Brownston Gallery
The Art of owning a Gallery
Six years ago, if a fortune-teller had predicted to Catherine Gillan that she would end up owning an art gallery in South Devon, it would have been instantly derided as too fanciful. For at the time
Glasgow-born Catherine was a fully paid up member of the corporate world, commuting across Scotland - and beyond - as Director of Development of a prestigious Scottish school. It so happens that fortune-tellers were not consulted in this life-changing decision. Yet little more than a year later Catherine would find herself proud owner of the Brownston Gallery, in the pretty South Hams town of Modbury. How did she come to end up here?
“Itchy feet”, says Catherine frankly. “I was tired and ready for a new challenge in my life. Both my children were based in London and I’d been mulling over the idea of moving to the South of England anyway and trying my hand at something different before I got too old! I found out the gallery was for sale and immediately came to Modbury to view it. I’d never been to Devon before, but it just felt the right thing to do. Basically, I followed my gut instinct!”
But why choose an art gallery particularly? Had Catherine any previous experience in this field during her widespread business career? “None at all”, she admits. “But I have plenty of business experience and…” her eyes light up, “I have always loved art. I grew up with the Scottish Colourists and the Glasgow Boys. and spent many happy hours in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove, plus other superb Scottish galleries. Yes, art has always been my passion and, whisper it, owning an art gallery has been a dream of mine for years. But it’s not something I ever thought would come true. However, now I do own a gallery and I am very proud to say that”.
In the 5 years since she bought Brownston Gallery, Catherine has worked extremely hard to establish its reputation as a well-regarded, dynamic centre for professional artists in the South West. She admits that it has been a steep learning curve. “I quickly found out that there is a lot more to running an art gallery than just putting paintings on the walls”, she says sagely. “It has taken years to understand that forming personal connections and affinities with the art on offer is vital in developing a gallery’s unique identity. There are many excellent artists in the South West, but it’s taken time to identify the kind of art that suits us and enhances our personality. Only in the last two years have we finally succeeded in this, thanks to an eclectic group of artists with wide-ranging styles – from the vibrant floral works of Yvonne Comber and Elisabeth Westcott, to the evocative seascapes of Michael Hill, Tony Parsons, Jennifer Wright, Barry Kelly and Charles Jamieson. We also enjoy stretching boundaries with Jerry Browning, an Abstract artist with a devoted following, who has painted alongside notable Abstract artists such as Sir Terry Frost and Patrick Heron. Jerry’s artworks are always exciting because they invariably lead to quite a degree of earnest (and healthy) debate between viewers!”
Catherine has also worked hard to establish a good, solid relationship with the South West Academy. “We share the same ethos for promoting professional artists in the area”, she says. “People who paint professionally do need support in getting their work promoted. It can be a difficult business otherwise”. Catherine is proud to represent world-renowned marine artist Anthony Amos and has organized other major exhibitions representing ‘big names’, including Fred Yates, Robert Lenkievicz and Derek Holland.
Brownston Gallery hosts six major exhibitions a year, plus two mixed shows, one in the summer, one in the winter, all launched at buzzing, well-attended ‘Preview’ evenings. One of the most popular exhibitions, recently enjoying its second successful year has proved to be the Plymouth College of Art Graduate Exhibition. In conjunction with the College, Brownston Gallery invites some of the particularly outstanding, newly graduated students to showcase their work in a public gallery setting. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for these youngsters to experience showing work in a commercial environment and gives everyone the chance to clock the next rising stars in the art world”, says Catherine.
So, what does the future hold for Catherine and the Brownston Gallery? Will that gut instinct continue to be upheld? Certainly the benefits that Modbury has enjoyed as a result of the Gallery’s well-deserved reputation have been manifold. Catherine ruminates specutively. “We have had ups and downs, but actually it has been a fantastic five years”, she says at last. “We have settled here, met some lovely people and made good friends. My partner Graham and I are mad keen sailors. Being close to the water is important to us and luckily we can continue to do that here. I really cannot see us going anywhere else in a hurry. Here’s to the next five years!”
This article first appeared in The Post Magazine (September 2016)
