IT'S unexpected and it's wonderful. On the edge of Consett - a town noted, perhaps unfairly, more for crisps than culture - a brown tourist sign points the way to The Glass Gallery and leads in unlikely fashion to a terraced house in Medomsley Road.

What was once the front room is now a bright and cheerful showroom, walls covered with drawings and paintings and shelves displaying some of the best workmanship by craftsmen and women throughout the region. Intricate wooden boxes, glowing glass bowls, silk scarves, kaleidoscopes and jewellery.

It is probably the best display of local art in the region, both in quality and quantity. And - like all the best ideas - it started almost by accident.

The Glass and Art Gallery is run by Ron and Maralyn O'Keefe. Maralyn is a long established and much respected glass artist with many major commissions to her credit. The house was once their home, Maralyn's studio is still upstairs. When they moved out to live elsewhere they decided to turn most of the downstairs into a showroom for the glass.

"We thought the walls looked a bit bare so we thought we'd ask a few artists we knew for paintings we could display and maybe sell. And it just took off," she says.

Since the official opening less than three years ago, the gallery now stocks the works of over 70 different artists and has established a great reputation for itself, with artists and customers alike.

Partly that's because of its unique atmosphere. Works in the gallery sell for from around a tenner, up to a couple of thousand pounds.

Though everything is shown to its best advantage, the display is cheerfully informal, just this side of cluttered, with none of that intimidating hush that can frighten people away from more aloof establishments.

It's become popular with locals wanting something special and many other customers are prepared to travel considerable distances to see what is new in the gallery, where displays are constantly changing.

"People are sick of mass production, seeing the same things everywhere, all made by machines. Much nicer to buy something that's a one-off, something beautiful that's been hand-crafted individually," says Maralyn.

As well as giving a shop window to long established artists - such as internationally-known Sheila Mackie from Shotley Bridge, whose works sell for thousands - the gallery has nurtured the careers of relative newcomers.

These include Annette McKinnon of Chopwell. A full-time mother, she started painting only a few years ago but her landscapes in pastels have proved one of the gallery's best sellers, with over 100 sold and prices rising.

Then there are works by Bill Hindmarsh, an ex-miner whose work features oils, pastels and water colours of life underground.

"Now artists have heard about us and approach us with their work," says Ron.

Every piece they accept is high on skill and design. These include books made of exquisite hand-made paper, photographs, jewellery, pieces made by the last lead-worker in the North, cleverly made little sewing boxes and pottery including some made by a Sunderland potter who is totally blind.

And there is, of course, glass. As well as the work of other glass makers, Maralyn displays some of her own work, including the most amazing chess set based on the Giants' Causeway - little blocks and pillars of glinting green glass that entice you to play with them. Only three sets have been made. I didn't dare ask the price.

Much of Maralyn's work is in stained glass - commissions for churches, commemorative panels. Upstairs is her studio and kiln where she and her apprentice work. On most days you can watch them working on stained and kiln formed glass. Also based at the showroom is North East Stained Glass Supplies, selling a full range of stained glass, tools and materials to other artists and colleges.

The gallery is very much a workshop too, which might be what helps give it its special character, a constant buzz of ideas and work in progress. Whatever the reason, it's a little gem.

"Consett has never before been famous for its art, but we hope we could be changing that."

* The Glass and Art Gallery, 194 Medomsley Road, Consett, DH8 5HX. Tel: (01207) 583353.Open Mon- Sat 9am-5pm; Sundays 11am-4pm. www.glassdesign.co.uk