DAYTRIPPERS travelling the well-worn path between Denstone and Alton on their way to the Towers may miss out on a new haven for art lovers overlooking the Staffordshire Moorlands.
Denstone Contemporary Art Gallery and Cafe is the dream of owners and artists Johanna Domke-Guyot and Paul Marshall.
Reporter JAMES BRINDLE went along to meet the couple and discover this hidden gem.
DESPITE Staffordshire being an epicentre for art and particularly ceramics — two things Johanna Domke- Guyot and Paul Marshall know plenty about — the opening of a new gallery and cafe comes as a welcome addition to the area.
“Lots of local people have been saying there is nothing like this around here — no courses, nowhere people can go and talk about art and do these sorts of classes,” Miss Domke- Guyot told the Advertiser.
She has a passion for art, a passion held by many people across the area, but having a place to go to indulge and showcase that passion has been difficult until now.
Mr Marshall, a senior technician in ceramics at the University of Derby for 25 years, has with the opening of their gallery and cafè been able to pass on his expertise in the area of ceramics and hand throwing.
“There are no glass or ceramic courses in the area — even in Stoke where it was founded it has stopped,” he said.
Denstone Contemporary Art Gallery and Cafe is giving local artists the opportunity to show and sell their work.
The gallery and cafe opened earlier this month with visitors getting the chance to see some of the more unusual talent the region has to offer.
Miss Domke-Guyot said: “We have established artists exhibiting their work such as ceramic sculptor Jeremy James, potter and author Josie Walter, David Cartilage who sculpts working in wood, metal and heavy wire, making figurative and abstract contemporary art, unique artist Helen Rhodes, and textile and fine artist, Jeni Smith.”
The venture has also given Miss Domke-Guyot the ideal platform to showcase her own sculpture which can be seen in the cafe garden.
The artist has had several commissions from the area including Biggin Hall which has a larger than life farmer within their grounds. Johanna has also had exhibitions at Derby Art Gallery and Museum, and many other high profile shows.
She said: “Paul and I firmly believe there are many artists in the region who have fantastic work but because it is contemporary, they are limited to where they can exhibit.”
The gallery and licensed cafe offer regular workshops which include glass jewellery, Christmas crafts in porcelain, and pottery tuition especially focusing in throwing/glazing.
“Although I am a fine artist, I still craft and believe you can put the two together.
“Paul wants to keep the tradition of hand throwing alive through the workshops. He will also be showcasing his work with traditional Staffordshire slipware including kitchen pancheons, jugs and stewpots and within the workshops we will be teaching the tricks of the trade.
“We want to get everyone involved with as many aspects of art as we can — including youngsters.
“I’m not against painting pots but if children just paint a pot they don’t know how’s it’s made or where it has come from but this way they can actually make the pot and get the feel of the clay.”
Miss Domke-Guyot said teaching without the restrictions placed upon teachers by institutions gives the pair and their pupils a real freedom.
She said: “Teaching when it is your own business is very different as we can teach what we want and what the students want but if you work for a university or college you have to work by rules and guidelines.
“If people say they don’t want to do this they want to do that they have the chance to do that.
“People can come in and have a look round and have a chat.
We can adapt a course to suit them.
“We would like local schools and the WIs and other groups to get involved and we can go and do lessons for them as well.”
The cafe side of the business offers Miss Domke-Guyot the opportunity to indulge her other big passion — food and she does so by providing homecooked food of great quality.
Mr Marshall said: “The cafe is all homecooked, locallysourced product. It was our first weekend last weekend with Sunday dinners and we had more people than we could cope with.
“We are quite limited in size but we don’t want to get too big.
We want it to be homely and want the cafe a small, manageable size and focus on the artwork.
Miss Domke-Guyot added: “I feel it is important to do quality although we don’t shirk on quantity either. We pride ourselves on the fact that it is not mass produced or frozen.”
Mr Marshall said the experience of having their own business allowing them to talk and teach about what they love has been extremely satisfying.
He said: “It stemmed from an idea really. We had the house and thought we would try and get permission for a gallery and were quite surprised when we did.
“It is quite daunting when you think about opening up your own home to people but is has been great and talking to people about art has been a pleasure.”
Opening the gallery and cafe has also been a dream for Miss Domke-Guyot.
She said: “I always dreamed that one day I would have my own shop with my produce and artwork and the cookery side of it as well.
“The food is an important part to me as my mum was a good cook and taught me everything.
“To be able to combine my passions and do it from home it’s a dream.”
Talking about the future she said the aim is to look at other ways that people in the area can enjoy the benefits of what the business has to offer.
Several themed evenings are planned including clairvoyant and holistic nights, and an evening travelling back to the 1940s including wartime dress code.
She said: “We are going to do more in the evenings. We can do small private parties sich as baby showers and ladies nights, as well as reasonable sized private birthday parties and obviously all homemade food will be provided.”
More information about courses and what is on offer at the gallery and cafè is available at www.denstonecontemporaryarts.co.uk or by calling 01889 591 645 or 07716 721566.
It can be found signposted off Alton Road between Denstone and Alton.
