New art gallery opens with Great Potential (From Wimbledon Guardian)

New art gallery opens with Great Potential

9:43am Thursday 16th April 2009

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If you're fed up of going to the same old art galleries and the same old exhibitions fear not...there's a new space in town.

Acquire Arts in Battersea Park Road was launched at the start of the month and is promising to feature everything from photography to music nights and sculpture to film.

"I have this image of starting with a completely empty calendar and then slowly filling it."

Jane Howard

"It's been really exciting," said Jane Howard, who manages the gallery alongside colleague Amanda Scott, organising its events and exhibitions.

"The launch night was all about up and coming artists because that is something we want to promote as well as the seasoned exhibitors.

"Ian Woods, the winner of the Channel 4 talent awards, performed and we managed to get the north Londoners down to Battersea too so that was quite a success in itself.

"It was mainly for everyone to see the space and see the possibilities of it and if they were interested in getting involved.

"We want to just have a bit of fun with the shows and have a really eclectic mix of exhibitions with a good Battersea connection too.

"We want to keep it quite busy and get two exhibitions a month if we can.

"I have this image of starting with a completely empty calendar and then slowly filling it."

It was this idea of starting with nothing that led to the foundations behind their first exhibition, called Our Friendship has Great Potential.

"I am curating the show," said Jane, "and it stems from the new space and the fact it has so much optimism and possibility and you don't know what to expect but know you are excited about something."

To do this Jane has rekindled old artistic working relationships and ignited new ones to be brought together in a multitude of disciplines exploring the dynamics of life.

Nine artists will be presenting their work in what is labelled an 'optimistic' show, focusing on ideas of potential energy, initial attraction, emotional tension and the suppressed nervousness associated with prospects of possible and impossible friendships.

Acquire Arts, 155 Battersea Park Road, April 24 to May 6, 12-6pm. Visit acquirearts.org

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