BobCat Gallery Returns to Putney Exchange
Taking up vacant unit following successful pop-up in 2022
BobCat Gallery's new larger space
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October 11, 2024
An independent business is returning to the Putney Exchange Shopping Centre after having ran a pop-up shop there two years ago.
The successful short run in 2022 has prompted the BobCat Gallery to take up on of the vacant units in the centre. The premises have been vacant for some time and the Centre Management Team proposed it as a suitable location.
It enables the Gallery to offer a wider range of original and handmade limited edition artwork from a much larger space.
BobCat Gallery Founder, artist and curator Catherine Sweet, says, “As a ‘microbusiness’, having the flexibility of a temporary contract while I find my feet in physical premises is invaluable, and something I have been searching for for some time. It takes considerable effort to establish yourself in this business when you’re a team of one, and not all landlords have been so accommodating. It means a huge amount when a landlord is willing to take a chance on small business so we can grow sustainably, and it’s an excellent way to ensure that retail spaces don’t lie empty.”
Catherine Sweet
In contrast to the support she is receiving at Putney Exchange, in the run up to Christmas 2023 another Wandsworth shopping centre pulled out of an offer of a temporary unit five days before BobCat Gallery was due to move in with a showcase of 60 artists, prompting a last minute search for an alternative venue, just before the busiest retail season in the calendar.
As Wandsworth heads into 2025 as London Borough of Culture, BobCat Gallery now hopes to offer a growing number of creatives a chance to showcase their work in an accessible space, as well as organising a regular programme of in-store events, ranging from live painting to tapestry workshops and dance performances. The gallery will also host a monthly ‘Meet the Artists’ evening as an informal gathering for locals to connect with the artists displaying their work.
Catherine, who grew up just 10 minutes from Putney Exchange, added, “I created BobCat Gallery to showcase affordable artwork. I wholeheartedly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to own original art, whatever their budget - and I work hard to keep my commission low so that artists are paid fairly for their work and can better achieve their dreams. I pride myself on a no-nonsense approach to art; my job is to help people find art that they love, for less.”
The gallery space in Putney Exchange has also become a creative hub for three other artists plus Catherine herself; the spaces which were previously meeting rooms have been transformed into working studios for two local painters and a textile artist focused on upcycling, refashioning and sustainability, including a project to raise awareness of the plight of the River Wandle.
Centre Manager at Putney Exchange, Irene Terrones, says: “Art and creativity can have a profound benefit for the individual and wider community. What Catherine has created in terms of opening art up to the general public, in an accessible environment, is wonderful! A great addition to Putney Exchange which we fully support.”
For more information visit www.BobCatGallery.co.uk
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