Art Gallery in Glastonbury to Showcase Somerset Artists
The Heart of the Tribe is opening a new gallery at 74 High Street, Glastonbury, with the opening scheduled for April 4. Director Julian Clark and Gallery Manager Kim Von Coels, herself a practicing artist, have curated a core group of 19 artists from Glastonbury and the surrounding area to exhibit at the opening. Contemporary approaches and diverse subject matter will offer an alternative to the conventional Glastonbury iconography of the Tor and mystical themes. The core group of artists features a majority of women artists in a space which is predominantly women-managed. For some of the core artists this launch will be their first showcase in the professional art world, while others have been practicing professional artists for years.
The gallery will offer regular exhibitions, events and talks, open to the public, with the goal of making art locally available and accessible. There is a strong emphasis on supporting personal and professional development within the creative community. The Heart of the Tribe’s emphasis on community extends to the virtual as well as the physical, as they are offering a free online platform to promote artists and craftspeople in the Glastonbury area.
The upstairs Art Room, for hire by the day, week or month, was created to offer an affordable studio space for local artists as well as foster the sense of artistic community that serves as the foundation of the Heart of the Tribe’s ethos. Available to hire for days, half days and evenings are the workshop space and garden, either for art seminars, small workshops, or private events. Future plans include an on-site print shop to support gallery sales. Funds raised by these endeavours will be invested back into the gallery and the development of its core artists.
“We want the local community to experience art and see what variety of talent we have on our doorstep. We want to challenge the way people view art and inspire an alternative perspective. You shouldn’t have to go to a city to attend an installation or contribute to a collective,” explains Kim Von Coles, Gallery Manager.
A private viewing and reception by invitation will take place Friday, April 3 from 7pm to 9.30pm. The gallery will be open to the public on Saturday, April 4 from 11am to 5pm. Guests can meet artists such as Jon Minshull in person from 12-2pm.
Core artists’ work can be viewed, and used with permission, at https://heartofthetribe.com//gallery/.
