Pittsboro Gallery of Arts holds grand opening reception

The Pittsboro Gallery of Arts will welcome the public to its Grand Opening Reception on Friday, June 17 between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The gallery, which has emerged as an important destination art venue in the Triangle Region, is located at 44-A Hillsboro Street in Downtown Pittsboro, just steps from the County Courthouse and Historical Museum.

Twenty-nine member artists will be displaying new works representing many mediums including both realistic and abstract paintings, photography, works on paper, fiber art, ceramics, woodwork, jewelry and mosaics. Guests can meet the artists as they enjoy refreshments and beverages – beer and wine – and learn about the gallery as a place to see, purchase and collect fine art and fine crafts and even explore their own artistic natures through classes. Special guests include Pittsboro Mayor Cindy Perry and Kirk Bradley of Mosaic Development Company and Chatham Park.

“We want to be the premier art venue for this region,” says Beth Bale, President of the Board of Directors of Pittsboro gallery of Arts. “We’re here for the long run for people to get to know us and come to purchase art for their homes, businesses and as gifts. We’re not just trying to be Chatham County’s art gallery – we want every town that touches Chatham to know we are here and offer quality art and craft.” Bale is a watercolor naturalist painter and teacher.

It appears the message is taking hold. “We report that about a third of people who visit the gallery are from out of town, many of them curious about the charming, small, historic Town of Pittsboro with its downtown crop of shops and restaurants,” says Trudy Thomson, an artist in diverse mediums primarily working in fiber art including tapestries and marbled wall works. Thomson serves as chair to the Gallery’s marketing committee. “The artists wish to promote artistic excellence and contribute to the cultural and economic welfare of the community,” says Thomson.

Art displays throughout the gallery are changed every three months but with each piece sold, a new piece is brought in. “We have such a variety of work when people step in. I really enjoy the comments made; visitors are surprised to find such beautiful art right here in Pittsboro,” says Debbie Englund, a potter who runs a clay studio in town and a gallery board member. “Some of our audience are high-end art collectors; we’re also helping people who are new to art collection,” says photographer Cliff Haac who is among the newest artists in the group. Haac creates abstracts out of nature.

Pittsboro Gallery of Arts is owned and operated by local and regional artists. “We’ve created a community in the gallery,” says Englund. “We get to know other artists; visitors have an opportunity to meet the artists and hear them talk about their work.”

“It’s a beautiful exhibition space for showing work,” says Theresa Arico, a mosaic artist who coordinates events for the gallery. Arico is a creator and advocate for public art. “I enjoy the possibilities of leaving something behind that inspires hope and allows people to feel they are part of humanity.”

All the tasks and functions of the gallery are carried out by the artist members – every artist has a role whether it’s related to displays, marketing, events, point-of-sale counter work, website, inventory, lighting, patching holes in walls or jurying new art submissions – everyone pitches in. Members are required to work two shifts per month in the gallery and are not paid. Artists are constantly selling and replenishing work. The gallery is guided by a seven-member board of directors.

Any artist can apply online for membership and show their art. The jury committee is made up of 10 member artists. The committee is divided between 2D and 3D art.

“We leave it open to any category,” says Bale. “We don’t just say we’re looking for a potter or a woodworker. We’re open to what knocks our socks off. Plus, it depends on the space we have open and gallery light.”

Angela Carden Hilliard, an artist who is currently combining her mixed-media art with nature drawing, is a co-chair of curating, heading up the 2D work. “My job is to figure out how to choose and display the work. I look at the whole body of work with the goal of positioning art next to another art piece, benefiting both.”

There are no restrictions, no floor or ceiling with respect to prices an artist can charge, according to Bale. Customers can find both prints and artist originals. One could potentially spend $10 or $5,000. “Most of us have pieces that range from $60 for a small original to $1,300 for a large original,” says Bale. “There’s a lot of framed 2D art within a $250 to $1,000 range and a fair bit on either end of that.

“A collector doesn’t have to be someone who buys art every day or every year,” says Haac. “But art is very restorative. It’s like on a winter day, you can look out and see barren trees but you can turn around and look at your wall or room and see vibrant colors and patterns and get a different perception of the world. It will set your mind free.”

The Pittsboro Gallery of Arts first opened in October of 2020, moving into the property that The Joyful Jewel had occupied for 14years. The Joyful Jewel’s owner, Mariah Wheeler, wanted the downtown space to continue to be used for art. A steering committee comprised of seven artists was formed to allow the new tenants to create a space for local artists. “Mariah was retiring. She pushed us to be ready for when she turned in the keys,” says Bale.

The art gallery opened in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, within three months, the Department of Transportation started tearing up the sidewalk right outside their door and putting in a new sidewalk and parking. “For about four months, that construction project affected the flow of traffic downtown,” says Bale. “It is far better now.”

It took a while for the gallery to be able to entertain the idea of a grand opening but the time has arrived. “To create something from nothing with a brand new group of people who had no previous relationships, it’s an interesting challenge,” says Bale. “We’re doing it and succeeding at it and are very excited to see us continue and grow.”

Every piece of art on display in the Pittsboro gallery of Arts is available for purchase. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Sundays.

For more information, artist profiles and videos visit www.pittsboroarts.org.