London Galleries

Essentially, London galleries lean towards having a very large oversized door or 3 and where possible, a suited person to open it for you. 

I really enjoyed some of the buildings,industrial stair noses, sash windows, original features. Nothing smelt of damp - all buildings were well maintained. Book shops go hand in hand and artworks are visibly available to purchase in some places.

I was interested in this because it reflects what they're actually doing and how visible it is. 

There's a sense of cultural community - Art is not a small network of familiar faces holding each other up - it's far reaching and accepted as part of the community. There is discourse in the exhibitions - it has impact. 

  

 There are spaces that engage - as people are just in that space.

Galleries mostly feel like they are open and for everyone and cafes create social spaces. 

The way people engage with them is very relaxed -like it's an accepted social norm that you can go and just fall into a space. Galleries are the new cathedrals.

Kids grow up exploring spaces - they're predominantly free and it's generally accepted that they'll be open.

 

It's no more difficult to navigate London than it is Stoke on Trent, but there are relationships between the organisations and the community and how they engage - and there is more willingness generally to do big things - organisations commercially take more chances with what they do to attract people. Big Dino is not in B&M. 

 The creativity is spilling out and feels like its accepted if not expected =