Interview: Craig Scott Knight

Artists Craig Scott Knight and Ken Devine are inviting fellow creatives to join them in launching an independent retail gallery in Sunderland, designed to be run entirely by artists as a collective.

They’ve found the perfect venue and are seeking partners to help bring this vision to life with a grand opening planned for early 2025. If you work in paint, mixed media, pencil, glass, ceramics, metal, stone, or textiles, and maintain high standards in your craft, submit up to five images of your work to [email protected] by Sunday 9th February for consideration.

Each artist will contribute about £10 per week for utilities, along with a one-off cost of up to £150 for setup expenses. Additionally, artists will each dedicate one day per month to manage the gallery, ensuring equal input in its operations, including naming and business hours. This is your chance to be part of an exciting arts initiative in Sunderland.

We catch up with Craig to find out more…

What inspired you to start this artist collective and open a new gallery in Sunderland?
I was looking around the Northeast to open a new gallery as a new challenge. I hadn’t finalised anything when ‘out of the blue’ Ken Devine contacted me asking if I wanted to join him in a new gallery venture in Sunderland. It seemed like perfect timing, so I was immediately interested. 

Ken owned and ran the Frederick Street Gallery, and I had exhibited there a few times so I knew we could work well together. Ken outlined his vision for an artist collective and the need for a new permanent art gallery in Sunderland. We were in agreement, so we started making it a reality.

How did you identify the perfect venue for the gallery, and what makes it ideal for your vision?
Ken started looking at properties and seemed very impressed with one. I came for a look and agreed it was a great venue – good size and location. The area is being upscaled and it has an amazing history. 

What types of artists and art forms are you hoping to attract to join the collective?
Ken and I are very different artists so we could never pursue a ‘house’ style, in fact, this is something we would both strongly reject. We want a wide variety of artists and artwork (2D and 3D), as we see diversity as a strength. We hope artists will support and help others, and that the public will be impressed- always seeing something new and different.

Can you explain the concept of an artist-run collective and how it benefits the participating artists?
So many artists desperately want to exhibit and gain recognition for their skill and hard work. The need to make connections and communicate is a real driving force. Attention is great but selling provides financial stability and security. So many artists suffer hardship, lose motivation and quit, we want to help fellow artists make a living from their talents.  

It can be very hard to ‘break’ into the gallery system and if you do get in, the gallery takes between 30% and 50% of sales. This heavily inflates the price. We want to allow artists to get 100% of their sales while lowering prices to give the public a chance to purchase art at reasonable costs. 

What kind of support and resources will the collective offer to its members?
Ken has a wealth of experience running a successful art gallery, and I, as a professional artist, have experience exhibiting and selling. We can offer a lot of practical help and advice (support and mentoring), but I hope the collective will pool skills and experience to develop everyone’s involvement. Artists being alone and isolated isn’t the best model and we aim to address this.

How do you plan to involve the local community and create a vibrant art scene in Sunderland?
When we are up and running the collective can link with other art groups/galleries and extend our interactions. We could eventually offer art workshops- the possibilities are endless. Sunderland deserves a vibrant art scene, and the only way is to join in and become a driving force. 

What challenges do you anticipate in launching the gallery, and how do you plan to overcome them?
We need to create the perfect gallery, open and inviting. We want to encourage the public to come in and feel comfortable looking around. I think some galleries can be daunting, something we wish to avoid. 

 We need the collective to have the right membership, function well together, and produce high-quality work while being diverse and interesting. We can be a hub for creativity. 

How will the financial and operational responsibilities be managed among the collective members?
There is a financial commitment, but it will be spread evenly among the collective so it’s easily manageable. The collective will also need to steward the gallery and be responsible for all aspects of operation but the time constraints are reasonable too.