'A mini SoHo:' The Artists Gallery moves into new space
Mar. 8—When The Artists Gallery lost its lease last spring, leadership jumped on the opportunity to find another space downtown. But when it came time to sign the lease, president Tom Semmes had reservations — the coronavirus seemed to be gaining headway.
He and the other members of the artist-owned gallery decided against signing a lease on a new space, and within the next few days, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) had issued closures for most non-essential businesses.
"We felt kind of fortunate in a way because we didn't have a lease," Semmes said. "We weren't paying rent on a place that we couldn't open."
Semmes, like most, did not expect the pandemic to last so long. But after a year without a permanent home, The Artists Gallery (TAG) has begun to move into its new space at 501 N. Market Street.
The space, which formerly was home to the IT company Sados, is near Gallery 322 and NOMA Gallery. The artists believe that will be beneficial, since many people who plan to visit one art gallery will usually visit more.
"We're all sort of saying this is becoming a little mini Soho of Frederick, an arts district, which is pretty exciting," said Cathy Wilkin, TAG's vice president.
The shop won't be open until April, but the board already has big plans. In addition to their usual community, group and solo shows, they plan to hold classes and events on the outdoor patio when the weather warms up.
"I just think it makes us feel a little bit more part of the city scene," said Semmes. "So we're we're actually trying to think of shows that involve the community."
While without a permanent space — though the gallery has utilized a room at Bravura Arts & Framing since the late fall — TAG threw itself into building an online presence. Karen Peacock, marketing director, pivoted from posting on Facebook a few times a week to every day.
Wilkin started a monthly newsletter that included videos and pictures of what TAG artists were working on in addition to details about upcoming events and shows in the art community.
"We've gotten a lot of great feedback about people enjoying what would have gone unnoticed before," Wilkin said.
Because TAG did not have a space for shows, they took them online. Each artist still had a chance to display their work, only this year it was on a website.
"We'll probably continue all these things, so in some ways it was very helpful to build our digital presence up, which was a little weaker before," Semmes said. "So we'll probably continue doing the online shows. And we may even have an online shop."
In May, TAG will debut its first show in the new space, titled "Up Market Revival," a nod to their hope for more businesses to move into the vacant properties on upper North Market Street.
"We really have a packed calendar for our group shows, our solo shows, our invitational shows, that has been structured for at least six to eight months out," Wilkin said. "So it's going to be a pretty exciting year."
Follow Erika Riley on Twitter: @ej_riley.
