The Gallery, New Mills - Where 25 Local Artists Run the Shop, Hang the Work, and Make Everything Themselves |
For over a decade, this independent artist cooperative on New Mills High Street has been quietly doing something remarkable: putting local creativity at the heart of the community, one handmade piece at a time. |
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At 12, High Street in New Mills, there is a gallery that works differently from almost any other. There are no gallery owners, no curators, no middlemen. The 25 artists and makers who show their work here are also the ones who staff the gallery, hang the exhibitions, dress the windows, and change the displays every few weeks to reflect the seasons. Every piece on sale from oil paintings and ceramics to jewellery, fused glass, textiles and woodturning — was made by someone who might be standing right beside you when you walk through the door.
The Gallery is an independent artist cooperative, and it has been a fixture on New Mills High Street for well over a decade. It occupies two floors of a characterful High Street building, and the range of work on show is genuinely broad, original paintings and prints, hand-thrown ceramics, stained and fused glass, hand-knitted pieces, blacksmithing, photography, cards and gifts. Prices range from a few pounds for a card to several hundred for a statement piece of original art.
What makes The Gallery special is not just the quality of the work, it is the model. Because the artists run it themselves, there is no commercial pressure to stock what sells fastest or appeal to the lowest common denominator. The work changes regularly, the window displays are always fresh, and every visit offers something new. Visitors consistently describe it as one of the most welcoming and surprising places in New Mills.
The Gallery is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10am–4pm (Thursday until 5.30pm). Closed Wednesday and Sunday.
You will find it at 12 High Street, New Mills, SK22 4AL. Tel: 01663 309039.
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