Giles Hepplestone, the owner of Hepplestone Fine Art talks about the iconic gallery’s new location in Wilmslow.
Already a leading gallery in the Lancashire art scene, Hepplestone Fine Art has recently opened a second location in Wilmslow, in addition to its current Chorley location. Co-Owner Giles explains how the brand-new space allows the gallery to reach more collectors: “We’ve been at the current location for 19 years, which has been successful and worked really well. We have built up a customer base of collectors in Cheshire already, but it’s been frustrating. We know we have some fantastic work but the geography of us being in Lancashire and having so many collectors in Cheshire was always quite difficult. We wanted to make it easier for collectors to see the work, because we know we’ve got some brilliant collections.”
The new location opened its doors on 1st May and is already a success: “We’ve met lots of really nice customers and established collectors, as well as some familiar faces that we’ve dealt with over the years at the Chorley gallery. It’s been refreshing to meet so many enthusiastic art lovers who are very knowledgeable about their art already.”
Giles originally opened the Chorley location with his father Clive nearly 20 years ago: “My father and I set up the gallery in 2005. He subsequently retired in 2020, but he still keeps a watchful eye on what we’re up to. So, it’s always been a family business. My daughter actually lives in Wilmslow as well, so it’s an area that we’ve got quite a close affinity to and affection for.”
Twice winning the title of ‘Retail Art Gallery of the Year’ from the Fine Art Trade Guild, the gallery now specialises in original paintings and champions contemporary UK and international artists hosting personal appearances by artists from around the world. It was a passion for art and a lack of access to the kinds of pieces they wanted to collect which led the pair to start the venture: “Clive and I were both collectors, and over time we recognised that a lot of the galleries that were around 20 years ago were focused on limited edition prints. We were very enthusiastic about original paintings. So, we opened it really to make the viewing and purchasing of original paintings easier for collectors in Lancashire, because there was very little on offer.”
The thing that keeps collectors coming back to the galleries time after time is the personalised service Giles and the team are able to provide: “One of the main advantages of an independent gallery is the variety of artwork on show. We’ve got a real breadth of knowledge of the marketplace but also – importantly in the art world – because you’re dealing with us as the owners, we will also be the same people who will be here in 20 years’ time when you come back to us. One of the problems with dealing with a high street chain is that you deal with a salesperson but when you go back a few years down the line, that person is not there. There’s a longevity of the relationship when you’re dealing with us.”
Being so passionate about art, Giles naturally has a large collection of his own: “There are always pieces that you have a particular affection for. One of the challenges as a dealer is to be able to let things go, but there are certain pieces where you can’t let them go, you feel so strongly about it. My personal favourite artist is Geoffrey Key, a Salford-based artist who my wife and I have been collecting for years. We have a number of Geoffrey’s pieces that we wouldn’t part with, whatever the offer.”