Popular independent art gallery and 'artistic beacon' for Kettering during Covid to close

ARTworks Creative Space is to close after seven years as a ‘pop-up’ in Kettering’s Newlands Shopping Centre.

Founded as a joint project by Kettering & District Art Society and the Friends of Kettering Art Gallery & Museum, it originally opened in March 2019.

Designed as a gallery to display the work of members of the Kettering & District Art Society and a home of art workshops for children and adults, it also had the role of promoting the Alfred East Art Gallery and the Manor House Museum during their prolonged closure for refurbishment.

Set up and led by artist and KDAS president, Ian Luck, with the assistance of Friends committee secretary, Barbara Lewis, ARTworks has benefited from a team of willing volunteers, providing an opportunity to exhibit and talk about their work for at least 60 local artists at a time.

Ian told the Northants Telegraph: “ARTworks is not just a gallery, but also a community space, introducing art in all its forms, from the diverse variety of paintings, prints, sculpture and photographs offered by local artists, to many who had never entered an art gallery before – with many returning regularly to view the ever-changing exhibitions.”

It is also notable for providing an ‘almost unique point of artistic colour and joy’ for Kettering during the Covid pandemic.

Ian says the dream of having a gallery could never have been fulfilled without the ‘incredible support’ of the Newlands Centre’s management and the ARTworks team will remain forever grateful to them.

ARTworks will close its doors on Sunday, September 27.

Only four weeks after, the Alfred East Art Gallery will open its doors to the public again after six years.

Ian added: “ARTworks hopes very much that its past visitors will continue to experience Kettering’s remarkable artistic offering, this time in the newly revamped galleries.”

Kettering & District Art Society is one of the oldest art societies in the UK, founded in 1905 and boasts more than 140 members consisting of professional, semi-professional and amateur artists from Northamptonshire.

The society’s founding president was J Alfred Gotch, the architect renowned as ‘the man who built Kettering’, with its vice-presidents the artists Sir Alfred East and Thomas Cooper Gotch, much of whose work can be found in the Alfred East Art Gallery.

The Friends of Kettering Art Gallery & Museum is a volunteer-run charity that celebrates its 70th birthday this October.

Over the years since 1956, the Friends have raised funds to support acquisitions by the Alfred East Art Gallery and Manor House Museum, adding to their valued collections.

They have also supported essential conservation of works of art, exhibitions and a growing programme of educational work.