The 'A Small Space' exhibition is one proof among many that Stockport has earned its recent Town of Culture accolade.  

This intimate gallery, featuring a plethora of works from a range of public and private exhibitionists, is open in the Old Town General Store on Great Underbank Street.  

"I love it when a piece of art invites that intimacy between the viewer and the artwork. That's what we're all about really", says Jen Orpin, founder and artist in A Small Space.  

The exhibition is designed to depart from the conventional 'white cube' gallery space, and present a range of different artworks to viewers in an 'unconventional, unused' environment. 

"It's about pushing outside the boundaries of the conventional white cube art gallery space", Jen says. 

"I like the unexpectedness of walking into a clothes shop and finding some contemporary artwork on the wall made by professional practicing artists."

The rest of Old Town General Store can just be seen through the window (Image - A Small Space)

A Small Space features works from 18 different artists, encompassing a whole range of styles and profiles. 

Landscapes, abstract, collage, figurative - all of this and more is on display. Artists come from a range of backgrounds, too; some are full-time and others part-time, but all are practicing professionals, who varyingly exhibit work publicly and privately, nationally and internationally.  

A little gem in a small package, the exhibition came about when a space, managed and developed by Andy Stock, became available at the Old Town General Store. 

"I love it when a piece of art invites that intimacy between the viewer and the artwork. That's what we're all about, really."

This in itself is what gave birth to A Small Space - the idea of unconventional space being used to showcase art in a more personal, confidential environment.  

As Jen says: "It's bringing customers to whatever space it is that we're showing in, and those customers might not have seen or heard about the artists before.

[...] We get our work seen by a broader range of people, and hopefully the same people who see the work might want to invest in us as artists and invest in a new piece of art."

The small gallery space invites a greater sense of connection and intimacy with the artwork on display (Image - A Small Space)

She also outlines her hopes that the exhibition could move across the UK, with different artists along the way. 

London, Leeds, Liverpool, elsewhere in Manchester - all of this is on the cards from a promising beginning in Stockport.  

And enjoy it while it lasts! Jen hopes that in this unorthodox environment, visitors will feel a stronger sense of connection with the art on display; in other words, her hope is that visitors are moved by what they see. 

"Come over and get up close and intimate to these beautiful artworks", she says. "The size of the work and the space means that you are encouraged to do that."

A private viewing will run tonight (15 June) from 7-9pm, and the exhibition will continue until August. Wherever this remarkable artistic collective ends up next, remember that it started here in Stockport.

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stockport Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

Please consider following Stockport Nub News on Facebook or Twitter