The wonky floorboards and high ceilings add to the charm!
The response has been incredible. We’ve had visitors from the local area, from London and even a couple of international collectors. Danny’s artist talk was fully booked and we squeezed as many people into the space downstairs as we could (it is soon to become a framing studio); it was lovely to see a mixture of local residents, art collectors and artists turn up to hear Danny talking about his time in Latvia and how it influenced the paintings he made there.
We’re not going to be a gallery with a set list of artists we represent. Instead we’re going going to work with a range of artists and curators to stage interesting exhibitions. Some exhibitions will have work for sale, some will be more about learning, with a range of talks and workshops to accompany them. We’ve already got the next 18 months planned…
Sign up below for our newsletter to hear more about the next exhibition and the imminent launch of our new frame design studio.
KATEJONESLONDON 