ArtWorks Connellsville fills artistic niche
There are few permanent establishments where artists in the Fay-West region can exhibit and sell their work, ArtWorks Connellsville fills that niche nicely.
ArtWorks Connellsville Gallery and Learning Center on West Crawford Avenue is a haven for artists to share their talents with the public while encouraging others to dip their toe in artistic waters and see what hidden talents they can uncover.
“People always have a desire to have something creative in their creative in their lives. Whether its jewelry, a statue, a painting or a photograph–they want something to enhance their lives and we fill that need,” said Chuck Hubbell, the gallery’s manager.
Started by the Fayette County Cultural Trust more than four years ago, the non-profit gallery as a way to inspire artistic growth in the region by not only offering the multitude of area artists a marketing outlet but to also offer the public opportunities to see, enjoy and purchase the artwork created by professional artists that live in the Fay-West region.
Through their efforts, Hubbell explains, ArtWorks also hopes to strengthen local arts programming by offering various art classes while also supporting cultural tourism initiatives and stimulate economic development through outreach events like Art on the Yough, held recently.
ArtWorks currently has 85 artists that display and sell their work.
“We are a non-juried gallery that offers consignment sales. No one judges whether the art should hang or it shouldn’t. The gallery retains 30 percent on each sale,” Hubbell said.
The media vary from acrylic and oil paintings to clay sculpturing and ceramics; from photography and basketweaving to parchment paper cutting and stained glass; from jewelry and clothwork to woodwork and watercolor paintings are just a few of the many kinds of artwork on exhibit.
“I think it’s great for the artist community. The artists receive exposure and its beneficial for them to share their work but also to discover the amount of talent in our region,” said Dan Cocks, executive director of the Fayette County Cultural Trust and founding organizer of ArtWorks, who is also a stained glass artist.
There is one exhibition room where artists can reserve space to display their works should they choose and ArtWorks is always looking to add to its class offerings which currently includes a popular mosaic tile mushroom class.
ArtWorks also serves as a conduit for Bullskin, Connellsville and Dunbar historical societies by selling items made especially for those organizations as well as one-of-a-kind items like handmade and hand-painted cards, art and historical books, and doll clothes are available for purchase.
ArtWorks sees anywhere from 100 to 150 people come through the doors each month looking for the unusual artwork available at the gallery.
“Something that strikes their fancy either for themselves or as a gift,” said Hubbell.
He explained currently they are depending on word of mouth, the website and Facebook to get the message out about the gallery.
And in addition to patrons, artists are always sought according to Hubbell.
“I’m always looking for someone to bring in 3-to-5 pieces of work,” he said.
Hubbell himself is not an artist he says, but his years of retail experience help him carefully handle displaying the delicate pieces of artwork.
As the gallery’s manager and curator, Hubbell gets to know the artists and their work pretty well, including details of how certain pieces of jewelry are made, how the wooden puzzles are made from repurposed materials and a few of the things that make some artists tick.
“One of the artists is an 83-year-old woman. She buys a book every week she comes in here. She tries to improve her skills.
“I find it interesting that she would come in and pick up a book to improve her skills and expand her art.”