Wirral Arts: Spotlight on Enigma Gallery in Higher Bebington

Aug 19 2009 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

NESTLED among Higher Bebington’s travel agents, tanning salons and sweet shops is a gem of an art gallery.

Enigma Gallery was set up from scratch seven years ago by business partners Catherine Dipple and Susan Myers.

Both artists themselves, Catherine and Susan transformed the building into a bright, attractive gallery, with a welcoming cafe upstairs.

Susan said: “People come from all over and are quite surprised when they walk in.”

With a framing service at the back providing steady income, the pair make use of the main body of the gallery to display a rich array of contemporary fine art, photography, ceramics, jewellery and glasswork.

And according to Susan, trade remains good.

She said: “No matter what’s going on in the economy, we’re still selling art.

“People still want good artwork.”

Wirral artists are encouraged, and vibrancy and colour leap from the walls.

Tim Myers’ photography captures some of the best of the peninsula, while Catherine’s brother Ron Dipple creates delightful representations of local scenes in oil and watercolour.

Dylan Izaak’s prints – priced between £95 and £300 – are full of humour and life and Victoria Stewart’s work would add a lively contemporary twist to any room.

And with new artists always welcome, Susan offers some tips.

She said: “Take your best work in, but once you supply the gallery don’t take substandard work in just because you’ve been accepted.

“Quite often somebody will bring a really good piece in, so we’ll give them some exhibition space and then the work they bring is not to the quality they had shown. It can be very disappointing.

“We want something that’s extremely good quality and fits in a contemporary interior.”

And Susan and Catherine will also paint to commission, even going so far as visiting customers’ homes.

Catherine said: “If people come in and want something created especially for their room, we will do that.

“We’ve done the whole house for some people.”

Susan added: “People need to realise they don’t need to go to Manchester for galleries.

“There are good galleries here in Wirral, and a lot of good artists.”