It’s the end of an era – as York art gallery According to McGee is moving on after 17 years.
It closed on Saturday (24 September). The gallery has been on Tower Street since it first opened in 2005.
Owned by Greg and Ails McGee, YorkMix chatted with them to find out more about what’s next for the gallery.
“We thought it’s the right time for a change,” said Ails. “Not to finish the gallery but to move on with the premises.
“The lease came to an end. Having renewed it over and over again, we actually decided this is the time to finish the lease.”
“The idea of change,” added Greg, “17 years ago, or even four or three years ago was exciting. We feel as if we need to reboot and find that again.
“So changing geographically makes perfect sense. But that’s about the only thing that will change.”
A few of their highlights from the past 17 years include when musician and artist Horace Panter launched a commissioned reimagining of the Beano characters with the gallery; when former cricketer Sir Ian Botham came and opened an exhibition; and when they won a culture award in 2016 for their charity work for best community event – which was presented to them by York-born Game of Thrones actor Mark Addy.
The gallery moving from its city centre location at the same time as the rise of the cost of living crisis is “coincidental.”
“Energy bills are going to cripple a lot of businesses,” said Ails.
“Selling beauty in a pandemic was easier than selling beauty in a time of energy crisis,” said Greg.
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“We’ve noticed already that there’s less people showing an interest,” added Ails.
With being located on Tower Street for 17 years, Greg and Ails have seen how the city has changed over the past nearly two decades.
“From 17 years ago, York was a very different place with a thriving scene at every level – live music, poetry readings, festivals, independent art galleries,” said Greg.
“Now it feels a little bit death by stag or hen party. There’s a pink stiletto heel stamping on the jugular of York.”
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There isn’t a confirmed new location for chapter two of According to McGee – but it will be outside of the city centre.
“We’re looking forward to a break,” said Greg. “We’re also enjoying the uncertainty – letting go of the steering wheel feels good.
“There’s nothing especially seductive at this moment in time about York city centre. It just doesn’t feel like the same kind of multifaceted and lively city it was five years ago.”
Greg and Ails have no plans to leave York, but the gallery will likely reopen in the suburbs of York.
“We love what Bluebird Bakery have done.”
The Bluebird Bakery opened a location in Acomb in September 2021.
Greg and Ails don’t want to make any promises yet as to what the new According to McGee will be like, but Greg did say that “it will be something innovative and disruptive. It will catch people’s attention and we want to be known as the gallery that has a certain identity.”
“We simply want to reach more people,” Greg added.
“If we could persuade more people to come and buy a painting, take it home, have it bring them pleasure, and also have it as an investment.”
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Greg and Ails are hosting one last hurrah this Saturday before closing, from 4 to 6pm. They invite anyone to drop in and join them in saying goodbye to a ‘wild’ 17 years.
A neon sign reading ‘we made something of this’, created by artists Claire Hind and Gary Winters, will be on display in the window.
“Then at 6pm on the dot, Ails – because she was the first one to walk in the door with a key back in 2005 – she will switch it off,” said Greg.
“Then we’ll shut the door and we’ll walk away.”