Westland Gallery bids adieu to its current home as owner searches for the ideal buyer

Isha Bhargava · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 25, 2025 7:29 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 25

The proprietor of Wortley Village's beloved Westland Gallery is selling its existent determination successful the bosom of the southbound London neighbourhood, but Al Stewart has strict instructions for the century-old building's caller owner: Preserve its practice and springiness backmost to the community.

Stewart took implicit the two-storey gathering astatine 156 Wortley Road successful 2012 and turned it into a hub for section artists to showcase their work. He is the 3rd proprietor of the astir 140-year-old gathering and Stewart says it's present clip to walk it connected to someone new.

"I'm not going to fto this spell to idiosyncratic who's going to crook it into offices, this has to spell to idiosyncratic who is going to springiness backmost to the colony arsenic well. Ideally, it would be another gallery, but as agelong arsenic it's inactive utilized arsenic a spot wherever radical tin travel to the village, rotation implicit and sojourn different places on the street," he'll beryllium happy, helium said. 

"We request this to beryllium thing that conscionable fits successful and is portion of the village. I privation a caretaker and idiosyncratic who's going to look aft our building." 

The gathering went up for merchantability for $1.1 million over the weekend. The gallery will stay unfastened and determination to Stewart's Westland South Fine Art Showroom, a fewer blocks south at 247 Wortley Road.

Stewart admits the determination to downsize wasn't easy, but aft turning 65 a fewer months ago, helium wanted a slower enactment gait and the quality to enactment his woman with her health issues. Running 2 locations was proving to beryllium a challenge, helium said. 

The shop was established successful 1886 arsenic a coating institution by William Westland and his son. It was initially a one-floor wood framework operation for much than 3 decades, until 1920, erstwhile the Westlands got a licence to adhd different storey, according to the book Old South Tales, authored by London realtor Jean Ramer successful 2016. 

A Wortley Village staple

In 1949, pharmacists, Eugene Lamont and Bill Perkins took ownership of the gathering and opened up a pharmacy. Thirty 2 years later, they closed the drugstore concern and Lamont turned it into an antique store, which helium operated until his decease successful 2011. 

An aged Lamont approached Stewart successful 2006 to bargain the gathering to crook it into an creation assemblage and the pair shared the space for a fewer years. After Lamont's death, Stewart did immoderate renovations to its interior and started the present-day gallery.   

"I deliberation we've go a spot of a staple and radical truly bash look to admit that we're here. They recognize however important it is for america to springiness backmost to the village, we're helping physique the vocation of artists and introducing them into our neighbourhood and our city," said Stewart. 

Others successful the neighbourhood tend to agree. 

Tracey Cambridge is co-owner of Impressions 148, a mates doors down from the gallery, and called the assemblage a cornerstone of the Wortley Village's streetscape, adding the operation brought beingness into the neighbourhood during tough times. 

"During COVID, they would perpetually update the artwork. Everything other was locked down but radical would beryllium walking the thoroughfare and it was a joyousness each fewer days to spot thing caller successful the window," said Cambridge.

Cambridge hopes different retail abstraction tin regenerate the assemblage due to the fact that it fosters a consciousness of assemblage successful the colony which has mislaid 2 businesses owed to arson successful caller years, including Sha Choix, beside the Westland Gallery. 

"When it's just regular bureau businesses, it doesn't person the aforesaid nationalist beingness and retail spaces make a feeling of safety," she said. "When you're walking successful a neighbourhood and there's small businesses unfastened and radical around, everyone feels comfortable."

Wortley nonmigratory Jim Madden hopes the building's new proprietor volition support the neighbourhood's "urban colony character," specified arsenic cafes oregon restaurants which adhd to the walkability of the community, helium said.   

"Communities that sphere the quality from past is great to person that retained, it gives america a consciousness of uniqueness and it's important," helium said. 

Stewart said he's consenting to hold for the close purchaser and has shows booked throughout fall.