New Clare Wright Art Gallery opens in Southport

One of Britain’s most recognisable artists is delighted to be welcoming people to her gallery in the trendy ‘Northern Quarter’ on Lord Street, opposite The Grand.

As the originator of the famous ‘liquid glass’ range, she continues to broaden the horizons of contemporary art with her designs.

Clare has sold her eye-catching art in the UK and around the world through her ‘Zenith Art’ brand for the past 20 years. Now she’s keen to step into the spotlight with a gallery under her own name.

Clare has sold art to celebrities including Karen Brady, Jermaine Defoe, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Jack Wilshere, Theo Paphitis, Tracy Moore MBE and others.

Her works include the stunning 9 metre high butterfly tree featuring 1,500 individual butterflies in the Oak Theatre at Scarisbrick Hall School near Southport.

Her business is thriving on her flair for contemporary colour, texture and diverse materials, liquid glass, metals and Swarovski crystal.

All Clare’s work is created by her alone at her workshops in Southport. Each piece is individually made and signed.

The first ever Clare Wright Art Gallery is now open in Southport town centre. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport

Clare said:

“Lots of people recognise my art, and have bought pieces either through Zenith Art, or via the suppliers that I have sold my art to.

“This is the first time in 20 years I have ever opened my own art gallery, under my own name.

“I thought it was about time!

“Before, if anyone from Southport wanted to buy any of my artwork, they had to travel to Manchester or even further afield. Now it’s available on your doorstep.

“It’s fantastic to be open in my home town.

“We’re having an official opening weekend this weekend (Saturday 19th October and Sunday 20th October), we’ll be serving some Prosecco, it would be lovely to see everyone. Come in and take a look!

“The very talented performer Sophie Boyd-Preece will be playing 12pm – 2pm on both days.

“I thought Lord Street was the perfect place to open my first art gallery. This is a superb place to be, in the up-and-coming ‘Northern Quarter’ where there’s so much going on.

“It’s great to be right opposite the beautiful The Grand building.

“Our neighbours at Volare restaurant have been so friendly and welcoming since we moved in. All the local businesses around here have been. We’re very happy here.

“We have opened up initially as a pop-up art gallery for 12 weeks and will see how things go. If all goes well then hopefully we may stay here longer. We’d love to stay.

“I have lots of my own artwork on the walls here that people can come and have a look at.

“I am also available to take on commissions for anyone interested.

“We offer a bespoke picture framing service.

“People can call in and buy gift vouchers, or put our art on wedding lists; that is always a nice thing to do.

“We have artwork to suit all tastes and budgets. Our photography range starts from £50, while original artworks start from £300.

“One of my most famous artworks is the butterfly tree at Scarisbrick Hall School. In the run-up to Christmas I will be selling individual butterflies, which you can put your loved one’s name on, for just £7.50.”

There are new ventures opening all along Lord Street, building work taking place, at the likes of The Grand, The Garrick, the former Debenhams building, Albany Buildings and more.

Clare said:

“Lord Street used to be a real destination place in its heyday. It’s good to see signs of that coming back.

“It’s been impressive to see all the investment that’s been happening in the Northern Quarter with the likes of The Grand, Volare, Lord Street Hotel and others.

“This feels very much like the artistic end of town and we’re delighted to be here.”

Born in London, Clare was educated at Notre Dame and St Paul’s, before finishing her schooling in Southport. After her A-levels, Clare attended the Universite Du Maine, Le Mans, France and there began her love of European art.

She launched Zenith Art in 2004. Rapid growth within four years led designer, Chris Wright, to bring his management and technical expertise to expand the company which now operates within a small team.

Always striving to experiment with unfamiliar ideas, Clare creates beautiful, vibrant pieces of artwork using diverse materials.

Her products are distributed throughout the UK, Europe and Dubai in interior design stores, design-led boutiques, furniture stores, galleries and garden centres.

The Clare Wright Art Gallery on Lord Street in Southport is open 11am-6pm every day, and 11am-4pm every Sunday.