Space For Art, Community and Commercial Success

Growing social value

The biggest issue that most artists face is how to turn what they’re good at into a living. Our cooperative model allows artists to sell their work commission-free, sharing the cost of space and helping with staffing to keep costs down. Around a third of our artists are now full-time. One artist went from only being able to paint at weekends to art being her full-time career. Another has an ongoing mental health condition that means he can’t sustain a full-time job, but his artwork is fantastic and it sells. He draws on his mental health experiences in his pieces and people really relate to that.

We make a big effort to have a mix of artists who reflect the diversity of our local communities, including younger artists who wouldn’t otherwise be able to try a career in art, people who identify as LGBTQ+ and people of different religions and backgrounds. The mum of one of our young artists, whose work sold really well, told me how much confidence this gave her daughter. We support our artists with mentoring when needed too.

Democratising art is important to me. I cannot stand galleries where you hardly dare go in, because there are no prices and you’re made to feel you can’t afford anything. We have pieces from £5 right the way up to £1,500. We sell prints as well, because not everyone can afford an original but they might be able to get a framed print. We also sell artwork in box frames that stand up, for people renting who can’t hang things on their walls.

Our galleries are part of what a community should be. We welcome visits from local schools. We’re a safe space for elderly residents who want to have a chat in a nice environment and for people who are neurodiverse. At Ealing, British Land gave us extra space to raise funds for Ukraine, selling artworks donated by our artists. 

I’m absolutely indebted to British Land. They’re a fab company. I was surprised that such a big business was willing to entertain a small company like ours – in fact, when we first started working together, we weren’t even a company! They’ve been terrific in supporting us, including finding us furniture and fitments to get started.

I’d encourage more property owners to think creatively about opportunities to bring alive empty shops, and to simplify legal documents to make that possible. This could benefit everyone

Find out more about how to work with Arthouse Galleries: www.arthousegalleries.live/fill-your-space