The Pear Tree Open Gallery (PTOG) involved from an idea to develop a gallery that changes the format of how artists are represented by contemporary galleries of today. The gallery is a part of The Essential School of Painting Ltd (ESOP). We aim at providing a contemporary alternative space where artists have the freedom to show their work in a place different to the white cube context. We look for spaces which present the artist(s) and their work on a platform that’s both radical and different.
Our Team
Above upper panel L2R – Alison Harper and Andrew Wamae. Above lower panel L2R Dan Coombs and Melissa Kime and to the right Toni Gallagher
Toni Gallagher – Artist. Director – the Pear Tree Open Gallery
Toni grew up in rural Buckinghamshire and moved to London after gaining a BA in graphic design and advertising at Brunel university. A stint working as an ice sculptor although short lived led to an opportunity in 2009 to be part of Anthony Gormley’s One and Other project on the Fourth Plinth. Coming in from the cold she worked as an art director on commercials before her ambitious and adventurous nature saw her relocate to Los Angeles. Whilst living in L.A she involved herself in art directing, set building and teaching. Toni spent the last 2 years studying under renowned artists David Mach RA, Liane Lang and Bob Matthews. Her work crosses several disciplines most notably photography and sculpture. Following a solo exhibition at the Horse Hospital in Bloomsbury in 2012, Toni had a residency at the Century Club, shown alongside the London Group at the Cello Factory, and exhibited multiple times at the Venice Biennale >>> read more >>>
Andrew Wamae: Director – the Pear Tree Open Gallery and Director – ESOP
Andrew Wamae grew up in Nairobi and has a deeply held belief in the power of art to transform lives and society, and a particular interest in exploring new models for art education beyond school; championing the twin ideals of excellence and affordability in a highly pressurised sector when university fees are soaring and student/ tutor contact time is at an all time low. With the ongoing COVID situation he is particularly keen to ensure that the visual arts continue to be supported and thrive well into the new world that we will be coming into. A creative, innovative and visionary professional, Andrew, in conjunction with his co-founder Alison Harper, has transformed the Essential School of Painting from humble beginnings to an established institution holding from one-day to year-long courses and workshops for all levels of experience; from beginners to postgraduate and professional artists. He has managed to enlist the support of a long list of celebrated artists from multiple fields in the creative industry to teach or lecture at the school or in their studio >>> read more >>>
Alison Harper – Artist. Director – the Pear Tree Open Gallery and Artistic Director – ESOP
Alison Harper grew up in Glasgow and studied at Glasgow School of Art in the mid-eighties and as one of “The Glasgow Girls” was part of the resurgence in figurative painting emerging at that time. In 1993 she won a Commonwealth Scholarship to paint in India for two years. She was a part-time lecturer in Painting and Printmaking at Glasgow School of Art from 1995 – 2002. Selected exhibitions include The National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Academy, Royal Scottish Academy, Leicester City Art Gallery, Stirling Museum, The Graphic Museum of Tokyo, The India Today Gallery, New Delhi. She is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes. She lives and works in London. She is included in Who’s Who in Art and Who’s Who of Women in the World. Alison is the Artistic Director and co-founder of The Essential School of Painting >>> read more >>>
Dan Coombs – Artist. Curator – the Pear Tree Open Gallery and Head of Painting Programme – ESOP
Dan Coombs is a London based painter, a graduate of The Ruskin School, Oxford (1989-92) and the Royal College of Art (1992-94). He was Rome Scholar in painting British school in Rome (1994-5). He has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally. Dan creates his compositions from studies in collage and paint, which unite his figures with entirely invented surroundings, landscape dream worlds and interior spaces. These are human encounters charged with a mysterious, symbolic power. They are explorations of guilt, beauty and fear of isolation; that draw on myth, religion and psychoanalysis in order to grasp the real within the imaginary. Dan was recently appointed the Head of the Painting Programme at the Essential School of Painting >>> read more >>>
Melissa Kimes – Artist. Curator – the Pear Tree Open Gallery
Curator – the Pear Tree Open Gallery
Melissa Kimes was born in Wiltshire UK in 1989 and currently lives and works in London. She graduated with a MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art in 2015 and a BA Fine Art in 2011 from Falmouth University and a postgraduate diploma in drawing from the Royal Drawing School in 2013. She exhibited in Bloomberg New contemporaries, 2014 at the ICA London which was selected by Enrico David, Goshka Macuga and Marvin Gaye Chetwynd and won the Arts Club award at The Royal Academy Summer Show, 2019. She has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad in both solo and group shows, she has won numerous prizes for both drawing and painting and her work is in many private collections >>> read more >>>