The who’s who of the new Bloomsbury Group

If you asked me where to find contemporary art in London, I’d say the student-run spaces south of the river, the emerging galleries of the east, and the established institutions of the west. I probably wouldn’t say Bloomsbury – the city centre neighbourhood associated with the Pre-Raphaelites and the Bloomsbury Group. However, I was recently corrected by Anna Eaves and Ted Targett of Brunette Coleman; the past year has seen the launch of several galleries in the area, including their own, some galleries have migrated to the neighbourhood, and there are others who have simply always been there. They told me that seven galleries had grouped up, mapped a walking route, and would be coordinating late openings, all to promote Bloomsbury as an area for the arts. I dropped by each of the galleries on the first of these openings to find out why Bloomsbury is at the centre of this artistic renaissance.

Brunette Coleman was founded in June 2023, making it one of the newest arrivals. The gallery occupies three rooms of an Edwardian building at 42 Theobalds Road. I ask what attracted them. “Honestly, the rent. We got really lucky with this space. The fact it’s in this beautiful area is an unprecedented bonus – we never thought we’d be able to afford to set up in such a central location.” They tell a familiar story. Bloomsbury saw a flood of cheaper commercial spaces become available following the Covid pandemic, when many businesses abandoned the city centre. Some declared the death of the city, others saw opportunities. Archie Squire, founder of a. SQUIRE, says he was attracted because, “Bloomsbury has its own thing going on – academia, period film sets, colonial museology – but it’s also a connective tissue between the galleries in Mayfair and Bethnal Green. When Phillida Reid first told me about her building in Grape Street this time two years ago, she definitely set something in motion.”

For the established galleries, setting up in Bloomsbury was about connecting to the area’s history. The Perimeter has occupied a building on Brownlow Mews since 2018. According to founder Alexander Petalas the choice of location was “completely serendipitous”. He values Bloomsbury because, “it is extremely central, bang smack in the middle of London without being overdeveloped and with so much charm, history and character.” Another gallery, Herald St, was founded in Bethnal Green in 2005 by Nicky Verber and Ash L’ange. They opened their second space on Museum Street in Bloomsbury in 2017. According to them, “When looking for a new West End space that would complement our existing East London gallery, Bloomsbury’s history definitely played a part in our decision.”

Location and access was the main aim for Grace Schofield and Nigel Dunkley of Union Pacific, who also settled on Bloomsbury for their second gallery location. For them, it was the importance of, “feeling connected to the bustle of town but also slightly out of it” and the convenience for visitors, “We just hope to make it easier for people to go gallery hopping. When you are not local to a city, proximity makes all the difference.” Gallery hopping should be easy, as Union Pacific is just around the corner from Phillida Reid, which moved from Royalty Mews in Soho to Grape Street in spring 2022. The new location and larger gallery space allowed Phillida Reid to expand their exhibitions and introduce a new programme of video art. Bloomsbury is even attracting galleries from abroad; Hot Wheels Athens is rebranding to Hot Wheels Athens/London, following their opening of a second location on 91 Great Russell Street. Founders Hugo Wheeler and Julia Gardener have connections to the area. Still, post-Brexit, the move is surprising.

Competition is the nature of the art world; getting two galleries to work together can be difficult, let alone seven. So, how did it come about? According to Union Pacific, “Us and three others all separately had the idea to move here, so it felt like a natural zeitgeisty thing was happening.” The Perimeter agreed: “With more and more spaces opening in the area it felt like a natural fit to come together and make Bloomsbury more of an art destination” Brunette Coleman told me. “There’s a well established route between the East London galleries, especially around Cambridge Heath and Bethnal Green – we wanted to create a similar sense of community in Bloomsbury.” Herald St added: “All the galleries involved were really excited about being in such close proximity to one another. Coordinating our openings was suggested, and immediately agreed upon by all galleries as a wonderful collaborative thing to do.”

According to Alex Petalas, “Collaboration and unity will lead to better things for all, I have no doubt about that.” Herald St added, “It will only lead to an increase in people coming to the area to see contemporary art, so it is totally collaborative.” Archie Squire: “I’m innately competitive, which most people would never admit! But competition feels like a remote concept here.” As one of the youngest galleries, Brunette Coleman is keenly aware of how collaboration benefits them. “During our first show back in June, when we were still brand new, we were grateful to The Perimeter for recommending us to some of their visitors – small gestures like this are hugely important to young galleries as we look to grow our audience. Having a community of other gallery owners is also crucial, to share advice and ask questions. We’re grateful to Union Pacific and others for their generous advice over the last six months.”