Make dreams true
35 NORTH CONTEMPORARY FINE ART is 11 years old this year, something we( Sharon and John Whiting) find hard to believe! We always thought that we’ d love to run a gallery, but it was difficult to imagine how we were ever going to make it happen. Work, kids, life etc meant that for many years it felt like a pipe dream – although we regularly discussed what it would look like, the sort of work we might show, what we would call it ……
John is an architect by profession but has always drawn and painted. He started to show his work while living and working in Hong Kong, which paved the way for his first solo exhibition when we moved to Australia. It was here that the first seeds of possibility were sown. The show was at a small gallery on the North Shore run by a fabulously eccentric character called Fred Fink. The Fink Gallery was unpretentious, accessible and Fred was a painter himself so really understood the need for spaces where aspiring artists could exhibit. He took a chance on John, allowed us both to see what was possible and inadvertently set us on a course that has led to where we are today.
We are not native Brightonians, but had strong ties with the city so when we returned from our travels 27 years ago, it seemed the natural place to settle( my parents were here, and John’ s were up the road in Bexhill). We arrived in May, full on festival season, and knew that we’ d landed in the right place. Discovering the concept of artist’ s open houses was a revelation and for 15 years, we opened our home as part of the Fiveways trail, so a gallery of sorts but one that opened for one month only. By the end of that time, we had a good feel for art in the city and had started to give serious thought to the idea of a permanent gallery. We had quite specific criteria so when the property at 35 North Road became available, we pulled out all the stops to make it happen. The building has a great history and has been, variously, a beer brewing supplies shop, an art supply emporium and a hair salon. With its boarded-up windows and air of slight neglect, a bit of vision was required but we could see that this historic building( dating back to 1865), on a corner plot in the heart of the North Laine would be the perfect site for what we had in mind.
The transformation took about 6 months, and we opened our doors in September 2014 thanks to the support and encouragement of friends, family and the local community,( we closed our ears to the naysayers who told us we were crazy, and we’ d never make it work!) and honestly, we’ ve never looked back. We’ ve worked with local, national and international artists as well as students from Brighton Met and Brighton University. We’ ve hosted gallery takeovers, immersive installations, charity auctions and in recent years we’ ve been a Fringe Venue.
Our current exhibition, Lucidity, features the work of ceramicist Lucy Burley and screen printer Lucy Cooper who have collaborated to create a show that celebrates clean lines, impactful imagery and a beautiful balance of colours. Lucidity runs until 19th July with a‘ finissage’ event on the 17th for anyone who would like to meet the artists and learn more about their creative processes.
Next up is an installation by young curator Chiara Crompton. We first met Chiara when she was one of the MET students selected to show her work back in 2019 so when she contacted us with her concept for an exhibition exploring the legacy and ideals of the Bloomsbury Group and Charleston House, and their impact on young creatives, we were in!
Launching, developing and growing 35 North has been an amazing ride and we’ re excited to see what the future has in store.
We’ re located at 35 North Road, surrounded by lovely neighbours including Wild Iris Perfumerie and Voya restaurant, so if you haven’ t discovered this part of town yet why not pop in and say hi next time you are passing or follow us on Instagram @ 35NorthGallery to find out what’ s coming up.
l 35 North Contemporary Fine Art 35 North Road, BN1 1YB 07792 058039 http:// 35northgallery. com /