Pop-up Galleries

at the Summer Season

Two incredible pop-up art galleries

This year, we’re delighted to welcome two art galleries to our Central Arena at the Summer Season: Hidden Gallery and Firewater Gallery.

Before your film begins, browse their vibrant collections in the beautiful Mall Gardens, which include a mixture of classic and contemporary art. Click on a gallery logo below to find out more.

Hidden was born out of a deep passion for art and a desire to make it accessible to all. Founded with a vision to bring original artworks by world-renowned artists into the lives of people from all walks of life, our gallery has been a labour of love since its inception in 2016.

 

With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Hidden has become a trusted name synonymous with quality, authenticity, and exceptional service. Our Bristol gallery is a welcoming space for art enthusiasts, admirers, and collectors alike.

 

At Hidden, we understand that art speaks to each person differently. That's why our dedicated team of friendly and knowledgeable experts is committed to providing personalised guidance and expertise. Whether you're a seasoned collector searching for the next prized addition to your collection or a first-time buyer exploring the world of art, we are here to make your art-buying experience seamless, enjoyable, and fulfilling. We take pride in fostering long-lasting relationships with our clients, ensuring that every individual feels supported and valued on their unique journey.

 

Hidden not only offers a curated selection of original artworks but also provides essential guarantees of authenticity and quality. We meticulously source and inspect each artwork, ensuring that it meets our rigorous standards. Our commitment to preserving each piece extends to the framing and presentation of the artworks. We specialize in framing rare and collectible pieces using conservation standard materials and 99.9% anti-UV glass, safeguarding their beauty for years to come. Moreover, Hidden issues a certificate of authenticity, providing you with peace of mind and confidence in your purchase.

We are Rich and Becky Walsh, a brother and sister team. We spent our childhoods painting and drawing. Despite this love of art we both decided to pursue careers outside of art and design, but have been slowly drawn back in ever since.

 

Rich did Geography as a first degree. His mates said you just make posters and colour maps in. How he has proved them wrong! He had been working as a caricaturist (www.mycaricature.co.uk) for three years before setting up Firewater Gallery.

 

Rebecca was a lawyer by day, and a guerilla portrait artiste by night. 

 

We always wanted to set up a business together, and when Rebecca decided to take a break from her legal career, we thought it was the perfect time to make it happen. Firewater Gallery was born.

 

We love exploring new and exciting places. Wherever we go, we always take a sketchbook with us. That you can only carry a few pens and pencils, perhaps a nice chisel-tipped marker, a Pentel brushpen, a soluble graphite pencil, has helped shape the style of our artwork. And living in Bristol, with its major graffiti and urban art scene, has probably helped a wee bit too.  Back in the studio, we take our sketches and refine them into finished pieces. 

 

So how about the maps? Well our Dad’s first job was in the Ordnance Survey. The Ordnance Survey was created in the UK in the 18th century so people knew what their guns were aiming at (at this time the maps were excitingly vague). Most likely we owe our fascination with maps to him.

 

We started thinking how as well as having landscapes on our walls it would be pretty cool to have a map mosaic of the places we love. So we set out to create beautiful and contemporary art maps that depict the places which shaped our lives. We created a couple as gifts, and they went down a storm. We decided there might be a wider audience for them. 

 

This is us sharing those prints and maps with you. We hope you like them.