SME News December 2017

10 SME NEWS / December 2017 , Gunningarts Limited and Ironbridge Fine Arts & Framing is a family run business situated in the picturesque Shropshire town of Ironbridge. We spoke to David Gunning in order to find out a bit more about the success of the company, including winning Best Etching Press Specialists 2017. Gunning for Success David and Liz Gunning founded Gunningarts in the 1980s. This now runs alongside Ironbridge Fine Arts & Framing. Regarding Ironbridge Fine Arts & Framing, it was founded to be a local hub of art lovers and enthusiasts and to incorporate the local heritage, of which the family are so proud, into their artwork. David creates his art-work, hand builds the printing presses and works with his two daughters, Jenny and Sarah, who run the gallery in Ironbridge. Gunning Arts’ gallery is open to the public and houses one of the largest collections of artwork from Shropshire’s most talented artists, and of course, it is from this Gallery where David and his family exclusively sell and distribute the Gunningarts Printing Presses to customers throughout the World. David tells us about the clients that the team deals with, before talking about the facilities that the team offer. “Here at Gunningarts Ltd, the clients we serve are all art enthusiasts, and within our beautiful gallery space we offer a pleather of services covering the art genres. We have a well-stocked print workshop, a rentable artist studio space and a framing workshop.” As a business, the team offer a range of services for every requirement that clients may have, from drawing workshops, teaching the art of printmaking, and being the sole distributor of the Gunning Arts Printing Presses, Giclee printing and scanning, framing artwork to guild commended standards right through to the sale of incredible artwork within our beautiful gallery. Profiling the team behind the success of Gunningarts and Ironbridge Fine Arts & Framing, there is a lot of experience and expertise, all of which contribute to the success of the company. David Gunning is a prolific artist with artwork in many prestigious collections across the world, including 110 etchings in Her Majesty the Queen’s private collection and two large drawings hanging in the Houses of Parliament. He has had more than 70 one-man shows and has many exhibitions booked for years to come. Jenny graduated from Cheltenham and Gloucester University in 2004 and has a degree in Specialist Printmaking. Upon leaving university, Jenny set up her own business which evolved into Ironbridge Fine Arts & Framing and has always run alongside Gunning Arts Limited. Jenny has extensive experience in many forms of printmaking and her passion for printmaking and etching inspires all who meet her. Jenny takes after her father and is a prolific printmaker in her own right. She has had many one-woman and, with her father, two-person shows. She continues to add to her large collection of work. Ironbridge Fine Arts and Framing are proud to be a Fine Art Trade Guild Art Sure Member. Sarah Morris works with customers to provide Giclee printing and Art Sure Print Registration, high resolution scanning (up to 12800 dpi), digital editing, printing and limited print registration. Sarah is also currently training for her Guild Commended framing qualification. Liz Gunning is the ceramicist of the gallery, creating incredible works of 3-dimensional art and functional ware as well as offering workshops and one-to-one tuition. She has a beautiful pottery studio and creates the most wonderful fine art sculptures and ceramics. Liz’s hares are her trade-mark and she thrives on making and selling in the Ironbridge Gorge. Liz is also a qualified spiritual healer, who works alongside the College of Healing. She offers counselling and healing sessions and many art workshops based around pottery and art therapy. Gunningarts and Ironbridge Fine Arts strive to give an all-round service. Providing not only a variety of superb etching presses, the family also work together as a team to offer the best service they can. Additionally, the companies provide tuition and tutorials on how the presses function and how to create clients’ very own etchings. The presses are personally delivered and advice is ready at hand if the artist requires assistance in setting up their studios for the Gunningarts etching press to function efficiently. Customer service is an integral part of what the family do. Alluding to the ongoing success of the companies, David signs off by describing how dedication and hard work are all vital aspects of the team’s achievements, whilst also noting that the passion of himself and his family contribute greatly to the excellent products and services that both Gunningarts and Ironbridge Fine Arts & Framing offer. “Essentially, our success lies with the knowledge, dedication and hard work that is required to produce artwork and goods to the highest standards for the clients we serve. We have been awarded this accolade because we live and breathe art and this passion exudes from the heart. As a family who live and work in this beautiful part of Shropshire we continue to create and love everything we do.” MID17019