Thousands of dollars have been raised to help rebuild an art gallery in South Shields that was destroyed by vandals just days before its scheduled opening to the public. Artists Laura Robertson and Theodore Godfrey-Cass had transformed a former Wilko store on Market Place into The Market Gallery, envisioning it as a community art space that would provide affordable studio spaces for local artists, host exhibitions, and offer workshops for residents.
The devastating incident occurred just days before the gallery was set to open its doors on Thursday, July 31st. Vandals broke into the premises and caused extensive damage, spray-painting graffiti on the walls, smashing glass, destroying shelves and equipment, and stealing artwork from the venue. The total damage exceeded $14,000, leaving the artists' months of hard work in ruins.
In response to the destruction, Laura Robertson launched an online fundraising campaign to help rebuild the gallery and make their community vision a reality. The fundraiser has been remarkably successful, raising more than $3,300 of its $3,533 target in just a week and a half. The funds will be used for essential repairs and replacements, including gallery walling and panels, paint, damaged or stolen equipment, graffiti removal, and security improvements.
"The amount raised is incredible, especially considering that it has only been up about a week-and-a-half - we can't believe it," Robertson said. She expressed amazement at the community's generosity, noting that people are contributing whatever they can afford. "It is wonderful to see that no matter what people can put in, they are doing so. I couldn't believe it when two independent artists donated $500."
The support has extended beyond financial contributions, with community members volunteering their time and labor to help with the cleanup efforts. A local woman named Anna reached out to help clean the parking lot behind the venue and offered assistance with removing damaged items from inside the gallery once access is restored. However, Robertson explained that they are still coordinating with various parties to develop an action plan before volunteers can begin interior cleanup work.
"People are wanting to come along and help with the cleanup inside, but at the moment, we are still going back and forth with various parties over an action plan to get work started up again," Robertson said. "We're hoping that by the end of next week, we might be able to put a callout to volunteers so we can get a coordinated response."
Despite the setback, Robertson remains optimistic about the gallery's future and deeply grateful for the community's overwhelming support. "It is good that all our labor and time didn't go unappreciated as this enables us to get back to where we were, and we can't thank people enough for that," she said. "My heart goes out to everyone that has supported us. We're still working it out, but we want to get the gallery going and hopefully our vision for this can come to fruition with all this support."
Northumbria Police have confirmed they are investigating the vandalism incident, with inquiries ongoing. Anyone with information about the crime is encouraged to contact officers through social media direct messages, the live chat function, or report forms on the police website. Those unable to use these methods can call 101 and reference crime number 086887L/25. The fundraising campaign remains active and accepting donations through its JustGiving page.
