Gallery on the Go

Gallery on the Go is a two-year-old program at the Anderson Arts Center (AAC). It started when an executive from Carolina Alliance Bank (now Park National) approached the AAC about ideas for art inside its newly renovated space downtown.

At first, the AAC lent items from its permanent collection, including when another business got involved. McDougald Funeral Home wanted artwork for a renovated area called a café where people could relax.

Soon, though, the AAC decided to reach out to some local artists about having their work displayed at Carolina Alliance, McDougald, and a third business—AnMed Health Carolina OB-GYN.

Participating artists have included Anderson Artists Guild members Carole Brown, George Crown, Michael England, Diana Gilham, Margaret Mattox, Brenda McLean, Rosemary Moore, Wesa Neely, Diann Simms, Lori Solymosi, Armi Tuorila, Diana Walter, Sue West, and Michelle Winnie, as well as nonmember C.T. Weiss.

Contacted on an as-needed basis, each artist chose from 7 to 10 of his or her pieces to be displayed at one business in a mini-exhibit for three months. The works were displayed with name, medium and price. During the past two years, three pieces have been sold.

Business like having their spaces refreshed with a changing gallery of artwork, and Carolina Alliance and McDougald have even installed their own hanging systems. Artists like having their artwork seen.

At this point, the AAC is interested in involving more businesses but is considering attaching a fee. “It has been free so far,” said April Cameron, executive director of the AAC. “On the one hand, it’s really great because the artist and the Arts Center get more exposure. But it’s a lot of work for our staff [to transport and hang the artwork]. So we’re trying to work out a fee structure [for the businesses].”

Artists interested in participating should contact Tracy Weiss, the AAC’s exhibition curator and program director, at tracyw@andersonarts.org.