A NEW venture by an art loving uncle and his nephew in Cartmel is hoping to showcase some of the finest talent available in the South Lakes.

Cartmel Ground, a new art gallery in the village has enjoyed a bumper opening fortnight to the delight of its owners.

Steve Chamberlain, 65, and his nephew Gareth, 32, have renovated an old gift shop in Cavendish Street, filling it with the work of artists who live no more than 15 miles away from the area.

Steve Chamberlain, said: "The idea was to base the gallery around the Herdwick sheep theme and about the Lake District. Most of the artists we have come from within 15 miles of the Gallery."

Some of those artists include the renowned Jo McGrath, famous for her Herdwick-inspired pieces. There will also be work on displace from charcoal artist Daniel Cooper, and painter Fiona Reeves.

Steve said the motto of the gallery, 'celebrating unique landscapes, life, and the labours of Cumbria' is perfectly illustrated by the range of art on display.

He said: "That's out ethos. That's what we want it to be."

Before the site was turned into a gallery, it was a gift shop run by the two men.

However, they realised that what they were offering could be bought online, and a change was needed to offer the area something new and unique.


Mr Chamberlain said: "We needed a new way forward, we were looking for a niche market and we thought that (art) was the way to go, I've always been interested in art."

In anticipation of the gallery's opening at the end of May, there were admittedly some nerves however after a 'soft' launch Mr Chamberlain has been pleasantly surprised by the gallery's popularity.

He said: "To be honest I've found it very very good, we've done really well. It's been a combination of sales and people coming through the door. We made the right choice."

Now that the doors are open, the pair are hoping to have have a second opening with a touch more grandeur than their first.

They plan to invite the artists featured in their gallery to Cartmel, as well as members of the public so they can truly celebrate the success of their new venture.

Mr Chamberlain said: "We're hoping to have a grand opening in the next month, we want to go and speak to our artists so that we are singing from the same hymnbook."

To find out more about the new galley, visit its Facebook page by going to www.facebook.com/cartmelground.

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