AN art gallery and workshop space is looking forward to a new era in 2023 after gaining planning permission to relocate.
The Harbour Gallery, which has been based in St Aubin for the past 20 years, is set to reopen in St Helier after plans to convert former offices in Commercial Buildings were approved.
Pat Robson, co-owner of the Art in the Frame Foundation, which runs the gallery, said that after closing in St Aubin on 31 December when the current lease expires, she hoped to complete the move in time to reopen by late February.
Some work will be necessary at the new premises, Mrs Robson said, including the installation of fire doors.
‘It’s great news that we have certainty about being able to move and can just work out the details,’ she said.
‘Planning permission took a little longer than we hoped, but the Planning Department is very busy and they’ve been very helpful to us.’
Once it reopens, the Harbour Gallery will continue to hold arts and craft workshops for groups of all ages, and Mrs Robson said she hopes that the new location will provide greater opportunities for those who work in St Helier.
‘We would hope that people can come down and browse or buy presents in their lunch-hours, and also that some employers might like to establish workshops for their staff as an alternative team-bonding activity – not everyone wants to go down to the pub,’ she said.
Mrs Robson said she hoped that the final days in St Aubin would be busy, with the gallery open every day until the end of the month, with the exception of Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
The intention is that the gallery will retain its inclusive and relaxed atmosphere, with Mrs Robson keen to avoid the stuffiness and formality often associated with art galleries.
‘It’s been great to re-establish our regular groups after the pandemic and they give a real focal point for people who for a while got out of the habit of going out and socialising,’ she said.
‘When people first came back the atmosphere was quiet, but you could tell from the volume levels that they were getting back into it and it’s great to see people having a jolly good laugh when they come here.’
As well as getting through the pandemic, the gallery was also able to survive a serious fire in the neighbouring boatyard in November 2015.
Mrs Robson said: ‘I was away in Devon at the time and couldn’t get back here straightaway, but the damage was horrendous with black walls, waterlogging and a terrible smell.
‘The fact that it all came back and we were able to reopen in the February was amazing – everyone was just so helpful and it was a really uplifting experience.’
