We've decided to get to know some of our local business partners a bit better - and today we speak to Emily Paxton from Paxton+Glew Gallery...

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Tell us about yourselves and why you started Paxton + Glew?

Paxton+Glew is a contemporary art gallery located in the historic Brighton Lanes which was founded in 2019 as a pop-up gallery in Dukes Lane. We started Paxton+Glew in November 2019 with our first pop-up show ‘Urban Miniatures’ and have since hosted various shows in between the 2020 lockdowns both online and offline. We are now open seven days a week at 12 Hanningtons Lane and absolutely love the community of retailers in the vibrant part of the city. We have curated four shows and future shows are planned for 2021. For more info and to stay in the loop, you can join our mailing list at info@paxtonglew.com

What do you love most about what you do?

We love sharing the artwork of so many talented artists and curating exciting and fun shows that engage collectors and a wide audience from enquiring tourists to students keen to be inspired. We now represent nearly 50 artists from established to emerging artists. Once it is possible we hope to host private views where we will be able to celebrate the exhibitions and dedication of the artists.

What’s your average day like, or is it ever average?

The average day can range from talking through the current exhibition with gallery visitors or discussing new arrivals or previous pieces from past shows. Other days we can be collecting artworks from artists, writing blog posts, or delivering orders. When we curate an exhibition there is often the catalog to make, photographs to shoot or emailing artists for details about their work. When a new exhibition is about to go up we often work late and rehang the whole gallery and windows.

What have the challenges been opening a new business this year?

We opened in September 2020 and it was brilliant. We had sunshine, lots of visitors, and a great welcome to Hanningtons Lane. Then lockdown happened in November and since then it has felt like we have been closed more than open. We did however still have our online presence on Instagram which meant we were still able to operate as a gallery albeit a virtual one. We are very happy to be physically open again alongside a host of exciting independent retailers

Occasionally we host special events, for instance, we have invited *Keira Rathbone to do a live type outside the gallery, she will be typing street scenes within Hanningtons Lane using a typewriter.

What do you love most about Brighton?

The sea, the creative energy, and the positive vibe of the people make the city what it is today. We have both lived here for a long time and can’t think of anywhere else we’d rather be or want to establish a gallery.

Thank you!