New Union Street Gallery to open in Grantham

A new gallery will offer artists a chance to network, as well as a space for the community to come together.

Darren Whiting, alongside a team of up to 12 volunteers, have been working hard over the last couple of months to renovate the former Antique Shop in Union Street, Grantham, into the new Union Street Gallery.

The gallery, which officially opens on Sunday (December 1), has already got interest from about 70 artists who will be exhibiting their art, selling it, running workshops and sharing their expertise at the gallery.

“The gallery will be about community, engagement and participation,” said Darren.

He added: “The aim is to give individuals, amateurs, professionals and community groups a space to exhibit their work.

“A big focal point is to have a dedicated space for creatives in Grantham.

“We are looking to engage with the council, the arts council and any other way we can get funding.

“We want to make sure this is a legacy. We don’t want it to be here for just a short time, we want it to be here in 20 years time.

“It will be a creative community hub for people. Groups can gravitate towards here, engage and talk to other creatives.”

A whole range of art will be on display in the gallery, including paintings, fibre art, mechanical art, costumes, crotchet and much more.

Thanks to funding from South Kesteven District Council, a £3,500 printing press has been bought for artists to use for their work, as well as in workshops.

Darren said: “This piece of equipment will not just make one piece of art, it will make thousands of pieces.

“It will still be making art in 20 years time. With this equipment, we can grant local artists this space and we have about 20 workshops that will be able to run with the equipment.

“We also have a community table for community groups to meet or use, or even for individuals to come in and write a poem or do a drawing.”

Upstairs will be the main exhibition space, as well as a separate room for woodwork and metal works.

Downstairs is the community table, printing press and there will also be sewing machines installed in the future.

The gallery will also have a materials bank downstairs, which is a collection of donated and recycled materials that artists can use if they don’t have the resources they need.

Darren added: “These materials were all going to landfill or going to be burnt. We are turning this into shelving and art, and all of this supports the gallery.”

The volunteers are also working with a range of local groups including Outwood C.I.C, the BHive Community Hub, Lincolnshire County Council social services, Shine Lincolnshire, Models4Heroes.

They will be able to use the community table to hold meetings and create art.

Artists from outside the area are also showing interest in the gallery, which Darren says will bring “more culture” into town.

He said: “Our artists come from all over the place, but we do also have a lot of local artists.

“It is very Grantham-based, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bring in more art culture into the town.

“If we can get individual artists into the gallery, then we can also show them how to access art expertise outside of town.”

Darren and the other volunteers are also planning to spread art across town.

He added: “We plan to display art in three or four windows in the George Shopping Centre.

“They will then not be empty shops, they will become artistic windows.

“We have permission from about 30 shops to display art in their windows. This will give artists a chance to display their work, and it can also be a trail of art for people to follow.”

Looking to the future, “the only way for this project is forward”, said Darren.

He added: “By this time next year, we will be rocking and rolling.

“If in a year’s time we fill 15 windows in town and have done a couple of hundred workshops, then we are going in the right direction.

“We want to fill Grantham full of art and reach out and engage with people in the community.

“The idea is to be open and encouraging.”

Anyone who would like to volunteer, donate items or even get involved in the work at the gallery, they can get in touch via the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/grantham.creates.cic.

People can also visit the gallery to talk with a volunteer.