A NEW art gallery will open in Newent on Thursday, March 12, with an opening exhibition from 6pm to 8pm.

Local artist Charlotte Keating has taken on the premises following the departure of The Secret Gallery, hoping to offer contemporary art, handmade gifts and a creative space to the much-loved Shambles Courtyard.

The new Charlotte Keating Art Gallery and Gift Shop will showcase work from more than 16 artists and makers alongside Charlotte’s own paintings. Charlotte explained the decision to move from her working studio into the space happened quickly but felt like a natural step.

Charlotte Keating said: “When I heard the gallery was becoming available it simply made sense. It felt important to keep an art gallery and gift shop presence here in the Shambles and help maintain this creative corner of Newent as somewhere people can come to explore.

“The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of preparation. It’s been an incredibly busy two weeks. There’s been plenty of hard graft, decorating, sourcing furniture and display cabinets, liaising with artists and preparing the first exhibition, all while finishing my own new series of paintings. I’m really looking forward to the opening and finally being able to relax and enjoy the space.”

The gallery is already looking bright and vibrant, filled with a wide variety of artwork and handmade pieces including paintings, prints, cards, jewellery, textiles, stained glass, wood and resin pieces.

Many of the featured artists are local, drawing on Charlotte’s links to the Forest of Dean’s farOpen Collective, the Gloucester Contemporary Artists Collective and Cheltenham’s Sixteen Gallery Collective, alongside a few carefully chosen makers from further afield whose work Charlotte has long admired.

Celebrations will continue the following week with Newent’s Spring Fair on Saturday, March 21, when The Shambles will host live music, book signings, art exhibition, book binding demonstration and a Monopoly Hunt with lots of activities across various venues in town for everyone of all ages to enjoy.