An exciting new venue

Introducing the latest addition to Porthleven’s stunning harbourside, LaunchArt Gallery.

Positioned at the junction of Thomas Street and Thomas Terrace like the bow of a ship, new life has been breathed into a beautifully quirky space. LaunchArt opened its doors in Porthleven on 1st April, transforming the previously unloved and empty space into something to be proud of.

“their dedication to art provides endless pleasure to buyers and admirers alike for years to come”

Having loved the village from the moment she moved to Cornwall in 1995, it’s always been owner Carey Kaack’s dream to combine her love of art and Porthleven, and it seems that with LaunchArt, this dream has become a reality. “I am in total awe of artists and creative people”, Carey explains, “their dedication to art provides endless pleasure to buyers and admirers alike for years to come. Appreciating the hours involved in producing their work and often their humility and belief in their talent, I wanted to support local Cornish artists by providing a welcoming, airy space to display (and sell) their work, meet customers and build contacts for the future, all on an affordable, flexible, short term and non-profit basis – creating a gallery that’s constantly evolving and giving the residents and visitors of Porthleven somewhere exciting and interesting to visit.”

As a pop-up concept, LaunchArt fills the niche between craft fairs and owning a gallery. Every month a different artist or group of artists can fill the space with their own work and customers have the treat of something different to tempt them each month.

Renovation work was completed by the eleventh hour on 31st March in time for the first occupants, Jeremy Sanders and Susan Allanson. “I met Susan at the Helston Autumn Fair,” Carey tells us, “and as soon as I saw her ceramic pieces I knew they would be perfect for the gallery. I was so pleased she had faith in the project and wanted to be part of it.”

The space has been designed to be as flexible as possible to appeal to artists, jewellers, illustrators, potters and ceramicists. If you’re interested in exhibiting at LaunchArt then Carey will be more than happy to chat about the opportunities for renting. And to all art lovers, Carey extends a welcome invitation to come and admire the local artwork and see her exciting new venture first hand.