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In the heart of the Lake District landscape, a place which has inspired artists for centuries, is Castlegate House Gallery.
Owned by Steve and Christine Swallow, this Cumbrian destination sells 20th century and contemporary British works to a global audience, as well as supporting up-and-coming talent.
The former are sourced from auctions and private collections; the latter are discovered by Steve and Christine, often from those fresh out of art college.
Most of the UK’s art dealers specialising in modern British work are concentrated in London, but Castlegate House Gallery’s fresh take on the industry sees Steve drive 50,000 miles a year from his base in Cockermouth, delivering chosen artworks to their clients’ homes, in a truly personal service that builds lasting relationships.
Castlegate House Gallery doesn’t operate like the majority of art galleries selling contemporary work.
Most use a commission model, holding pieces for artists and collectors, then selling them on their behalf.
‘We won’t buy what we don’t love,’ says Steve.
Whilst most of the art and ceramics they deal in find homes initially through online means or client relationships, having a bricks-and-mortar gallery in Cumbria is an important part of Steve and Christine’s ethos. It brings the business back to that personal touch, not just a transaction, and the gallery attracts browsers and collectors from across the UK. They also exhibit at the British Art Fair and London Art Fair each year, showcasing the gallery on a world stage.
Having those strong northern roots is a source of pride for the couple who met at sixth form just outside Rochdale.
Christine then worked first for a plastics company as a polymer technologist, while Steve joined a fast-track training programme with Natwest. He then went on to work for other banks, which led to the pair relocating to London.
Meanwhile, they both loved art. When their friends were putting ubiquitous high street pictures on their walls, Steve and Christine chose prints by the Italian artist Modigliani.
They chanced upon the Oldham artist John Thompson in a studio in Lancashire, who saw how smitten they were with his work and offered to let them pay in instalments. They didn’t succumb, but they realised then that they wanted to collect unique pieces someone had created – and they now sell John’s work themselves.
‘I’ve got a bit of an obsessive personality,’ says Steve, ‘so discovering British art became the thing we did when we weren’t in work, bribing the children with promises of ice cream if they’d come to galleries and art fairs each weekend.’
Steve had a successful career in the financial sector in the City for 13 years, while Christine focused on bringing up their two children, Emily and Ben. In 2009, they decided they wanted to move back north and take their lives in a totally new direction. Steve didn’t want to get to 60 and not have pursued his passion for art.
They bought the two-storey Castlegate House Gallery in June 2012. Taking on a well-regarded but provincial gallery with a specific focus on Cumbrian artists, Percy Kelly and Sheila Fell, the latter a protégée of LS Lowry.
Now it’s not just Sheila Fell and Percy Kelly on the gallery walls, it’s Grayson Perry, Frank Auerbach, Norman Cornish and Winifred Nicholson, to handpick just a few of their key artists. Their young talent includes Alice Campbell and Craig Simpson.
‘I genuinely love what I do,’ adds Steve. ‘I love art, discovering where it’s been, where it’s come from, and the excitement of not knowing what the next phone call may offer. I love to discover paintings the art world didn’t know existed and then see them hanging on new walls, creating new collections with people who have the same passion for beautiful things.’
Find out more at: castlegatehouse.co.uk
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