Our Story

Art in the Heart was originally founded in 2012 by Dawn Birch-James MA (Arts Market Appraisal) ‘accidental art business entrepreneur’. The seeds were sown when she assembled a small group of artists and makers in the city of Peterborough in a bid to raise aspiration on a high street plagued with empty shop windows, and to get art and craft recognised as economically vital to put Peterborough on the map.   

After a brief encounter with a creative space above a tea room, and joint projects with the council, in October 2012, she opened a large 2 floor art gallery, shop and hub selling the work of near to 100 artists and makers from the area with a throng of never seen before products from UK and global artisanal communities. It was a hive of activity – sales exhibitions, workshops with near to 100 students from local schools and colleges gaining real work experience.

In 2018 the gallery and hub had to close, much to the lament of the general public and visitors, who had frequently called it ‘the best shop in Peterborough’ and often one of the best shops in the UK. The good news was that it transformed itself into the Art in the Heart Marketplace, an online shop – www.artintheheart.co.uk.

Dawn decided to concentrate on her art business consultancy and in 2021 she passed the baton to the husband and wife team Pavel Khokhlachev and Namita Kapila who became the new owners and Directors of Art in the Heart.

If you know any amazing artists and makers who want to earn a living from their creativity, get them to Sign Up top right hand corner! You can get a shop quite easily if the product is right, and then easy step by step Guides to get your storefront looking amazing. You can even ask us to import all the products in your Etsy shop. Email artintheheart.london@gmail.com

Find us on Facebook artintheheartuk or Twitter artintheheart1. You can also join our Facebook Group Artists and Makers UK (Art in the Heart). Our Founder also gives free selling tips as @artybizteacher on TikTok. 

Art in the Heart….this is love