Gallery owner - Kurt Beers of Beers London

 This Month I am excited to add to our new Q&A section the director and founder of Beers London, Kurt Beers, I have loved the work they have shown for many years, and the way the curate the pieces that to me seems to flow really well. We have also featured two of the artists they represent, as they show some really exciting painters, whose work is intriguing, narrative and current.

Always a lover of art Kurt came to the art world after having had a totally different career path. This shows that as long as you have a passion for art there is always a place for you to express this you just need to find you’r niche…

BEERS London opened in 2012 and is now one of London’s leading Galleries for contemporary art. They recently moved to a new location in the heart of The City next to St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Barbican, and the new Farringdon Tube Station. They exhibit artists at various career stages, while focusing on painting, they do frequently exhibit other mediums.

1. Gallery owner - curator is not a career path that is ever talked about when we are growing up, what drew you to it as a career choice? And how would define what you do?

I never dreamed of being a gallery owner or curator. Art has always been a passion and past time of mine; however, it was never in the plan for me to own my own gallery in London one day. Before starting BEERS London in 2012 (nearly 10 years ago, time flies!) I had a history in Canadian politics as well as serving as a Constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I moved to London in 2008 to complete my Masters Degree and ended up staying after falling in love with London and opened the gallery thereafter.

How would I define what I do? I seek out new, exciting and contemporary (of the moment) art and artists to exhibit at our gallery, both emerging and mid-career. Bringing art to the masses but with a purpose and thoughtfulness that comes with a certain taste and aesthetic that has come to define BEERS London.

2. What is your opinion on a curator, gallery owner & artists being one person? Or do you think it is important to have these roles ran by separate people?

I never really thought of it before. I am very much of the opinion that everyone is entitled to express (and contribute) their artistic talents in any way they deem fit and appropriate. I do not believe in art (and the art world) only be accessible to the rich and powerful or those who consider themselves influencers. Art should be available to all and whatever way people want to contribute in a more formal way is entirely up to them. I do see the role as artist and curator as distinctly separate and I very much aspire to the idea that I allow the artists we work with to express their creative expression without me hovering over them as the gallery director just as I expect the artists that we work with to respect my role as well.

3. How far in advance do you decide on who is showing in your gallery?

Typically, a full year in advance and sometimes even longer. There is a lot of planning and thought that goes into our exhibition programme. Added to this, artists need sufficient lead time as well to prepare.

4. Do you run open calls to bring in new talent or do you only exhibit artists you represent?

We used to run open-calls the first number of years that we were in operation and it was a great way to get a firm hold on what is happening out there in the art world; however, due to the many commitments we have to our roster of artists and other collaborations we simply do not have the time in our calendar.

5. How would a day go? In your organisation can you give us a day in the life of ...?

Each day is different and totally unpredictable and I think most people would be shocked at how much goes on in the life of a gallery director from day to day. I wouldn’t know where to start ... ;)

6. How easy/hard was it to set up the gallery, how did you decide on the area, or style your space would become?

It was very challenging but I am happy to report that we are due to celebrate our 10th anniversary next July 2022 and that makes me very happy. We’ve accomplished a lot over this period including authoring 2 books (100 Painters of Tomorrow & 100 Sculptors of Tomorrow published by Thames & Hudson) and I firmly believe that our best days are ahead of us. We initially settled on Shoreditch to start the gallery and moved to our brand-new location in The City this past April on a street called... wait for it... Little Britain, which is a 3- minute walk from St. Paul’s Cathedral. BEERS on Little Britain, sounds good and feels right and we’ve been loving our new location and happy to report that of our first 5 solo exhibitions at the new space 4 of them were sell-outs so that certainly helps to validate our move and next chapter.

7. Do you think the bigger a gallery gets the less in touch they are with ground level art and artists?

Some yes but we pride ourselves at BEERS that everyone should be treated the same and that art should be accessible to everyone ... I don’t just say this I mean it and our staff very much knows how important this is to me and our ethos. I often say, whether the most important collector in London walks through our gallery doors and/or a high-school class of aspiring artists – our treatment of them should absolutely not change but rather be thrilled that people have taken the time to come to our gallery among the hundreds they could have otherwise chosen in London.

8. What do you look for when searching for new work or artists to represent?

Something that is fresh, unique and excites me in a way that I haven’t been before.

9. Do you think artists should respond to what is happening around them within their work, or change what they do to suit an open call?

Always stick to what is in the heart, what is real and what makes their creative juices flow. Never bend to adhere to what you think people want... stay true to yourself and people will respond accordingly. This is not just my belief when it comes to the creation of art but also very much my belief in life.

10. Who would be the three artists you could curate in a perfect world?

Definitely Francis Bacon ... Living and alive... Matthew Stone and Hernan Bas.