Retired businessman and South Norfolk councillor Brendon Bernard and painter Barbara Bernard have taken on a building on Broad Street in Bungay, where they will host their debut exhibition.
The pair said they decided to take the plunge after noticing the property was up for sale.
Their first exhibition, A Flying Start, will run from June 8 to June 27 and will feature six artists working across painting, original prints, and sculpture.
Among those exhibiting is Jackie Bell, formerly of the Bell Gallery.
Mrs Bernard said her inclusion represents a transition for the Bungay art scene following the gallery’s closure.
Mrs Bernard said: “Opening the gallery was something we just decided needed to be done, especially with the Bell Gallery closing.
“We saw the building up for sale and thought, why not?
“It’s scary and a learning curve with finding out about planning and things involved in opening a gallery that you wouldn’t even think of, it’s been quite an experience.”
Although the exhibition begins earlier in the week, a special ‘Meet the Artists’ event will take place on Thursday, June 11, from 5pm to 7pm.
Visitors will have the opportunity to speak with exhibiting artists, including oil painter Bella Bigsby, woodcut printmaker Chris Mound, printmaker Gill Thornton, oil painter Jackie Bell, sculptor Jean Kiekopf and oil painter Jo Shepherd.
The building itself, which dates back more than a century, is believed to have been used for storage by American forces during the Second World War before later becoming a carpentry workshop.
East Suffolk Council granted permission for the property’s conversion into an art gallery in March.
Approved plans show a two-storey layout divided into two sections, with the larger space featuring a mezzanine level for storage.
