BEYOND THE CHAPEL DOORS - ART SPACE PORTSMOUTH
W
alking past the former Methodist chapel in Brougham Road, you’d be forgiven for not realising that the building has been converted into studio spaces, used by a diverse range of professional artists all under the auspices of Art Space Portsmouth. 2021 is officially the 40th anniversary of Art Space, although the story began a few years before. At the time artists from the Art College were using workspaces above a betting shop in Fratton Road and a private detective agency in London Road. One of the artists, John Thomson, secured an Arts Council grant and with artists Ken Devine, Steve Chettle, and Andy Mansfield, began looking for a larger space to work. The local authority was approached and generously offered the
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deconsecrated Methodist chapel in Brougham Road. The chapel came with a peppercorn rent, a long lease, a grant to repair the roof, and soon became Art Space Portsmouth. Portsmouth was perfect for the purpose of art studios, it offered cheap accommodation, easy access to London, and the city offered good coastal light. It was an exciting time and Art Space quickly became a significant part of the artistic life of the city. Art Space was initially composed of 13 studios on the ground floor, and a large 144sqm gallery space on the first floor, which became Art Space Exhibition or ASPEX as it became known. Art historian and curator Les Buckingham was appointed the first director in 1984. Under Les Buckingham, ASPEX Visual
