The Fitzrovia art scene continues to flourish, with around 47 commercial galleries now thriving in our manor (see below for full list). The rate of growth is not as dynamic as it was a few years ago, when new galleries were opening almost every month, but as galleries close or move on to pastures new, new kids on the block seem to pop up. The hothouse effect of the top end of the market has resulted in several new galleries opening in Mayfair and St James, in particular overseas galleries looking for a foothold in London.
Competition for suitable spaces to open new galleries is so intense, especially with when competing with the funds available to “luxury lifestyle brands”, that one enterprising art dealer, John Martin is planning a mega gallery in South Kensington. When completed in 2019, the site will provide 16 exhibition spaces, including a 3000 sq ft pavilion gallery, art storage, viewing rooms and offices for 35 galleries and dealers. Comprising five Grade 2 buildings, it will include Sir John Lavery’s house and studio (originally built for the Grosvenor Gallery in the 19th Century).
Closer to home, Tristan Hoare Gallery has recently opened its doors in the stunning first floor Piano Nobile of the building occupied by The Georgian Society at 6 Fitzroy Square, where there is a stunning exhibition of glass creations by Flavie Audi until 10 January. These beautiful rooms have previously housed Modern Art, one of the first of Fitzrovia’s new wave of galleries, and before that an exhibition of work by Tracey Emin.
Recent casualties, on the Fitzrovia Art Scene include Art First, which has been in the West End for many years, moving from Cork Street to Eastcastle Street in 2010 but now moving south to Kennington in the New Year. Also, Evelyn Yard Gallery, an offshoot of Rook and Raven gallery in Rathbone Place, which is moving out of Fitzrovia in early 2017, after a tenure of three years, to an undisclosed new location.
White Rainbow, 47 Mortimer Street. To 21 Jan: Ingeborg Lüscher – “It’s 1 o’clock and the bell tolls 8 times”.
Several Fitzrovia galleries feature the “Iceberg” effect – that is to say that they look very modest from their street frontage, but have cavernous high ceilinged lower ground floors, that comprise most of the gallery space, and are well worth exploring. Falling into this category are Fold on New Cavendish Street; and Josh Lilley and T J Boulting, both on Riding House Street. Also, always worth a look is Rosenfeld Porcini, which, in addition to a ground floor space that spans the block from Rathbone Street to Newman Street, also has a similarly sized lower floor. Caroll / Fletcher Gallery, on Eastcastle Street also has a cavernous subterranean arrangement of Brutalist concrete caverns, housing galleries and viewing rooms.
With Christmas around the corner, several galleries are offering opportunities to buy arty gifts. Curwen Gallery, on Windmill Street, has a special Christmas Exhibition to 23 December, featuring many smaller works. Grad Gallery, on Little Portland Street, is offering “gifts with a bit of history”, including everything from reproductions of Soviet-era scarves and porcelain ornaments to limited edition prints and posters. If you fancy a beverage with your art, Ben’s Coffee House (claiming to be “the world’s first city centric grocery and café”), formerly on Grafton Way, has now relocated to the ground floor of the ever-enterprising Rebecca Hossack Gallery, on Conway Street.
Featured Art Galleries
Alison Jacques Gallery, 18 Berners Street
To 7 Jan: “Teller on Mapplethorpe”
Pi Artworks, 55 Eastcastle Street
To 17 Jan: Various artists – “American Histories”
13 Jan – 25 Feb: Various artists – “Strike Site”
Rosenfeld Porcini, 37 Rathbone Street
9 Dec to 11 Feb: Sebastian Gordin – “If Animals Didn’t Exist…”
Tristan Hoare, 6 Fitzroy Square
To 10 Jan: Flavie Audi – “CELL-(ESTIAL)”
White Rainbow, 47 Mortimer Street
To 21 Jan: Ingeborg Lüscher – “It’s 1 o’clock and the bell tolls 8 times”
Full list of Fitzrovia galleries, December 2016
Adam Gallery, 67 Mortimer Street (http://www.adamgallery.com)
Alison Jacques Gallery, 18 Berners Street (http://www.alisonjacquesgallery.com)
Arup Phase 2, 8 Fitzroy Street (http://www.arup.com/news/events_and_exhibitions/exhibition_spaces)
Bartha Contemporary, 25 Margaret Street (http://www.barthacontemporary.com)
Black Arts Company, 73 Great Titchfield Street (http://www.theblackarts.org)
Building Centre, Store Street (http://www.buildingcentre.co.uk)
Caroll / Fletcher, 56-57 Eastcastle Street (http://www.carrollfletcher.com)
Christine Park Gallery, 35 Riding House Street (http://www.christinepark.net)
Coningsby, 30 Tottenham Street (http://www.coningsbygallery.com)
Curwen Gallery, 34 Windmill Street (http://www.curwengallery.com)
Darren Baker Gallery, 81 Charlotte Street (http://darrenbakergallery.com )
Gallery Different, 14 Percy Street (http://www.gallerydifferent.co.uk)
Edel Assanti, 17A Newman Street (http://www.edelassanti.com)
Evelyn Yard, Evelyn Yard (http://www.evelynyard.com)
Exposure, 22-23 Little Portland Street (http://www.exposure.net)
Fitzrovia Gallery, 139 Whitfield Street (http://www.fitzroviagallery.co.uk)
Fold Gallery, 158 New Cavendish Street (http://www.foldgallery.com)
Framers Gallery, 36 Windmill Street (http://www.theframersgallery.co.uk)
Getty Images Gallery, 46 Eastcastle Street (http://www.gettyimagesgallery.com)
GRAD, 3-4A Little Portland Street (http://www.grad-london.com)
Hanmi Gallery, 30 Maple Street (http://www.hanmigallery.co.uk)
Ibid, 27 Margaret Street (http://www.ibidprojects.com)
Josh Lilley, 44-46 Riding House Street (http://www.joshlilleygallery.com)
Lazarides Gallery, 11 Rathbone Place (http://www.lazinc.com)
Nancy Victor, 6 Charlotte Place (http://www.nancyvictor.com)
Narrative Projects, 110 New Cavendish Street (http://narrativeprojects.com)
National Print Gallery, 56 Maple Street (http://www.nationalprintgallery.com)
Pi Artworks, 55 Eastcastle Street (http://www.piartworks.com)
Pilar Corrias, 54 Eastcastle Street (http://www.pilarcorrias.com)
Rebecca Hossack Gallery (1), 2a Conway Street (http://www.r-h-g.co.uk)
Rebecca Hossack Gallery (2), 28 Charlotte Street (http://www.r-h-g.co.uk)
Richard Saltoun, 111 Great Titchfield Street (http://www.richardsaltoun.com)
Rook and Raven, 7/8 Rathbone Place (http://www.rookandraven.co.uk)
Rosenfeld Porcini, 37 Rathbone Street (http://www.rosenfeldporcini.com)
RIBA, 66 Portland Place (http://www.architecture.com)
Saunders Fine Art, 20 Charlotte Street (http://www.saundersfineart.co.uk)
Scream Gallery, 27-28 Eastcastle Street (http://www.whisperfineart.co.uk)
Store Street Gallery, 32 Store Street (http://www.storestreetgallery.com)
Tiwani Contemporary, 16 Little Portland Street (http://www.tiwani.co.uk)
T J Boulting, 59 Riding House Street (http://www.tjboulting.com)
Tristan Hoare, 6 Fitzroy Square (http://www.tristanhoaregallery.co.uk)
White Rainbow, 47 Mortimer Street (http://www.white-rainbow.co.uk)
Woolff Gallery, 89 Charlotte Street (http://www.woolffgallery.co.uk)
Zari Gallery, 73 Newman Street (http://www.zarigallery.co.uk)