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As the much-loved High Street gallery turns three years old, we caught up with Caroline Hewitt from Artful Pigeon to give us an update on the incredible venture that both supports and celebrates the creative community of Glossop.

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Tell us about the Artful Pigeon Gallery - what should customers expect when they walk in?

We are a warm and friendly gallery, selling a range of art and craft from artists and makers from Glossop,  the High Peak and the North of England. Displayed on mid century furniture, we stock a wide collection of handcrafted jewellery, ceramics, glass, wood, original artwork, greetings cards and small gifts.

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Why did you want to set up a gallery in the town centre?

The Artful Pigeon Gallery, originally located on High Street West, opened shortly after The Wishing Tree Gallery closed in 2021. Initially it made sense to open our Gallery at the same address and build on the success of the previous gallery. Since then we have introduced many new artists and makers to Glossop, expanding our product range as Glossop has continued to grow alongside us.

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How has moving locations to High Street East changed your business?

We made the decision to move to the new premises on High Street East in April 2023. The previous shop was very cold, even on a warm day and very much on the periphery of the High Street, so when the new shop became available it seemed perfect for us. We closed our doors on a Saturday and reopened the following Saturday, so we only lost four days trading. As you can imagine, it was a big challenge  to decorate, move furniture, stock, install the hanging system and set up the shop again in such a short time. Luckily one of our artists - Greg of Sharkman Art - kindly gave up his Sunday to move over the large furniture and give us a head start. We could probably be seen late at night arranging and hanging work and didn’t get much sleep, but it was worth it.

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We’re delighted with the new space. It’s lighter,  warmer and customers tell us it feels much more inviting, we even have wheelchair access. We’ve been able to house all our stationery in one central place and the whole space feels a lot more user friendly. The window in the previous shop was very big and a huge asset for passing trade, but we don’t think the current smaller window space has had a negative impact. It’s certainly easier to change the window more regularly. Our new more central location has drawn in lots of new customers and tourists who wouldn’t have found us on High Street West. We have joined a community of businesses on High Street East that is far better suited to our customer base,  so it is really exciting to see our business continue to grow.

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How does the gallery reflect the culture and creativity of Glossop?

It’s a privilege to be able to support the local artistic community and broaden the choice of original, high quality products and gifts to buy on Glossop’s High Street.

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Any top picks for Autumn?

The weather has been very disappointing this summer, so autumn may not feel that different, but as the year moves on you can expect to see us stocking more small gifts for Christmas.

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What would you like to see if Glossop within the creative community?

We are so lucky that we have thriving independent retailers in Glossop, so It would be wonderful to revive the illuminated Christmas Trees above shops on the High Street. Paired with the annual Glossop Creates Winter Trail, it would make shopping even more magical and special this year and encourage people to shop local.

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The Artful Pigeon Gallery is located at 10A High Street East, Glossop. Follow the gallery on Instagram @TheArtfulPigeonGallery

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