WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A box with art sits outside the Make Art Supplies store located within the Pajama Factory on Park Ave in Williamsport. The box is for the Bloomsburg Exchange's free little art gallery.
"We were talking about ways we can bring art further out of the community. That's kind of The Exchange's focus is bringing arts to the community, and bringing the community to the arts," said Brian Spies, Bloomsburg Exchange board of directors member.
This is the first free little art gallery through the exchange. Spies says the exchange is working to put others in Bloomsburg and Berwick and is unveiling another one at Lycoming College in a few weeks. The art gallery functions the same way as a free little library where people can take and leave art.
"One of the things the exchange does every year is a cash-and-carry show where anyone can—and I do mean anyone—little kids, senior citizens, grandmothers, families that have worked on pieces together can come in and get a small MDF panel, bring it home, make it into art, and bring it back," added Spies.
In the little art gallery, the owner of the Make Art Supplies store donated six art kits. Each kit has everything someone needs to make art.
"Containing a 4x5 canvas, a little easel, some markers, some paints, and brushes so someone can take this home, make a work of art, bring it back, and then take something from here," said Spies. "Galleries can sometimes be intimidating to people; things are sometimes for sale, but not always for sale. Sometimes, there's prices, sometimes there isn't. People can be intimidated by them, but we wanted to say a gallery can be anywhere, it can be anything, and anybody can have an original work of art in their house."
The free little art gallery will be unveiled on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. outside of the Make Art Supplies store as part of the Pajama Factory Unbuttoned event, which will also include an open studio and live music.