Nearly a year’s hard work by one artist has been undone after a fire shut a prominent cultural venue just days before a busy festival weekend.
Amanda Haines had hoped to sell various works at her first solo exhibition, Bloom based at the Halpern Pop gallery in the Conservancy Building in Rochester High Street this weekend.
Rochester artist Amanda Haines, right, with Vanessa Crew, gallery assistant, taking down the paintings
The iconic venue is also home to Café Nucleus and various artist workshops.
However, after a fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning (April 30), in the café basement, she has had to close the exhibition, which only opened on April 22, and move all her artwork to safety.
“I am devastated and heartbroken,” she told KentOnline.
“It was my first solo exhibition for a long time. It was quite important to me because since I’ve had a stroke everything that I do is difficult for me really.
“It was supposed to be a celebration. It was going really well, and then now this has happened.”
Rochester artist Amanda Haines’ Bloom exhibition has been forced to close early after a fire in the basement of Café Nucleus
She added: “We suffered a loss too, not just the café but the artists working in the studios here.”
Amanda is a retired NHS nurse with a 42-year career and has always had a passion for painting.
Fire doors inside the building stopped flames and smoke from spreading into the gallery and artist studios, helping protect the artwork and limit the damage.
“My paintings were not destroyed,” Amanda added.
“The fire doors protected them by stopping the fire from spreading, but I’ve been affected because my exhibition was supposed to be on over Sweeps weekend, which is the busiest weekend of the year in the town, and because of what happened it’s had to close early.”
She also said crews from Kent Fire and Rescue Service attended and quickly brought the blaze under control.
It’s bad timing for the artist from Rochester who had already sold several paintings since the exhibition opened and was expecting to attract more customers this weekend.
“I’ve already sold quite a lot, but I was hoping to sell more over Sweeps weekend, so I’ve potentially lost money,” she added.
“I know a lot of people were going to come and see my work. Friends and family were coming over Sweeps weekend to visit, but they obviously can’t come now because the building’s closed.
“The building is damaged and it’s not going to open soon. It needs to be repaired and cleaned after the fire.”
Cafe Nucleus in Rochester High Street
Despite the setback, she hopes to run the exhibition again later this year.
Clean-up work is now under way at the Conservancy Building, although it is not yet known when it will reopen.
Fire crews were sent at 4.42am on Thursday morning and were there for about two hours.
A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “Four fire engines attended, and crews wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire, which is believed to have started in a kitchen area, before using high pressured fans to clear the property of smoke.”
No injuries were reported, and the cause is not yet known.
Speaking previously, Café Nucleus managing director Aaron Sergejenkovs Telford said: “Fortunately, the fire was contained to the kitchen area.
“Our fire detection devices kicked in at about 4am and it was isolated.
A message on the venue’s Facebook page on Friday (May 1) said: “A huge thank to Kent Fire and Rescue for their swift actions which saved our beloved conservancy board building.
“We’re going get back on our feet and in the meantime our two café restaurants in Rainham and Chatham are open and happy to welcome guests.”