RED
GALLERY
BEN: Started in
1997 by an Artist called Martin Lowe, he was studying for his degree. He wanted
to do something a bit special for his degree show so he contacted the council
got hold of this property. After he finished his degree he got together with
a few friends with a view to setting this up as a permanent gallery and the
Council had no use for it and said yes go ahead. So ever since then theres
been a rolling committee of around five people at any one time.
STEF: The amount of time that people stay is about two years.
We keep it down to five so if anyone wants to leave and we have to pick someone
else we discuss it with the remaining members.
PETER: Do people put their names forward, have you a waiting
list?
BEN: We basically look at people who are invigilating for us,
when the shows are on, people who have made an effort to help us off their own
back. We look at these people and decide with the committee who would be best,
who would have the most opinions people who would argue with us basically, because
we all argue, we have very different opinions how things should be.
DAVE: Someone who would bring a new element to the gallery.
BEN: Yes a fresh perspective. So we don't stagnate.
The thing about RED is that it's a non profit initiative, the committee
don't get paid, it's all voluntary. And if any of us decide to finish
in respect of finishing our mission, we hand in our notice and the baton is
passed hopefully onto another set of people and it rolls on like that.
PETER: Have you any premises in mind for the future? Have long
have you got left in this space?
STEF: We don't honestly know. The regeneration of the
whole are is effecting this building, sooner or later, a few years this is going
to be knocked down with Princess Quay and everything. We'll have a new
place and start a new venture and it'll probably be a new team.
PETER: RED is obviously recognised as an integral part of Hull's
Artistic community, it's well sign posted and it's on the tourist map, are you
involved in the so called future of the Culture Quarter?
BEN: Yes we have dialogue with the City Art Unit, who are very
keen for us to expand, presumably there is a future for Artist's in Hull.
STEF: There's quite a lot going on, there's a few
new galleries at the moment which is good. And we are all very different from
each other which is also very good.
PETER: when I've been to Leeds everyone says it's all happening
in Sheffield, when I go to Sheffield everyone says it's all happening in Leeds,
but when I come here to Hull, everyone says Hulls great. There's a self confidence
about the place, even though geographically Hull maybe seems isolated. Do you
have connections that expand, due to Hull being a port, to Europe for instance.
STEF: Yeah, the committee have several links in Europe, especially
Holland. We had a show in Rotterdam and they came over here. It's our
plan in the future to do more exchanges.
BEN: I suppose the furthest place where an Artist has come
from to exhibit here was a photographer for Argentina we are just delighted
that someone in Argentina has found us.
