Chichester’s newest art gallery

Candida Stevens Fine Art is a contemporary fine art gallery and consultancy based at 12 Northgate, Chichester. Working with Royal Academicians and emerging artists alike, the gallery aims to bring the best of contemporary British art to West Sussex, explains Candida who runs the business.

“My husband Dan is a professional photographer. He has been working as a photographer for getting on for 30 years in London. We moved our family down three years ago, and between us we to and fro to London on a fairly regular basis. But Dan had done a couple of solo exhibitions in London, and I did art history as my degree. Between us we have been immersed in the world of art and art history for a long time. I started (the venture as) TINT-ART three years ago as a different concept. The concept was then web-based and had a focus on photographic fine art. Being digital by nature, viewing photography online was not such a big step. We started it online, and we then did some Q&As with people. We got some groups together and did some research to find out what people were interested in. We found out that the fine art photographic market is not as developed in the UK as it is in the US. In the US, it is properly considered an art form. Here it is not yet.

“But we followed our research, and we started doing private sales out of our house in Bosham. There was demand for it.”

And then they embarked on an ambitious project, Good Figures, featuring 30 contemporary female artists depicting the female in their work. They held the London exhibition in February and then brought the show to the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in April.

“By then we had already had to take the decision about whether to take the space (which has now become their Chichester gallery). The gallery is about bringing eminent, successful Royal Academicians to Chichester, bringing established players to these parts. It is all about fine art – painting and print-making and sculpture.”

Candida says the exhibitions will last about four to six weeks: “We have actually got the programme planned until September next year. The premise is that we will try to alternate a solo show by an eminent artist with a mixed show, the idea being that the solo shows bring with them a story and a focus on a particular artist and a particular type of work. The idea is that the mixed shows will allow for a broader appeal and possibly be more accessible financially. We have had to book up so far ahead because we are working with artists that are in demand. It takes them six to nine months to produce a show. I would like to bring in new graduates as well.”

Open on Thurs-Fri, 10am-5pm; Saturday, 10am-4pm; other times by appointment.

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