• COVID-19 is hurting small businesses, including in creative industries
• Luke highlights case of local artist Martin Bush
• Story reported in the Plymouth Herald

Coronavirus is hitting small businesses hard and although some support is available, the virus is still leading to the closure of many small businesses, or the scaling back of their activities.

Luke is a big fan of local art and offers his support to local artists by buying their art. One of his favourite local artists is Martin Bush, who has been based at Royal William Yard since it opened to the public. Sadly, he has announced in the Herald that the gallery is closing and the virus is partly to blame.

Luke said:

“I want to say a big thank you to Martin for all his local work – he is still painting although his gallery won’t reopen so you’ll need to look for his work in some of our city’s other galleries when the virus eases.

Coronavirus is going to have a big hit on our city’s small businesses and that includes local galleries. Our city’s art and culture scene employs thousands in our city and protecting it throughout the virus crisis has to be a priority – it is certainly one of mine.

I am proud to give a spotlight to our fab local artists and some of you will have noticed that I have been putting a few of the pieces of art from local artists in the background when I am doing TV from home over the lockdown.

Good luck to Martin as he moves into a new chapter in his career and thank you to him and all the other local artists who are doing so much to put Plymouth on the map as a place to visit for art, culture, theatre, dance and much, much more! When the virus eases I hope these sectors will come back and I’ll be doing all I can to support them.”

If you are working in the arts and are facing difficulties please get in touch with Luke. He is keen to support an arts and cultural revival as the virus eases in Plymouth. To see the Plymouth Herald article, click here. To see more of Martin’s work, click here.