A GROUP of artists are hoping a pop-up gallery in Salisbury will encourage more property owners to let artists use their vacant buildings.

The pop-up gallery in Butcher Row features the work of nine local artists including sculptures, textiles, lights made from cameras, paintings and photographs.

Their home for seven weeks is a vacant Santander building, arranged through a scheme by Moderna Art to take over 33 empty branches across the country.

Kate Buttimer, who saw the idea and organised local artists to set up the Salisbury gallery, said: “By using the space for just seven weeks they don’t have to pay as much in rates so they’re not charging us.”

Buttimer says Salisbury has a lot of vacant shops but property owners don’t realise they can save money by letting artists occupy the space for a short time, and it can be difficult to get hold of property owners through the estate agents.

“We’ve got hundred of local artists in Salisbury,” she said. “I’ve had to turn people away. There are lots of commercial galleries but we haven’t got anything for local people, we need more of these pop-up galleries. We’d like everybody to know about it so something could be done again.

“There are all these shops in Salisbury that are shut and empty that could be used and bring people to Salisbury; it would be win, win.”

The artists involved are Dan Bilton, Judith Kemsley, Vicky Slater, Paul Fenwick, Ed Cheesman, Vicky Bilton, Kate Buttimer, Roger Stephens and Helen Ditton.

The gallery has only been open for just over a week and they have already sold several pieces.

Buttimer said: “Everybody has been really positive; we’ve had a really good reaction.”

Vicky Slater added: “Lots of people said it’s really nice to see the shop being filled and that it brings something fresh and a bit more contemporary to Salisbury.”

The gallery is at 19-21 Butcher Row.