St James Hotel, Nottingham, to officially open its art gallery

150 150 Daniel Fountain
  • 0

Nat Coalson, celebrated American photographic artist, announced as the inaugural exhibit.

Nottingham’s leading independent hotel, The St James, has announced the official opening of its in-house art gallery. The Left Gallery is a dedicated space which will showcase breakthrough and established talent in a series of solo exhibitions. The gallery is yet further commitment from The St James to support and encourage artists, artisans, crafts and trades from the surrounding area.The first show which launches with an invite-only preview on November 13th will feature works from the established American Photographic Artist, Nat Coalson (Nat currently lives in Leicester). In the retrospective show, entitled ‘Anima Astratto: Journey Into Perception’ the series of abstracts displayed will portray the artist’s influences: from travel, international culture through to the Italian language. ‘Anima Astratto’ translates from the Italian, ‘Abstract Soul’.

When asked about his motivation behind the collection, Nat stated that ‘My wife, Ruth, and I share a passion for exploring the world. I’ve been photographing all kinds of places over many years, from wilderness to ancient and modern cities. I’ve always worked to make pictures that go far beyond the typical, scenic travel photos. I assembled this collection to represent some of my favourite examples of pure abstraction, all drawn from my experiences in some of the world’s most interesting, colourful locations.’ Coalson added that, ‘I’m thrilled and honoured to have been selected for the first art exhibition in the Left Gallery. I love working with hotels and the St James is among the best. It’s a beautiful property that oozes style and charm—a perfect setting for presenting my boldest abstract works.’

The boutique hotel which launched earlier this year has quickly gained a reputation as a benchmark in contemporary boutique hotels, and has gained much attention for its focus on service, style and value. Harjeet Johal, Director at The St James, states that, ‘art is an integral part of The St James identity. We are passionate about the promotion, discovery and nurturing of artists. The Left Gallery is our way to create a space in which artists can gain exposure and reach a wider audience. It demonstrates our commitment to the creative essence of Nottingham and the Midlands. We are immensely proud to have Nat Coalson as our inaugural artist. He is a phenomenal talent and this retrospective show is a perfect launch for our gallery.’

The St James Hotel is an 87 bedroom property located in the heart of the historic Castle Quarter. The unique style of the hotel, together with its well-appointed and comfortable guest rooms, function rooms and lounge bar – ‘Number Six’, have ensured a loyal – and growing – following.

The show opened to the public on November 14th and will run until January 4th. All pieces are available to purchase.

Continue to page two to read a statement from the artist

Daniel Fountain / 20.11.2014

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 0

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.