Last August pals Judy Simmons, Kate Weston and myself were juried into the well known Woolworth Walk in downtown Asheville. The popularity of this gallery is evident since it took until about 2 weeks ago for us to be finally notified that a space was availalbe. I may not be overstating by saying most of the artists stay on there for years.
Woolworth Walk is a uniquely Asheville experience; a privately and locally owned gallery in the heart of downtown, located in a historic building and representing local artists exclusively. It's complete with a working soda fountain!
Our space is in the lower level, where all 'new to the gallery' artists start out. We purchased the lights from the previous artist and set about plans to paint the walls white. The flooring is original, stone or ceramic is our best guess....it desperately needs cleaning!
Once we divided up the space.....armed with measurements of my section, I taped off our guest room floor to help me decide what pieces would make the best use of the space. We've exhibited several times at the NC Arboretum where we had the luxury of displaying 90-100 pieces.....that is NOT the case here. We pay for every square inch so it's important to utilize it!
Besides wall art, I'm hoping there will be a lot of interest in the felted bowls/baskets I so enjoy making. I planned on using one of the many ladders scattered about our home but ended up deciding on this one. It was made from recycled barn wood, with narrow shelves rather than steps. I stored baskets filled with all sorts of handy items that I use constantly in my studio.
Even with measurements available, I found it necessary to visually ascertain how it would look.
Taking the time to preview how some of my pieces would fit was beneficial.
It was a bit dismaying realizing how few wall pieces could be displayed. So I considered another option in order to add just 1 more piece.
I tied out this cubby hole bench (also made from recycled barn wood). After a ridiculous amount of indecision, I finally chose to use the ladder because the bench was only 19" tall. A longer, taller table may be in my future....
This week we were back at our space to paint.
Not surprising, it would require two coats......ever heard the term "watching paint dry"? We were definitely doing that....anxious to get on with the transformation.
And here it is......booth # 235 - Woolworth Walk - Asheville, NC
Later this week we will hang our work, so check back if you care to follow our progress......it's all so very exciting for us!
8 comments:
How exciting for both of you! Can't wait to see how the space looks when everything is hung! Have you and Judy considered mingling your items or is it a definite split space? Should be a fun new venture for you.
It's Mary here......Yes, Kathy.....we are pumped! There are actually 3 of us sharing the space. Woolworth's broke their 'no share' rule based on our past positive results exhibiting together at the NC Arboretum. We always mingle our work at the Arboretum, but considering the size of this venue we've decided to mostly have defined areas. However, there will be a bit of sharing; Judy and Kate will share a small area to display scarves in Judy's area. And they will share space to display cards in Kate's area. The biggest issue was the uneven wall measurements, the back wall being larger and of course more prominent. We've worked that out for now and are all in agreement to switch it up if needed. Judy lives the closest, while I live about an hour away, and Kate about 90 mins. away. So we will each be responsible for replacing work in our own space.....that seemed the easiest for the moment....not having to coordinate all of us gathering together each time we need to make adjustments.
I've gone into detail to reply to the comment in case any other readers are also considering sharing exhibit space and may find our approach helpful.
best of luck with this latest venture, does one of you have to be there all the time or do they man it for you?
To answer Margaret's question.....this venue charges rent, PLUS a commission but does not require that we work or be there for any given time. In fact, they are super cooperative.....if asked they will have one of their staff take photos of our booth and email to us....that way we can determine whether we need to restock it. I expect one of us will stop by weekly or so to tidy up and check things out as well.
Today's the day...I'm packed up and ready!!!!!
OMG....you actually had time to read this and post a comment this morning?!? AWESOME....see you in about 90 mins.
How exciting! And so exciting for folks to see your work(s) in person and to be able to purchase them! Woohoo!!!
You are bringing back several memories - helping Judi setting up her booth at quilt shows and Market (although that never included painting!) and putting together my first solo show at a bank. I did just the same thing, taking measurements and then laying things out at home, to see what looked good together and how quilts would fit in specific spaces. So much work but always so satisfying when it is all done and people start coming by.
Love that Woolworth building facade, btw. Congrats on both getting juried in and finally getting a space. It looks great in the next post. Hope sales are brisk. :-)
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