Ted Coney hopeful to get ‘pop-up’ gallery up and running after pandemic

An artist hopes he can help visitors “get back to normal” as he prepares to reopen his pop-up gallery for the first time in two years.

Ted Coney closed his art studio and garden gallery on Waterside, Ely, which he usually opens to the public in April, when the Covid-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

“When Covid struck, I ran a virtula tour and all the money raised from that would go to NHS Charities Together; I think I raised around £200”, he said.

Ted, who launched his home gallery in 2008, took part in Cambridge Open Studios when he opened his own studio to visitors.

And this year, he will once again showvase some of his family-themed oil paintings, as well as a vintage car.

“I have a place where I keep a 90-year-old Morris Minor car which appears in some of the paintings”, said Ted.

“I show oil paintings, but I also try to show objects I have used in those paintings. Upstairs in one of the bedrooms, there is a big doll’s house and puppet threatre.”

As part of the tour, Ted, who was head of art and design at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge for over 30 years, takes visitors across the house.

Up to six people at a time will be allowed on the one-hour tour from April 24.

The tour features over 50 paintings as well as some from the six generations of Ted’s family.

The former Bath Academy of Art student is also keen to show off ‘Another Year’, which depicts dusk and dawn upon Ely Cathedral.

“It relates to when my mother and sister-in-law died in the same week of each other, but a year later, our first granddaughter and my brother’s granddaughter were born”, Ted said.

“People are very appreciative of what I do and I feel people are connecting with my work.”

Ted hopes that many people will visit his pop-up gallery once again.

And by reopening, he believes this can bring back some signs of normality.

“I think we have to get back to normal”, he added.

“The important thing for me is I’ve kept painting on the go and always planning the next one”.