Returning home

Local gallery settles back into downtown location

For those who have missed Arts on Main Gallery’s presence on Main Street, for those who have longed to step inside the familiar, friendly gallery once again, and for those who have been anticipating its return, the wait is over. Arts on Main Gallery (AOMG) are back where they belong. Beginning this Friday (April 1), friends and patrons, neighbours and supporters, artists and art lovers are welcome to step inside the Picton Main Street gallery once again. The news that will make many happy is AOMG’s new location is their old, original location at 223 Main Street, on the sunny side of the street, opposite the Regent Theatre. “The opportunity to ’return home’ is an exciting new beginning for Arts on Main,” says Christine Giavarini, AOMG Chair.

For those unfamiliar with the gallery, it’s a year-round artist cooperative where original works of art and unique fine craft made by local artists are on display and for sale. The art work includes paintings, ceramics, wire sculpture, glass, wood and metal, fabric and fibre, sculpture, mixed media and jewellery. “The gallery will be brimming with exciting original art work and skilled crafts, bringing artists and art lovers together,” says Giavarini. Visitors, lovers of art and buyers of beautiful things will be pleased to see many familiar names return as full-time members, along with a few new faces, as well as guest artists and sometimes student artists (check out their website for a full list of participating artists).

It’s been a tough two years for many small businesses, and it has been two years this month since Arts on Main Gallery were forced to leave their home of 13 years. It wasn’t a decision that sat well with the arts cooperative, but it was also a strange time with a new virus no one really knew much about. In March 2020, no one could have predicted what was to unfold in the proceeding two years. Essentially, having small businesses and stores shutdown meant the arts cooperative were unable to sell their members’ work and it meant they were unable to meet their rent demands.

Arts on Main Gallery had to pivot quickly, as many others did, and they opted to set up an online presence. It wasn’t ideal, and for various and understandable reasons they did lose some of their membership, but along with holding several in-person pop-up art shows (even donating back to the hospital build), they not only kept going, but they kept a presence in the community and were always determined things would get back to at least a new normal at some point.

About a year ago, they began looking for a new bricks and mortar space. With Covid’s path still an unknown, they started putting feelers out for a suitable and affordable space to re-establish themselves. Ideas came, but locations were too small, too expensive, too cold (no heat), too secluded. They began to rebuild their membership, welcoming new artists to the cooperative, but also seeing previous members eager to return too.

With the worst of the pandemic hopefully behind us and with everything now opened up, the timing culminates this spring as they embark on their 15th anniversary, full of enthusiasm and energy as they re-open with a full complement of 25 local artists. “Arts on Main Galley badly wanted to return to a live, physical location, ideally on Main Street, ideally right downtown and ideally on the sunny side of the street,” said Giavarini. The best scenario meant a return to their former location, something they were ultimately able to achieve.

The return to their original location was made possible by the sale of the building to new owners. They were approached last summer about the idea, and the rest, as they say, is history. It is hoped Arts on Main Gallery, after a few tumultuous years, will indeed be able to continue making history in their new old home for many more years to come. “The new owners, Joshua Henk and Jane Forbes, a young creative couple from Toronto, moved to the County recently,” explains Giavarini. “They were very welcoming and showed a keen interest in having us return to the space should their existing tenant leave, which did indeed happen.”

The process to re-establish themselves on Picton Main Street has come with a few hurdles, especially regarding signage on the front of the building, which had to conform with certain criteria given the building is in the downtown heritage district. Giavarini says it’s been a hectic time cleaning and painting, installing lighting and wiring, and washing windows. There was the process of re-discovering the fixtures and fittings that have been in storage for two years, and bringing the artists’ work back to the space to be hung and curated as many work frantically towards opening day. “Artist members are all busy re-grouping and organizing for the occasion; we are beyond delighted,” she says.

The gallery’s story began almost 15 years when a group of artists got together to create the arts cooperative. Go back a few years to September 2005 and the first seed was sown and the initial vision came for a cooperative gallery when County resident Alan Gratias purchased the Roblin building, which used to be a showroom for Roblin Motors. Remarkably at the time, Picton didn’t have a single art gallery and Gratias had in mind a vision for a cooperative gallery just for County artists. The old heritage building was refurbished, new windows were installed and the old showroom was transformed. Along with Alan Gratias, two friends, folk artist, the late Terry Williams and gallery owner Ann Wood made it all happen, becoming the founders and the champions of Arts on Main Gallery.

On May 18 2007, Arts on Main Gallery opened with 27 County artists who took on the responsibility and commitment as members of the cooperative gallery. Gratias very graciously provided the space to gallery members rent-free with a long-term plan to incrementally move the gallery to a commercial rent as it became a viable business. From May 2007 to May 2020, AOMG thrived in its ideal location. “In the cooperative model, members share the space, costs, and responsibilities, and everyone is part of making the gallery a success.” Artists take turns staffing the gallery, tasks are shared, jobs are rotated and everyone is committed to selling all artists work, not just their own.

“Over the years, the gallery has enjoyed strong and consistent support from both the local community and visitors to Prince Edward County,” adds Giavarini. The long awaited re-opening brings an opening spring show ’Revival’ which will run for three months. In addition, from about mid-April to mid-May, a special show within the main show will see 100 per cent of sales during this period donated to the Red Cross to support Ukraine humanitarian relief (full details to be announced shortly).

“Needless to say, we are thrilled to be ‘returning home’ and especially to have landlords who share a genuine wish to support the community and its artists,” said Giavarini. Arts on Main Gallery opens on Friday, April 1 and will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are located at 223 Main Street Picton (at the corner of Ross Street), across from the Regent Theatre. For more information, please visit artsonmaingallery.ca.