Pop-up gallery aims to put town's art scene on map

Hannah Wheeler, Sue Read and Natalie Day opened Teyr to "bring some good art, culture and conversation" to Bude

Artists behind a new pop-up gallery say they are aiming to raise the profile of a north Cornwall town's art scene.

Fine art gallery Teyr, in Bude, opened its doors on 13 November and will operate for two months in the town's Princes Street.

The gallery was set up by a trio of local artists, Sue Read, 64, Hannah Wheeler, 47, and Natalie Day, 49.

Ms Day, who was born in the town, said: "We've made it a mission to grow the awareness [of the calibre of local artists] and put Bude on the map as a fine art destination."

Mrs Read, who was featured on TV show Rick Stein's Cornwall, said the trio hoped to "bring some good art, culture and conversation" to the town.

"Bude's quite remote and we often feel quite cut off from West Cornwall, so a lot of people don't really know what's going on at this end of the county."

Teyr, which is the feminine version of the Cornish word for three, will feature work by the trio of artists, who say they have very different but complimentary styles.

The three artists will be at the gallery each day to talk about their work

Not picture postcard art

The three artists formed a bond when Ms Day moved back to Bude three years ago, Mrs Read said.

She said the art community in the town was "scattered" compared to places like Newlyn, Penzance and St Ives where there was a "real community", leading people to underestimate it.

Ms Day, whose work has been exhibited at the Royal Cornwall Museum, said the group wanted to do something different than showcasing "holiday souvenir art".

"People want a picture of a place that they recognise - which is not really something any of us do," she said.

Mrs Read said the group was exhibiting pieces that were "bigger and a bit more out there".

The gallery is open on Tuesdays to Saturdays until 10 January

Artists on site

A distinctive feature of the gallery, which will rotate its collection over the two months it is open, is that the artists will be there every day to talk to the public.

Ms Day said visitors "love the fact" they get "direct access to us", unlike traditional galleries.

"Meeting people and being able to talk to them about the art" can transform how people feel about the artwork, she said.

The gallery is open on Tuesdays to Saturdays from 11:00 to 17:00 GMT until 10 January 2025.