Former nurse breathes fresh life into disused art gallery

Maggie McAndrews, 50, will re-launch the empty Gallery 12A on South Parade as a space for exhibitions by both established artists and people with mental and physical problems.

The mother-of-one, from Balby, was inspired to take over the gallery due to her current project, Creative Art As Therapy, which aims to help those feeling isolated after being diagnosed with illness.

Ms McAndrews, a nurse for more than 30 years, plans to use parts of the gallery to display and sell artwork created by her therapy clients.

Before being made redundant, her career was largely spent nursing stroke victims and then the terminally ill in a hospice, after stints at the Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Tickhill Road Hospital.

But, by night, she gained a first class art degree and is looking forward to using her art skills in her new venture.

Ms McAndrews said: “There are lots of possibilities for the space and, as well promoting artists, I think giving my therapy participants space to show their work will really provide a boost.

“I’d like to bring groups from the south of England up here to see what we can do. Let the south come and see us for a change.”

The Mac Gallery will open at the end of the month.