Local Gallery research - Margate.

As part of my research I've been looking around at what other local galleries are doing in terms of how they are run - what kinds of exhibitions there are; if there are any charges for artists and visitors; and how they advertise themselves. I am mainly looking at places of a similar size to The Old Lookout that are independently run. I also wanted to specifically look into galleries that have changing exhibitions, that either rotate weekly or monthly. There are several more commercial galleries in Margate particularly, but I didn't feel these quite fit the bill. These include The Imperial Art Gallery, Margate Gallery, Marine Studios and Outside The Square Gallery. These operate on much more of a business level, with a focus on selling the art that is featured on the gallery walls. They also often only feature one or two artists, with work being exhibited in the long term. It will also become obvious that I am not referring to the Turner Contemporary, as this clearly functions on a much larger scale. Another small gallery in Margate that I have left out of my notes is Parade Gallery, which does appear to have short exhibitions that change fairly regularly, and doesn't charge visitors to come in. However, I haven't seen much come out of Parade recently, with its website not having been updated for a couple of months. Therefore, to keep up with what is currently happening in the Thanet art scene, I haven't been digging particularly deep into the workings of this gallery.
There has also been a new gallery recently opened in Ramsgate: The UpDown Gallery. This has contributed massively to the art scene in Ramsgate and also features exhibitions that change on a monthly basis. As far as I can tell however, this space isn't available for anyone to use and exhibit in. There doesn't appear to be a way of booking the space out for personal exhibitions or as a project space. This separates it from the way that places like The Old Lookout and The Pie Factory work, basically allowing artists to use the space as they wish, whether it be for the installation of a growing project piece or for a simple residency. Saying this, being a relatively new addition to Thanet, it's difficult to see how it will compare to some of the other galleries in Broadstairs and Margate in the long term.
So, the main places I have been focusing on are The Pie Factory, Limbo Gallery & Studios and Crate Space.

The Pie Factory

 - What do they do?
Run 5 workshops/studios that are rented by creatives, a gallery and a pop-up shop, which can be used to sell work or as a separate exhibition space. The gallery itself is a quirky, rustic space, with some original elements remaining from when it was a butchers. Exhibitions are constantly changing, and usually run for 1 or 2 weeks at a time. There is an enforced hanging system that artists must use to stop drilling into walls. Generally exhibitions are fully formed shows - not often used for residency style practice, where work is made throughout the week and added to a growing exhibition. As far as I know, artists are free to sell work if they wish, but there is not a huge emphasis on this.

- When are they open?
Throughout the year. There seems to be something going on here most weeks of the year. It appears that opening and closing times are at the discretion of the artists themselves (The current exhibition is advertising 11am-8pm opening hours). It appears that, with the exception of the hanging system, the artist is free to use the space however they wish.

- Do they charge either visitors or artists?
Visitors - no. Artists are charged for the use of all aspects of The Pie Factory - studios, pop-up shop and gallery. The main gallery space costs around £250 per week, obviously with the addition of a deposit.

- How do they advertise themselves?
In terms of online marketing, The Pie Factory uses a website, Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor. However, it is really only the first two sites that are used regularly, with the Twitter feed not being posted on very often and only 1 review on TripAdvisor. They also have a page on the Visit Thanet website (which if I'm honest, I didn't realise actually listed art galleries) and a mailing list to keep visitors updated.
There are also flyers which can be distributed by exhibitors, and quite a big, obvious sign on the front of the gallery, which is situated in Margate's old town.


Limbo Gallery & Studios

- What do they do?
Limbo is an artist lead organisation, with artist studios to rent and a gallery/project space. This gallery appears to have much more of a varied usage, with constantly changing exhibitions and events. It can also be rented out for almost anything - corporate gatherings, private functions and public events. Limbo is situated a bit out of the old town of Margate, which is where most of the small galleries, cafes and boutiques are situated, in a renovated old substation. This gives the space itself quite an industrial feel. Their website notes that Limbo "aims to create new points of reference or entry, through which challenging and unfamiliar ideas and methodologies can be experienced and discussed." Therefore, works in progress and artist residencies are also exhibited here.

-When are they open?
Various weeks throughout the year. Most exhibitions are short term, again usually two or three weeks long. However, there doesn't appear to be a fixed schedule for shows - at the moment there is a gap between exhibitions from 18th August to 5th October. Again, it seems that opening hours are left up to the artist or group exhibiting, with most exhibitions also having private views.

- Do they charge?
Again, there is no charge for visitors. And similarly to The Pie Factory, Limbo's gallery space can also be rented out. The prices really depend on different categories - whether the exhibitor is a studio holder, member, student group, artist group or business. A 5 day period (presumably with the addition of 1 day each for hang and tear down) costs between £95 and £205.

- How do they advertise?
Again, mostly through online marketing. Limbo uses Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as their main website which includes the opportunity to subscribe to a mailing list. Their Twitter feed is well updated with what's going on both in the gallery and Margate in general. On their website there is a link to become a member of the gallery, which again suggests a way of gaining more funding. However it doesn't appear to be fully sorted out yet, but could be something which happens in the future. In terms of physical marketing, the gallery is slightly off the beaten track, tucked round behind some shops on a road just off the main high street. Therefore, you would expect that there would be some signs around the town directing people there, as it is not very likely that the public would just stumble across it. However, I couldn't see any posters or an A-Board. This may be down to the fact that there isn't an exhibition on at the moment, so when the gallery is open there may be some more obvious forms of publicity in the town.


Crate Space


- What do they do?
Again, Crate offers a gallery space and studios to rent. However, they also offer opportunities for both artists and curators, which does differ from The Pie Factory and Limbo. There is a changing programme of events and exhibitions within the main gallery space, which can also be used by artists as a project space, with a focus on experimentation and research. Crate is located in the same courtyard as Limbo, with the two galleries working together and often publicising each others events. In contrast to Limbo, Crate has also recently offered curatorial internships, supported by UCA, giving a bigger focus on education and artistic opportunities.

- When are they open?
Like the other two galleries, there appears to be various things going on throughout the year, without a fixed schedule of exhibitions. From looking at their website it is not entirely clear whether there are any exhibitions coming up and when they are, but I am unsure on whether this is the gallery not hosting shows any more or just a rarely updated website.

- Do they charge?
There is no entrance fee for visitors. Artists can rent the gallery and various spaces within Crate for prices ranging between £60 and £270 for a week. The pricing system is similar to that of Limbo, with different categories of exhibitor paying different prices. However, on their website there is also a page dedicated to a 'Crate Curatorial Bursary', which was open to applicants wanting to direct a programme of events at the gallery. The applicant is offered a £1000 bursary to develop a programme proposal and, with the help of funding bids, deliver a series of events to be shown at Crate. This is the only gallery I have looked into so far that is actually offering to pay at least one contributor to the running of the exhibitions.

- How do they advertise?
Being in the same location as Limbo, Crate may well have the same problems with attracting chance visitors. However, when I went down to have a look, they did have an A-Board on the pavement advertising, which does attract attention from passers by. Unfortunately when I went into the gallery it looked as if the exhibition was in the process of being torn down, with no clear signs of what the exhibition was or had been and no one around to ask about it. Clearly the physical marketing is there, but perhaps wasn't entirely effective on the day that I visited. In terms of online marketing, they do use a main website, with the option for visitors to register and login to the site. They don't appear to use any social networking sites, with the exception of a Facebook page created for one specific exhibition.


The main things I can conclude from looking in detail at these 3 galleries, and being aware of some of the other galleries in Margate, are as follows:

• None of them, not even the Turner, charge their visitors for entry. However, even though not all of the galleries in the town are commercially focused, all of them appear to charge their artists and contributors to exhibit.
• Most use mainly online marketing, with Facebook and Twitter being the most popular choices for social media. Mailing lists are also often used. There isn't much publicity for the galleries around the town, at least not that I have noticed. However, The Pie Factory probably has the most strong and defined image to its flyers, meaning that they are easily recognisable. Limbo and Crate don't have as strong a personality to the look and design of the websites and social media sites, which might also be said for The Old Lookout. 
• The galleries that I have looked at are all open all year round, but don't have a fixed schedule. Also, opening times are most down to the discretion of each individual exhibitor. Both of these ideas contrast to The Old Lookout, which only opens in the summer season.
• It has to be said, there just isn't as strong an art scene in Broadstairs as there is in Margate. It's true that there aren't many posters around advertising galleries, but it could be suggested that the locals of Margate don't need them. The old town has a reputation of being quite an arty area, which means that perhaps the art scene there doesn't need to be advertised as much. In Broadstairs, on the other hand, there isn't this knowledge yet. 

It's clear to see that, for the most part, the running of The Old Lookout is quite different from many of the galleries in Margate. The most noticeable differences are the charging of artists to exhibit and the fact that they are available all year round. Personally, I don't feel that charging for the use of the space would work particularly well for the ethos of The Lookout - it would at very least change the types of exhibitions we are able to show. Part of what is interesting here is the ability that artists have to show works in progress, or experimental work without fear of losing money with nothing to show for it. This means that the exhibitions can be as enlightening for the artists as they are for the visitors. It is clear that the art scenes in the two towns are at very different levels, which has to be reflected in the running of galleries. The template that works in Margate wouldn't necessarily work as well in Broadstairs. However, with the whole of East Kent's artistic reputation growing, it will be interesting to see in future years whether other towns in the area follow the model that has been created in Margate.