Meet the owners

Meet Nathalie

Home to an enchanting array of handmade prints, paintings, sculptures and crafts, Cambridge Contemporary Art champions the work of more than 100 UK-based artists, as owner Nathalie Staples explains…

How did you end up becoming the owner of Cambridge Contemporary Art?

I graduated in 2000 with a degree in Art History from UEA in Norwich and got a temporary job as a gallery assistant covering maternity. The lady on maternity didn’t return so I stayed on and worked my way up to gallery manager. In 2005, the previous owner decided to sell up and gave me first refusal on buying the gallery. I was in complete shock as I was only 26 at the time and never in my wildest dreams
imagined I’d be owning an art gallery! I was fortunate to be able to re-mortgage my house and secure business loans to be able to buy CCA. That was almost 20 years ago.

What art do you have on display?

We have paintings, limited edition handmade prints, ceramics and sculpture. We champion art which is made in the UK, including international artists based in the UK, and local artists, so it’s a real mixture.

What made you decide to specialise in ceramics?

It was our gallery manager Zuza, who has an absolute passion for ceramics and suggested we should up our game. Thanks to her we have increased the amount and quality of our ceramics to include some of the UK’s top ceramicists.

How do you select gallery artists and do you still get excited when you discover new art?

Oh yes, that’s the most exciting part of the job! There are two ways we select; we do get submissions but the best way of finding new artists for us is to go to art fairs. Instagram, social media and word of mouth recommendations from other artists are also great ways.

Can you tell us more about your innovative exhibitions?

Our biggest mixed exhibitions are in summer and winter, and provide a nice opportunity to show our regular artists and introduce new artists. So, for example, we’ve recently introduced local artist Jo Rance and within a week of her work going up, we’d sold three pieces in one weekend, which is unheard of for a newcomer! The rest of the year we tend to change monthly with themed, solo or two-person shows.

Is it true that your staff are all artists?

Yes! I have the best, most passionate and talented team and they are all creatives. A few are illustrators that have had children’s books published, we have a photographer, a theatre costume designer and several artists.

How did sister gallery Cambridge Contemporary Crafts, come about?

I set up that business in 2009 as somewhere we could permanently show ceramics, jewellery and textiles. Both galleries have their own identities, offering a different feel and experience.

What do you love most about owning an art gallery?

I love dealing with all the lovely art work; it’s like Christmas when it arrives. In fact, we’ve recently had an exciting delivery of work from Devon-based husband-and wife team, Takahashi McGil, who create the most exquisite hand-carved wooden sculptures.

What makes CCA such a unique space?

I think our selection of artists and carefullycurated exhibitions make us completely unique, along with our excellent customer service. Our team is so friendly and knowledgeable. Some customers will come in and have a cup and tea and buy a card and that’s fine! If they just want to pop in, look at the art and enjoy it, then that’s great too.

Cambridge Contemporary Art is at 6 Trinity Street, Cambridge. Visit cambridgegallery.co.uk

*Photo credit: Zuzanna Grubecka