Three Rivers Gallery & Gifts Update
On May 24th artists were given the opportunity to pick up their Art at the Gallery inside Singer Hill Cafe. Artists came in at 1/2 hour scheduled times, donning face masks to maintain social distancing, as Sue Woodworth and Holly Kroening helped gather their precious artwork. We are all asking “What next? When will we reopen? Is Singer Hill Cafe opening soon”? The owners of Singer Hill have wanted to sell the café business for quite some time. TRAG keeps in touch with them regularly, and we are delighted that potential new owners and creative business models are all being seriously considered. We are happy to report that all of these options always include the Three Rivers Artist Gallery. The tentative goal is to “possibly” have the Singer Hill Cafe and our TRAG gallery open the first of September 2020. Do we know that for sure – no, but let’s think positively! Be aware that we would need to be compliant with Covid-19 business restrictions and regulations. Our artists need to be thinking of how to display their art, manage their scheduled working time and being with the public. That is just a fact of this new environment we are in.
The TRAG gallery management will look a bit different as we plan to reopen. After much consideration ~ I will continue as the Gallery Coordinator. My goal is to be transparent with the workings of the Gallery, and oversee it with a fun, knowledgeable and idea-generating volunteer group. I am looking to create a new gallery committee where big jobs can be broken down into smaller more manageable tasks. Since Cheri Bosserman is graciously taking over all of TRAG’s financing duties, we will need someone to manage the online scheduling. Holly Kroening will continue to manage our wall art. We are grateful to Vona Adams-Lawrence who has been managing all of the Gallery’s supply needs. Additionally, we need someone to watch over, cultivate and organize each rotation of gallery artists.
We are currently discussing some exciting new options for the Gallery when we reopen. We will continue to evaluate the 2-month versus 3-month gallery rotations. I would like to have 1-2 people dedicated to mentoring new artists regarding paperwork and salesperson skills, as they learn to work in the gallery. We also welcome ideas on the entry look to the Gallery – Something that will catch a person’s eye as they walk into the main room of the café, and a plan to implement it. Under the new management we will also continue TRAG’s “new artist jury committee”. We had our first meeting prior to our new Covid life but will meet again. I strongly see meetings held as zoom conferences or a potential outdoor meeting where we can easily comply with 6-foot distancing regulations. Our health and the accompanying chain of contacts will be a major deciding factor as we “mindfully” carry on from here.
Does the idea of knowing more about the gallery, making our presence more notable in the community, and sharing and exploring new ideas interest you? I am eager to hear from you. You can contact me at gallerychair@threeriversartistguild.com I promise it will be fun and inspiring. There is nothing like art to bring a community together.
Susan Woodworth
Three Rivers Gallery & Gifts Coordinator