This week we've been thinking a lot about the role of galleries and how they fit within our communities. Galleries are more than just a building whose walls are adorned with beautiful art. Galleries range from public institutions (museums), to larger commercial spaces (auction houses), to small local retail businesses and even artist studios.
Galleries connect artists with not only collectors but to all walks of life.Galleries also serve as a creative hub that fosters other artistic pursuits, inspires, and also educates!
The idea of a "Third Space" is relatively new one, but has always existed in some capacity. It is defined as a familiar location often frequented by users outside of Home and Work. Traditionally, these are often identified as bars, gyms and cafes. These are often safe spaces that help us find ourselves. Locales that add value to our everyday lives, and ones that fulfill a need we struggle to find in other places. Third Spaces much like Galleries connect us with others that share similar passions and interests.
One of the amazing things about our gallery is the role we play in our community. We provide a welcoming space for people to pop in and enjoy the work of our artists. While we rely on the financial support of our patrons (for which we are ever grateful), the only thing we ask is that people show up and engage with the Art whether in person (or online).
We've been fortunate to offer a variety of events beyond the traditional exhibition programming you may associate with us. From Artist led workshops, to musical performances, we even have a book launch this weekend!
We also enjoy collaborating with other groups and organizations like Nocturne (October 13-16), which we look forward to every year. We love the way Nocturne brings people together, and what it means for our artists. What started as a grassroots project has turned into a major art event for the city, drawing thousands of people, some of whom have never visited a gallery before!
Covid has had a huge impact on galleries and the way we do business. Each week we're faced with new challenges on how to best serve the needs our our community. Sometimes a third space comes in the form of social media. We're grateful to our many followers who continue to support and engage with us online on our various social media platforms of FACEBOOK, TWITTER and INSTAGRAM, as well as our weekly newsletter filled with the latest works and upcoming show info!
Our gallery is about building relationships, creating memorable experiences, and promoting a positive environment for our visitors. We just launched an ART TOUR, that is a great way to learn about local art while hiking around the city with others that love art too...and our tour ends with chocolate. You should come along soon- our last tour will be on October 19th! Ticket info is HERE.
We're passionate about supporting our artists and inspiring future ones. We'd like to think of our gallery as a welcoming Third Space for you..something familiar that will have you coming back for more!
