The Art Reach Center celebrates the grand opening of its Broadway location expansion. At its completion, the expansion will merge the existing Art Reach Gift Shop with a 400-square-foot facility in an effort to further the organization's mission of promoting local art and community involvement.
Art Reach's current office location, in a 100-year-old church on South University, has served as headquarters since its founding in 1981. Art Reach Executive Director Kathy Hill said the building will be missed, but the Art Reach family is anticipating the upcoming move.
"The church is very sentimental because of the founders starting it here," she said. "[But] the fact that we are able to do this speaks volumes about the support that we have from our community."
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Art Reach Grand Opening
111 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant
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The new facility- connected to the Art Reach Gift Shop- will include a gallery space, performance area, and offices for its headquarters. The new performance space will allow for a poetry and book reading series and also will be a stage for CMU students to sing and perform.
In the gift shop, which is a consignment space for local artists and Art Reach volunteers, there is a variety of pieces for sale.
"We have a core group of about forty people who have been selling work in the store for years," Hill said. "We have pottery, baskets, glass blown objects, paintings, photography, jewelry ... that's mainly what you will find in the gift shop."
Local artist Rick Stevens has been volunteering for Art Reach for the past four years. As a retiree, he saw Art Reach as an opportunity to donate his time and talent as an oil painter. Stevens knows that today people don't have the money to invest in art, so he aims to make his affordable.
"I sell about a painting a month, which is about enough to pay for supplies," he said. "I would give it away if someone really wanted it and couldn‘t pay for it, that's where the joy is for me."
In terms of Art Reach's expansion, Stevens is mostly curious to see what will happen to the gift shop ghost.
"We have a ghost here that we named Picasso," he said. "Everyone is scared to go in the basement. We think it knocks down paintings that it doesn't like. We'll see if it will enjoy the new space."
The public is invited to the grand opening on Aug. 19, with the ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. Pianist Paul Melcher will provide music and a donated sculpture valued at $1200 will be given away.
Photo: A painting by artist and Art Reach volunteer Rick Stevens
