The little green book

Quaker advice and queries on business.

It was a big leap to go into business running a gallery at the age of 23. The concept in my mind of being in business in the early 1990’s was not one I was entirely comfortable with. I considered myself primarily an artist, and have never been motivated by the idea of making money for the sake of it, and artist and business seemed at that time to be almost polar opposites. Looking around me for inspiration - I couldn’t find much. The galleries seemed to be run by old people (oh the irony!) And those with a very privileged or monied background (I hadn’t even got a degree in art and had no savings).

Business itself seemed to be all men in shiny suits flashing money and material goods around like toys. The women didn’t give me much inspiration either. Shoulder pads, heavy makeup and pencil skirts didn’t appeal to the soul of the old hippy in me. Neither did the idea of being cut throat, cold or making decisions purely based on a financial outcome. Selling myself as a mumpreneur or joining a woman in business group produced the ick in me. How would I align business with me? How could I become proud to call myself a businessperson? One of the main inspirations came one day when visiting an ancient quaker meeting house. There I found a thin green book about quaker business ethics. And although I’m not a quaker either, there was something here that spoke deeply to me, joining up community, purpose and ethical business I was suddenly on my way to creating my own vision.
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Our 1st premises - a derelict youth club. We were there for 6 years - it's now Johnny Bagdad's cafe before moving in above the shop at the other end of the square.

Me aged 23

30 years on in Masham Gallery

A recent exhibition photo

The green book emphasised the importance of honesty, integrity, simplicity and equality. It discussed things such as ethical trade and environmental responsibility. I hadn’t come across this anywhere in business before and it made me realise I could align my personal values with my business and use it as a guiding force. This is still the core of the way I operate today and it has led to a happy life and a good business. I can be true to myself. It has meant that sometimes I have swum against the tide - in the early years I got quite a lot of hassle from customers who wanted plastic bags not paper for example. I never accepted the idea that a gallery should be a white walled cube, I wanted people of all walks of life to feel comfortable and at home here. Today many people mention they feel they are coming into our home, and they are as we live above the gallery. Being consciously part of a community is key for me. That’s not just the community where I choose to live and set up business it’s the community of artists and makers, the community of visitors, the community of people who work with me in Masham Gallery. Of course ideals and principles are not enough for a successful business, and the way this is all put into practice is important. Like all humans I’ve made plenty of mistakes and continue to do so. I think it’s an advantage of community though that I have mostly been lucky enough to have been forgiven and supported through them. 

I still try and balance my time between my artwork and running the gallery, and there’s still plenty to learn. Put it’s a privilege beyond words to still be doing what I love after 30 years and now I am proud to be both an artist and a businessperson. 

​Josie Beszant February 2024

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