By Clive Jennings
Fitzrovia continues to attract art galleries at an alarming rate with seven new establishments opening in the three short months since I last reported in early March, namely: Black Arts Company, Derwent London Gallery, England & Co, Margaret Street Gallery, Nettie Horn, Piper Gallery and Tiwani Contemporary.
That’s an amazing rate of one new gallery opening every two weeks, and a total of 52 (all listed on the back page of this issue). Fitzrovia now has, without doubt, the densest geographic concentration of art galleries anywhere in London.
On 3rd May, a packed Gallery Different on Percy Street played host to the extravagantly tonsured troubadour and darling of the Indie music scene, King Charles, who serenaded visitors to the “Stolen Faces” exhibition (featuring large format paintings by Johan Andersson of subjects who have suffered scarring or disfigurement of various types) with an impromptu and well received acoustic set.
Our near neighbour Frieze Art Fair opened in New York in May, and London’s newest Art Fair, “The Other Art Fair”, which modestly claims to offer the opportunity to buy from 100 of the best unrepresented artists, had its second edition in mid May at the cavernous Ambik P3 Space, on Marylebone Road, in close proximity to the galleries of Fitzrovia. I have also heard whispers of starting a “Last Thursday” initiative where all the local galleries will remain open late once a month. Any other local art news gratefully received at clive.jennings@fitzrovianews.org.uk.