Breaking Barriers: Paul Hedge on Championing Underrepresented Artists in the 90s and Beyond

In this episode, Ceri is joined by Paul Hedge, the founder and owner of Hales Gallery, which was established in 1992 in a Deptford café. Paul shares his inspiring journey from a working-class background to becoming an established figure in the art scene. With passion and dedication, he has been a pioneer of inclusivity since long before the term became widely used. Paul discusses the artists who have had the most significant impact on him throughout his career and challenges the perceptions many people have about art galleries and artist representation. He also shares the unique ways he built his profile as an art dealer and how he found success by simply being himself through the power of traditional networking and never letting a lack of knowledge hold him back! KEY TAKEAWAYS Paul grew up in a council house in Stevenage, and his parents moved there from East London after the war. As a child, Paul noticed paintings in his grandparents' house and began questioning them at a young age. He also developed an interest in art books in his school library. In the 60s and 70s, career advice was centred around following in one's father's footsteps, and art was rarely discussed as a career option. Paul attended Goldsmiths Art College, where he was tutored by renowned artists such as John Bellamy, Richard Wentworth, and feminist artist Mary Kelly. It was during this time that he started his first gallery. Exhibitions appealed to Paul as they allowed him to showcase other people's work and share his thoughts, opinions, and art knowledge with others. Before finding success in the art world, Paul worked as a postman, delivering mail to notable figures like Michael Caine and Harold Wilson. This experience allowed him to visit commercial art galleries in London and ask questions to artists and owners. Paul and his business partner set up a café to help fund the gallery, enabling them to make a living while creating a space for art. The café's success allowed them to run a programme and eventually establish the gallery in its own right. The gallery's foundation was built on giving artists a voice and listening to their ideas, including those of women, which was not as common in the 90s. One of their early successes was Japanese artist Tomoko Takahashi. For Paul, style was never a driving factor; instead, race, gender, and class have always been at the forefront of the gallery's mission. Paul has consistently utilised his enthusiasm and creativity to find ways to get things done and succeed, even when faced with challenges or a lack of knowledge in certain areas. BEST MOMENTS "Everything you thought was changed, everything you believed was changed” “When I think about our shows, they were quite out there” “Wow a curtain pole from Harold Wilson, you’re not going to say no” “I’ve never been short of ambition” “We managed to get some money from the Tories, they gave us some money because we were enterprising” “Parallel to the café being a success, the gallery also became quite successful quite quickly” “Richard Woods, we did an early show with him” “I think punk and growing up in an environment where anything could happen made me think in a particular way” “The odder the better that’s my cup of tea” “People's worst nightmare is a working-class bloke with money” “You didn’t let the fact that you didn’t know stand in the way of your figuring some way” PODCAST HOST BIO Meet Ceri Hand, the driving force behind countless creative success stories. A creative coach, entrepreneur, and dynamic speaker, she's committed to empowering creatives to realise their dreams and make a meaningful impact through her creative coaching, mentoring and training company. With three decades in the arts under her belt, Ceri has ridden the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Now, she's here to help you achieve your goals, your way. **** NEW COURSE AVAILABLE - UNLOCK YOUR ARTWORLD NETWORK **** Are you an artist or creative professional longing to take your career to the next level? Relationships are the key to success in the art world, and it only takes 10 to 15 of the right connections to build a thriving career. You just need to know how to find them. Join Ceri Hand as she guides you through her proven 5-step approach to nurturing impactful relationships with gallerists, curators, commissioners and producers in a brand new self-study video course, Unlock Your Artworld Network. From crafting the perfect email to attending events with confidence, this course will give you invaluable insights and simple, practical strategies to forge and maintain meaningful connections in the artworld. For just £75, you'll have lifetime access to: 5 x Guidance Videos5 x Exercise Videos11 x Worksheets & Journal prompts Work your way through the materials at your own pace, in as little as 5 hours. Sign up now! cerihand.com/courses @cerihand