Art for Guernsey at home in Old Quarter
A NEW gallery is being created in St Peter Port’s Old Quarter by Art for Guernsey.
Described as ‘a unique opportunity to deliver a much-needed and long-awaited asset for the island’, the group said it will allow it to bring over more visiting artists and scholars, support more local art projects, host workshops, lectures, events and exhibitions, and potentially help to rejuvenate the area.
It will occupy some 8,000sq. ft across two floors of the building at the junction of Mansell Street and Contree Croix.
It was bought by ‘closely aligned benefactors’ who have leased it to AFG on a non-commercial basis for a minimum of 15 years.
‘Finding a home for Art for Guernsey has been a key priority for years and we are absolutely delighted to now call home this wonderful gallery at the very heart of the Old Quarter,’ said Art for Guernsey founder David Ummels.
‘This space will be a key asset for the visual arts in Guernsey and also a very welcoming creative platform for the community and a key educational asset for us to accelerate our engagements with local schools and provide local art students with the environment that they need to thrive.
‘It is a well-documented fact that art galleries and artists are a key ingredient to help rejuvenate run-down areas – the latest examples in London are Hackney, Peckham and Woolwich – and we certainly have the wider ambition to help bring life back to the Old Quarter.’
Among its features will be a ‘curating space’ at the entrance, a cafe which can be used by members for meetings, the gallery and an art library.
There will also be a strong room where highly-valued artworks can be displayed and which could also be used for virtual reality experiences.
A children’s workshop and gallery will be aimed at schools and local youngsters and be a space for presentations, meetings, creative projects, lectures and workshops, with their work being curated all year round.
Another educational link will be the setting up of the AFG Academy, which will allow students to use art materials and equipment and help them to acquire skills and confidence in preparation for going to art school or taking up a career in the creative sector.
Art for Guernsey will also work with Arts for Impact, a charity which ‘applies creative assets to achieve societal goals’ at the gallery.
‘This closer connection feels like a natural evolution to drive the aims of both charities forward,’ said AFI managing director Helen Bonner-Morgan.
