ANY gallery owner knows the pressure businesses face, both financially and on their personal time.

Giving up your weekends to be open constantly and risking money can be a bit of a gamble, so when the idea for a co-operative gallery came about in Leigh, it’s no wonder it quickly attracted artists, keen to join and get the gallery up and running.

The new Estuary Gallery Co-Operative opens this weekend and officially launches two weeks later. It will see an eclectic blend of styles and artistic disciplines exhibited with artists involved ranging from potters to painters, photographers, sculptors and mixed media.

The idea came about after photographer Ian James and his his wife, painter Josephine James, were contacted by the landlady of the empty space in Leigh.

The timing was right as the couple had just shut their own Estuary Gallery to take their business online. Ian had thought closing his fourth gallery marked the end of his involvement in running galleries. He says: “My wife and I always thought a co-operative could work, particularly in Leigh where there are so many artists. It was just a question of finding the premises and setting up, so when this came along we knew it would be a good time to do it.”

Ian and Josephine contacted local artist Simon Kirk, who has work permenantly exhibited in galleries in Denmark and America – and the “Co-Operative” was born.

Simon says: “I was surprised to get the phone call. Ian had said to me, ‘Never again’ after he closed his last gallery and I’d believed him.” The trio also got on board sculptor Karen Christensen, painter Simon Feather, mixed media artist Alan Griffiths, Madeleine Murphy, who works with Raku pottery, landscape painter Jonathan Trim, felt maker and textile artist Jeanette Trim and up-and-coming artist Jo Maddison to complete the co-operative.

The gallery will rotate whose work has prominence for periods of time, although there will always be something on display by each artist.

The artists’ different skills and experiences means there will be plenty of talent to draw on when it comes to running the gallery.

The group also have plans to run workshops.

Simon says: “It’s been good for me to learn. I’ve been involved in a few galleries but never setting them up, so it’s good to learn from Ian.”

Ian remarks: “I do think we’re going to learn an awful lot from each other.” The gallery will host workshops, headed by Madeleine Murphy.

She also runs the affordable art walls at Leigh Community Centre and is keen to use creativity as a community asset, engaging people by sharing her skills and running classes and events that people can get involved in.

Madeleine’s interested in making the gallery almost like a hub for community workshops and classes.

Simon says: “It may be an expansion of her work with the affordable art wall in the community centre.”

 The Estuary Gallery Co-Operative, located at Belton Corner adjacent to The Grove restaurant, Leigh, opens on Saturday, March 2. The gallery will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-5pm with weekday opening times by appointment. The gallery will officially launch on Saturday, March 16, with music from guitarist Dave Crix and a late opening until 9pm.