The gallery was founded by a group of painters, with artist Daphne Dyce Sharp turning her studio at 53 George Street into an exhibition space.
[13] Dissenters to this merger went on to form Collective in 1984, 'on the basis of the original ’57 constitution', as academic Neil Mulholland has written.
They formed a committee for the contemporary visual arts and supported lay members of their organisation, who all paid a small fee to cover the ARI’s [Artist-run Initiative] running costs.
It is, by now, such an established form of collective artistic endeavour that we may call it a DIY doxa.
'[10] Macmillan noted too, that despite its successes the 57 Gallery faced problems: 'A voluntary organisation, on the scale to which any art association is naturally limited, cannot usually afford the time and money to pursue on an effective scale any activity that goes beyond the immediate interests of its members.