Two years after its opening, this Art gallery in Nogent-le-Rotrou closed

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Marie Joubert and Didier Mainnemare have felt it coming for several months already. The Motor Art gallery of Nogent-le-Rotrou, their gallery, no longer exists.

Installed since December 2022 in the premises of 24 place du 11-Août, in Nogent-le-Rotrou (Eure-et-Loir), they decided to close their businessat the end of October 2024. The main reason: they only saw too few Nogentais.

At a table in the restaurant Le Rôtrou, next to the gallery, Marie and Didier look back on these two artistic years until this closure. At the same time, should we see this as a sign, the song “Voilà, c’est finit” resonates, from Jean-Louis Aubert…

An arrival in Nogent in 2022, a city with many assets

Both Parisians, the gallery owners had the ambition of opening a gallery in Perche after Covid.

I have known this region since I was little and Didier has had a house in Perche Ornais since 2012.

After visits to Bellême, Rémalard-en-Perche, Mortagne-au-Perche, they finally chose Nogent-le-Rotrou.

“It’s the capital of Perche, there is a proximity to Paris via the train, and several galleries were active,” recalls Didier. Above all, they look favorably on the restaurant and cinema located right next door. And the rent was reasonable.

Internationally renowned artists

For almost two years, they organized exhibitions every weekend, from Friday to Sunday, at the rate of one per month.

We brought in artists of national and even international renown. Like Numa Roda-Gil, Alain Bertrand, Hervé Dreux, Yann Penhouet, Yahn Janou, AL70 and others.

“There were exhibitions of unpublished works, others were specially designed for the gallery,” adds Didier, also consul to the Republic of Montmartre, an association. Numa Roda-Gil, for example, painted a work in homage to the Maquisards of Plainville.

And for each new exhibition, an opening was organized in the presence of the artist(s). “We arrived here with our principles of conviviality Montmartrewe organized Art’péro to allow people to discover the works with a drink in hand.”

The Nogentais were absent

The exhibitions keep coming, but something is always missing… The people of Nogent.

We understood after a year that the local population had little interest in art. And this was confirmed with the closure of the Edmund gallery, even though we do not offer the same things.

When several regular visitors traveled “hundreds of kilometers to come”, the people of Nogent were not present. More surprisingly, even a minister had made the trip to the gallery in his 403. “A minister from Montmartre,” laughs Didier.

“Nogent’s customers only represented 1% of our sales. She didn’t come not at openings despite the invitations and our communication. However, we have always been keen to offer a wide range of prices, ranging from 40 to 9,000 euros to satisfy all budgets.”

A beautiful ending

For the opening of the last exhibition, Balou Butcher and Psyko, two renowned painters were there to chat with visitors. And on the guitar, the artist Marc Loy performed for five hours. “We wanted to finish on a high note.”

“As always, we renewed our invitations, especially at the town hallbut no one from Nogent came,” slips Didier. “We thought that these exhibitions would interest the people of Nogent…” We believe not.

Despite everything, these two art enthusiasts do not forget all the good times they had and their beautiful encounters. They are going to return to Paris, before sharing their time between Montmartre and the Ornese perch from 2025. As during these two years in Nogent.

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