Bringing ‘quality art’ to area

A new gallery launches in Merston this month (June) with the aim of bringing “high-level quality art” to the area.

Paul and Sylvia Kopecek are the brains behind the Merston Gallery which will open

Tuesday to Friday 10–4 (including late Thursday 6–8); Saturday and Sunday 2–5; closed Mondays.

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The opening exhibition will be Adrian Wiszniewski - Prints and Paintings, running until June 19, tying in with a mixed exhibition at Chichester’s Pallant House Gallery where

Wiszniewski is featured.

Paul said: “Both Sheila and I have envisaged having a gallery for some time. We have considered various different options.”

In the end it came down to the old Victorian school room in Marsh Lane: “We talked to the church people and negotiated an arrangement. It’s a listed building. You can’t do anything to the structure of it. But we have gutted the interior and put up false walls to make a very pristine white-walled gallery space.

“The programming has been selected by us. We are going to have one-person shows rather than mixed shows, and it will be by invitation. We are endeavouring to bring what we consider to be significant art to the area so that people in the local community can share it with us.

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“We have got three exhibitions lined up this year. We have got one definite for next year and one we are negotiating one for next year. We are only looking to run between three and five exhibitions a year. It is not going to be continuous. We have got to make it manageable - manageable for us in terms of commitment, manageable in terms of getting people in and manageable for us in economic terms.

“It is a risk, but we feel that in this area there should be a massive audience for what we are offering in terms of high-level quality art.”

More details on www.merstongallery.co.uk