It’s almost seven years since Lindsay Bennett took a chance on a new career in the art world after the shock of being made redundant. Now she can’t wait to welcome people back inside Newport’s Tatha Gallery.
Following the disappointment of having to close to the public again at the end of last year, Tatha owner Lindsay is feeling excited: “Bring on April 28, I say!”
“Just being in the gallery, feeling the calm and seeing the work back on the walls has made me want to open the doors and let people in,” she says.
While Tatha’s switch to online exhibitions and virtual tours has been a success, it is still a far cry from the real thing.
“It isn’t the same as coming through the doors, standing in front of a piece, feeling the emotion that attaches to it and being able to get up close to it,” Lindsay enthuses.
Tatha turns seven years old this month. Its name translates as Tay in Gaelic. Situated in a white Georgian building on Newport’s High Street, it enjoys stunning views of the river.
Up until the end of last year, Lindsay ran the gallery with local landscape artist Helen Glassford. With her work in great demand, Helen decided to move on and concentrate solely on her painting.
Where it started
Lindsay reflects: “It was just by chance. I had worked in financial services for 31 years and I was made redundant. All of a sudden I wondered what I was going to do with my life because I wasn’t quite ready for that.
“I took a little bit of time out and pondered. It was a mutual friend of mine and Helen’s who got me into the gallery. I had always loved art and had a connection with it. That’s where it started. I thought, ‘I’ll give it a shot’.”
Lindsay admits with a small team, there has been much to learn: “I’m very good at change – I did a lot of change management latterly in my old role so change, for me, was ok. I have really enjoyed meeting artists, connecting with them and doing everything in the space.”
Tatha’s new show, Into the Landscape, is a celebration of nature and Scotland’s outdoors – something with which we’ve all become more familiar thanks to lockdowns and travel bans. It features work by artists Anna King, Dominique Cameron and Ian Kinnear.
It runs until May 15, which means it began as a virtual exhibition and will end as one that’s open to the public.
“I’m very much an outdoor person – I need to be outside every day walking, being round nature and that’s kept me going, personally,” Lindsay says.
“Each of the artists has a unique perspective on our landscape, so they are very captivating.”
If enjoying the beauty of the local area has helped Lindsay, it will no doubt be the same for many others. She hopes the artists’ contrasting styles will be uplifting and enriching.
Each artist inhabits a separate part within the gallery space, with Ian Kinnear’s work in the small room off the main exhibition area.
The room is delightful.
You could spend hours in there.
“For the first time ever we’ve put only one artist,” Lindsay reveals. “Ian’s recent inspiration has been his garden. He spots a simple statement of beauty and will go back into his studio and recapture it.
“To take his work and put it into its own space, the room is delightful. You could spend hours in there. It’s so calming, the light is beautiful – it’s just wonderful.”
Display cases feature the jewellery of Heather McDermott, who takes inspiration from her native Isle of Skye.
Lindsay wonders if having to stay local might have made people more aware of their surroundings: “Have they awakened to what’s round them and will that change their perspective when they come to see the show?”
Looking to the future, she thinks Tatha will retain the virtual tours, which have become a big part of lockdown exhibitions.
“Even though we want to get people back into the space, we know there are lots of clients who don’t live locally,” she adds. “If it’s a way to get them to view the show, then even better.”
