Liz Charsley-Jory is the director of a new London gallery, the Hide Gallery is located on Leathermarket St in busy Bermondsey, close to restaurants, shops and the White Cube Gallery in London, SE1.
Liz is an artist and fellow member of SLWA (South London Women Artists) with an interest in landscape, working on paper with charcoal, oil pastel and ink. She has exhibited in numerous group and solo shows in London, and has work in private collections in the UK and Canada You can see her amazing work on her website by clicking here. I asked Liz a few questions about her Gallery
How have you applied your experience as an artist to the opening and running of a gallery?
As an artist, I am aware of how hard it can be to approach a gallery with a view to showing work with them, and as a former student how difficult it can be to find places to exhibit work. With Hide Gallery, I want to provide a solution to both of these dilemmas, by being approachable and supportive of emerging artists – students and those whose career paths have eventually led them back to art – and by providing a space whose scale is exactly right for a solo show or small group show. Our location is perfect for this: we have a pub opposite for post-Private-View gatherings, an array of restaurants 2 minutes walk away on Bermondsey St, and we are a 10 minute walk from London Bridge Station.
Can you tell me a little about what has led you to create the Hide Gallery?
The space was being used as an office, owned by Latitude Agency, a design agency who work upstairs. Having been in the area for a few years and watched the regeneration of Bermondsey, they decided the time was ripe for another smaller gallery to take up residence and profit from the burgeoning creativity in the area.
Why did you choose Hide as the name for the Gallery? What does it mean to you?
Hide refers to the area, which is where leather was treated back in Victorian times. The gallery is on Leathermarket St, near Tannery Row, and we wanted to give it a sense of history and place. Hide also refers to hidden talent, which we hope to be showcasing in the coming months.
You have curated the first exhibition: Swimming Against the Tide. Can you tell me a little bit more about this show?
The title refers in part to the tidal Thames just up the street from Hide Gallery, and to the struggle smaller galleries have to gain recognition for art which might not be “on trend” but still has integrity and value. In particular, the title refers to the struggle facing female artists in a male-dominated art world, amid the difficulties placed on them by the feminist backlash. There is also a nod towards the story of the Winchester Geese, local prostitutes buried a few streets away, who were given permission by the Bishop of Southwark to ply their trade in the area.
Members of South London Women Artists have responded to the call for submissions with some thoughtful, lyrical works. It was a pleasure to select works that complimented each other to make up this exhibition.
Do you have any other upcoming exhibitions or events that you would like to tell me about?
Swimming Against the Tide opens on September 27, as part of South London Art Map’s Last Fridays tour. The exhibition is also part of Art Licks Weekend October 4 – 6th, and will be hosting a Be Smart About Art First Fridays networking event Friday Oct 4th.
Hide will also be exhibiting work by South London Women Artists during Parliament Week, November 15 – 21st
This Saturday the 21st of September Hide Gallery will host a one day only exhibition: From the Archive, during the Bermondsey Street Festival Saturday 21 Sep 12-6pm. Hide Gallery will also have a street stall selling original, affordable work.
Hide Gallery is available to hire for exhibitions, talks, events and meetings, with 2 floors offering a total of 1600 sq ft. The gallery will host 4 curated shows per year, aiming to showcase work by emerging artists of any age.
Artist submissions and project proposals are welcome. Contact [email protected] for further information.