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One man's artistic wonderland, created in rental, gets protected status

A rental property secretly transformed by the eccentric artist who lived there for three decades has been officially protected by the British government, five years after his death.

The discovery was particularly surprising as Gittins, who had limited formal artistic training, largely discouraged people from visiting his home, an apartment on the first floor of a Victorian duplex comprising three main rooms, a hallway, kitchen and bathroom. Together they established the Wirral Arts and Culture Community Land Trust (WACCLT), which launched a crowdfunding campaign through the website Ron’s Place, applied for listed status and eventually bought the building last year. The property is currently undergoing work to “stabilize and preserve” the artwork for a “micro-museum,” while the trust is also hoping to convert the other apartments in the building to create a “holistic house of art and creativity,” according to Williams.

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