Wirksworth's new contemporary non-for-profit art gallery to open soon
Haarlem Artspace raises £500 for necessary equipment. Haarlem have set an opening date for their new professional art gallery in Wirksworth showcasing rural contemporary art.
The new gallery is set to open to the public, for a sneak peek into the beautiful space, on Saturday the 6th of November for their Christmas market. The gallery then officially opens showcasing its first exhibition ‘Gathering’ with a public viewing taking place on the 26th, and doors opening officially to the public on the 28th.
In a recent Go Fund Me campaign, the team have managed to raise £500 in the plight to transform an 18th Century town assembly room into a stunning new contemporary art gallery in Wirksworth’s Red Lion Hotel.
Funds raised are to be used to buy necessary equipment such as exhibition lighting, a projector and sound equipment - work is now underway to prepare the space for their first exhibition.
With the help of the Red Lion Hotel, Haarlem Gallery aims to showcase the range and quality of contemporary art that is available in non-traditional places and venues. The team aim to challenge the traditional art systems and raise expectations about what art can be.
From left to right: Haarlem Gallery’s three Co-Directors - Catherine Rogers, Bev Shephard and Olivia Punnet.
Haarlem Gallery’s first exhibition ‘gathering’ will take visitors from prehistoric sites to folk rituals and rave music as ten rural Cornish Artists explore the communal act of intimacy. This is set to be the first of a series of stimulating exhibitions that have been programmed for the gallery throughout the year and opening to the public on weekends.
Speaking on the launch and funds raised, Co-Director Olivia Punnett said: “I am beyond excited, after negotiating the pandemic, to finally open the doors and welcome everyone to the new gallery.
“We have been fortunate enough to be supported by a National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council England, however we are neither a publicly nor privately funded organisation which is why we have had to raise some funds for the transformation, and we are incredibly thankful to those who have donated.
“Thankfully we have a fabulous team of volunteers at Haarlem Artspace to carry us forward.
“The annual programme at Haarlem Gallery is going to be ambitious, we want to encourage visitors from outside of Derbyshire to find out about Haarlem Artspace’s creative community and of course to visit the stunning historic town of Wirksworth.”