A South Manchester art gallery that specialises in handmade original pieces made from recycled materials has been placed on the market by its owners, who wish to retire.
Glennis Andrews and Fiona Norton have instructed Blacks Business Brokers to find a new owner for Creative Recycling Gallery in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, with a guide price of £59,950 to take over the leasehold on the business, plus annual rent of £12,480.
Creative Recycling Gallery, which is based in the ground floor of a large terraced property on Beech Road, Chorlton, was established by Ms Andrews and Ms Norton in 2004. It showcases and sells works made by the duo using recycled and sustainable materials, as well as providing an outlet for a range of “partner” artists who subscribe to the gallery’s ethical values.
In addition to the retail premises, the business sale also includes two websites. The art gallery is currently open afternoons only, four days per week, and in its last full financial year the business turned over £65,976.
Ms Andrews and Ms Norton both enjoyed long careers in education before establishing Creative Recycling Gallery 18 years ago. The pair first began collaborating in the 1980s, selling their works through a range of outlets around the country before establishing their own gallery.
Now, both aged in their seventies, they want to “go out on a high” and pass the baton on at a point where, in their words, “the business will enjoy new input and energy”.
Ms Andrews said, “After 18 years working at full pelt to establish, develop and sustain this business we would like to have more time for various other ways of being creative, including skill-sharing more with others, fundraising for community events and spending time meeting others beyond the Gallery scenario.”
The majority of the pieces currently sold by Creative Recycling Gallery are made by Ms Andrews and Ms Norton, although the business also has a roster of regular partner artists whose works it exhibits and sells. According to the duo the business could either continue to be run by another artist, or group of artists, who wished to manage their own outlet or, alternatively, a commercial gallery operator who wanted to focus purely on promoting the works of other artists.
Grace Court, customer service facilitator at Blacks Business Brokers, added, “Creative Recycling Gallery is a unique business operating out of wonderful premises. Chorlton is a perfect location for any kind of creative enterprise, even more so for Glennis and Fiona’s values-led collaboration, and the gallery has become a fixture on the buzzing, bohemian Beech Road scene.
Whether a new owner wanted to continue in the same vein as our clients or to run it as a purely commercial outlet, the space is all kitted out and ready to go. There is also a great opportunity to grow the business, not least by extending its opening hours and focusing even more proactively on online sales.”
All enquiries should be directed to Blacks Business Brokers on 0333 370 0000, quoting reference 7837.
