How to build a Pop-up Shop

It seemed like a great idea. A group of 10 local artists, designers and makers getting together to open a gallery in an empty shop. Most of us hadn't met before, but we'd all studied at Bath Spa University or Bath City College and wanted to showcase our work. The local council were willing to rent a three roomed shop in a good location, just off the main shopping street. We could have it for three weeks. Why not?

inside the shop

Two weeks ago, we unlocked the doors to our adventure. We were greeted by peeling walls, filthy windows, an old concrete floor and tatty red window frames. This was going to be our gallery? It took paint, lots of paint, and scrubbing and begging of display cabinets and making of bunting and painting of signs and drilling of holes. A little rough round the edges, maybe, but we opened just three days later.

Our next big challenge was the marketing. Everyone worked their contact lists really hard to publicise our brief existence. I set up the usual Facebook, Twitter etc and I've written my first press release, thanks to wikiHow. Oh, and we had a proper wine-fuelled Private View where we all got to relax for a couple of hours.  

 We've really had a wonderful, positive response to our Pop-up Shop. People want to support local artists, they want to see more of this kind of gallery. So, ring your local council, see what they've got, use those empty shops. Most of all, it's been fun to meet other artists, a few more have joined us along the way, worth all the work and I've learnt so much to take to the next adventure in pop-up land.

The Pop-up Shop, Bath - open August 15^th to September 3^rd. 

Monday to Saturday 10.30 -5.30

Sunday 11-5

The Pop up Shop, Bath artists are-Su Trindle(Quercus Silver), Tina Seviour, Suzanne Owen. Lynne Radford, Aurora Pozniakow, Adele Christensen, Rebecca Shields, Anna Robson.