An acclaimed Keswick photographer has taken on the lease of a former gift shop and the new business will continue to showcase the work of local artists.
Tim Fisher, who runs the Northern Lights Gallery, has this week received the keys to the former Cherrydidi shop “55 paces further up St John’s Street”.
Mr Fisher says that The Pole Star Gallery “will be representing an entirely different gamut of artists from those presently represented by the Northern Lights Gallery” and in time the first floor will be developed to display photography and prints.
“Nothing immediate will happen in the next few days aside from a fresh lick of paint on the inside,” said Mr Fisher. “If all the pieces slot into place, I don’t see any reason why we can’t open the ground floor gallery around February 9 to coincide with the Scottish half term.
“We will recruit locally – Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway, Lancashire and Yorkshire – for artists and staff from the local area.
“We have already attended around a dozen local art fairs, exhibitions and open studios events from Kirkcudbright to Penrith, Ulverston to Skipton and Helmsley, so we have a fair idea what we want to achieve.
“We have exhibited at the Manchester and Edinburgh Art Fairs, in 2023, and I attended five of the London art fairs, to get a better sense of what it is we want and what we do not want to achieve.
“I am an optimist, so with the right staff, and the right mix of artists and makers, I am confident that the new gallery space will be both successful and a worthwhile addition to our town.
He says that the founding ethos behind his predecessor, Jean Harmer, will not change in that the new business will only represent UK artists and local artists where possible.
“At the same time, we are looking to bring back some of the previously represented artists, as they have been somewhat orphaned of late,” he said.
“As such, we would encourage local artists and potential staff to be in touch over the next few weeks.”
