Keeley McCalmont and Sarah Gibbon met as teenagers, when working as Saturday girls in a shoe shop on London’s Oxford Street in the 1980’s. They bonded over their shared love of soul music, shoes, and all things arty. Four decades later and still the best of friends, Keeley is Head of Art in a London school, Sarah co-runs two group-based independent art galleries in Thanet. Still both working full-time, they cherish their trips to see each other in London and in Margate. They have been learnin...

An opportunity to view the full range of the popular Under the Influence prints, all in one venue. Local artist Michele Papageorghiou – also known as Mrs P – started work on her series of striking seascape acrylic paintings back in 2019, with Margate Under the Influence. The series has grown since then. It now features other iconic Margate scenes, and Thanet's other seaside towns. Reculver and Brighton are included too, with more planned. All of the paintings feature Mrs P's distinctive co...

The artist Susie Bear uses a variety of materials both natural and man-made to create abstract art to immerse all the senses. As a multimedia practitioner she likes to create paintings, sculptures and installations. She often uses unlikely combinations to make striking large-scale displays. She tells us that her process is very much organic. Initially the idea begins from a personal transcendent experience. The concept gains its own gravitas within the simple structure and tactile nature. ...

Mixed media textile artist Celia Hyland is from Rochester. Her latest series of work combines hand and machine stitch work. She layers tissue paper and fabric scraps, creating semi-abstract landscapes, dreamscapes and work inspired by nature. Celia's exhibition takes place alongside a display of contemporary original art by our resident group of local artists. Works include paintings, figurative and abstract. Photography - traditional and digital - is also represented. 3D work features too...

Brought up in Kent, Ian Moores' career has seen him working for national newspapers and publishing houses, and most recently for Marvel Comics Universe Activision (Call of Duty), Columbia Pictures (Ghostbusters) and Universal Pictures (Serenity). He has won seven Sunday Times' awards for Graphics. Ten years ago he started to indulge his desire to create his own work as opposed to his clients. This collection of his Pop Art stems from a mis-spent youth reading comics under the covers, with a n...

Artist Sylvie Hartley feels very lucky to have grown up in the heartland of Impressionism where the countryside is still as inspiring as it was during Claude Monet’s lifetime. There, she experienced painting “en plein air” while following an art school in Mantes la Jolie where she worked in oil. It was her favourite medium for a long time until she discovered acrylic and watercolour. She now moves from one medium to another depending on her mood and the practicability of each one for a chosen...

Each year, the resident artists, makers and creatives from Westgate Galleria and The Eclectic Art Gallery put on a group showcase. It features their hand-crafted textiles, glass-, wood- and metal-work, ceramics, jewellery, creative writing, paintings, drawings and prints. These two independent local galleries support creatives - emerging and established - from across Thanet and Kent. They are led by local businesswomen Sarah Gibbon and Vivienne Rose, who curate bright, colourful, accessibl...

An exhibition of Nick Kelly's pen and watercolour paintings featuring Margate's Old Town and its buildings and shopfronts, Hawley Square, the seafront and surrounding areas.  On show alongside a display of contemporary original art by our resident group of local artists. Works include paintings, figurative and abstract. Photography - traditional and digital - is also represented. 3D work features too, with ceramics, jewellery, and wood sculptures. Prints, greetings cards and postcards are ...

Following a long and successful career in the retail motor sector, Gary retired in 2021. Finally he now had the time to take-up his passion for painting, Gary has always been keen to paint, especially in oils. He loves their versatility, consistency and at times the challenge of painting wet into wet. Recently Gary joined a local group of like-minded artists in Thanet. He enjoys the challenge of painting Plein Air each week through the Summer months. These sessions give him the inspiration to...

Tony is a fused glass artist based in Ramsgate in Kent in the UK. Not having a definitive style, he goes with the flow with his art. Tony frequently works on a number of pieces at the same time. He often revisits past creations and themes, exploring them again with new results. Each piece of Tony's fused glass art is carefully and lovingly created by hand. Sometimes starting with a sketch, developing it into a workshop template. Sometimes simply cutting, forming and shaping the glass. It i...

Laurence Epps returns with a new selection of his unique photography. Tranquility is a collection of soothing captures taken from around Thanet's beautiful bays. The seascape is at it's most thought provoking, as defined by the sun. Blue hour and Golden hour are extra special times. They provide the most beautiful shades and stunning tones. One can see why Turner was so inspired by Thanet's skies. This collection shares some of Laurence's favourite moments and images. Enjoy losing yourself in...

A selection of paintings by Lesley Gray. Inspired by the nature surrounding her home in Ramsgate and her experiences of travelling around the world. Nature inspires her creatively and emotionally to connect with her feelings and inner self. She recreates and connects those feelings, colours, joy and emotions into her artwork. She tells us that sometimes she succeeds, sometimes she doesn't. Like the sea, her paintings can be challenging and variable but she always seeks to evoke the spirit ...

Ever since the mid-1970s Eric has enjoyed painting and drawing portraits of animals. His exhibition includes a selection of original drawings and prints depicting (as the title suggests) portraits of cats and dogs. Although he sometimes works with acrylic as well as oil paint, this collection will contain artwork originally carried out in graphite pencil. All exhibits will be for sale and Eric happily accepts commissions. Eric's exhibition runs alongside a display of contemporary original ...

"Photography for me is all about creating pictures that I like myself. To be classed as art an image has to hold the attention of the viewer. If it's skipped over it’s just a snapshot. Hopefully my collection will hold your attention". Westgate Galleria is a large retail gallery and workshop space, located in charming Westgate-on-Sea, in a beautiful part of Thanet. The area is a great destination for a weekend or day trip in all seasons. It opens Mondays to Saturdays, 10am to 5pm....

Judith has loved art her whole life, or at least for as long as she can remember! But, like many others, it took a global Pandemic for her to take a leap of faith and finally pursue her passion for creating art. Born in London, Judith grew up in Kent, moving to London where she worked in publishing for ten years. After moving to Godalming, Surrey she studied interior design and ran her own interior design business. For the last 18 years she has worked in the Third Sector, fundraising for t...

A collection of Drew Grave's photography.  Capturing the moments and decay of life and lost life making the mundane beautiful, gilded and important. All works are available to buy. Drew's's exhibition runs alongside a display of contemporary original art by the gallery's resident group of local artists. Their works include: Paintings, figurative and abstract. Photography - traditional and digital - is also represented. 3D work features too, with ceramics, jewellery, and wood sculptures....

Another chance to enjoy Alaster Calder's original fabrics from the golden age of textile design. Exhibited as wall art and as decorative functional pieces. With appeal to followers of this contemporary interior design trend as well as fans and collectors of this popular period in design's history. All pieces are available to buy. On show alongside a display of contemporary original art by our resident group of local artists. Their works include paintings, figurative and abstract. Photograp...

Your invitation to meet Nick Evans as he signs copies of his new book 100 Years In Dreamland.  The author Nick Evans grew up in Birchington in Kent. After a career in journalism in a range of writing, design and production roles, he is now running Bygone Publishing based in Whitstable. He is the author of a popular series of books illustrating the development of Thanet's towns. The series has covered Broadstairs, Birchington, Cliftonville and Westgate-on-Sea so far. These books all featu...

Alaster Calder's original fabrics from the golden age of textile design. Exhibited as wall art and decorative functional pieces. Appealing  to followers of this contemporary interior design trend and fans and collectors of this popular period in design's history. All pieces are available to buy. On show alongside a display of contemporary original art by our resident group of local artists. Their works include paintings, figurative and abstract. Photography - traditional and digital - is a...

Local airbrush-illustrator, Graham Byhurst, returns to exhibit a fresh collection of his oil paintings with us. They feature scenes familiar to Thanet residents and visitors. All are rendered in a super-realistic, fresh and accessible style, and are beautifully framed. The works are all available to buy. Graham Byhurst studied Technical Illustration and Perspective at Medway College in the 1960's. After graduating, he worked as a technical illustrator for Elliott Automation (Marconi Avioni...

An invitation to a Meet and Greet and Book Signing with Carol M Creasey. Carol will be in Westgate Galleria on Saturday 15th April to talk to visitors about her work, her characters, and her inspirations, and to sign copies of her new book, Murder at Westgate Bay, Carol is a Kent-based author who wrote her first book about her autistic son entitled My Life is Worth Living! A best seller in hardback, now available as a paperback only. Since then she has juggled looking after her family, wor...

A brand new collection of original artwork and prints, from the Beverley Fisher Studio. Using a mix of pencil sketching and watercolour Beverley creates contemporary portraits of some of the nation’s favourite canines.  As always her portraits are full of life and character.  All are available for sale. Beverley's exhibition takes place alongside a display of contemporary and traditional art and crafts.  All created by a large group of resident artists, makers and creatives. Prints, greeti...

For this collection of seascapes with a difference, Skye Tobin has used oil and cold wax, creating a creamy textured surface. The works in this exhibition represent the ever-changing moods of the ocean. One day she is calm and glowing under the rays of the sun, on other days she can be stormy and rough with crashing waves, or even a deep, deep blue hue that is majestic and soothing. This collection features beautiful bright blues, teals, aqua and greens with highlights of bright pink, purple ...

Ann Palmer has been painting on the Kent Coast for some 10 years, standing on the pebbly beach watching the tide ebb and flow, the morning mist across the Swale, the light on the horizon, the clouds coming in from the west over London, and the light out to sea to the north and east. The low tide exposes sandbanks, pebbles, seafood for the gulls to seek. This exhibition, which brings in new work from Ann alongside some paintings from the past 2-3 years, shows how different skies and their refl...