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The Birth of a Gallery
by Leslie M. Ficcaglia
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In an effort to revitalize a deteriorating downtown area, the city of Millville, a small municipality in southern New Jersey, decided to explore the feasibility of creating an arts overlay zone In this zone, activities central or ancillary to the arts would be not only permitted but encouraged. Among the natural amenities in the area are a federally designated Wild and Scenic river, the Maurice, which flows through the middle of town. The Delaware Bay and quaint old oystering towns are also nearby. In its redevelopment, the city hoped to capitalize on these resources, which form an attractive, primarily rural environment fifty minutes from Philadelphia and adjacent to several major routes to Atlantic City and the shore resorts of Cape May and Wildwood. Millville officials sent out a questionnaire to a list of artisans who were associated with shows at Wheaton Village, a re-creation of a glassblowing town. The artisans were asked how many would be interested in relocating to this area, should live-in studios and other amenities be made available. The officials were heartened by the positive response, and decided that the next step should be an effort to gain input from local artists and artisans to see what their needs might be. A meeting was held at Wheaton Village on May 10, 1999, to which approximately thirty people came. City officials described their vision and brought plans to demonstrate the proposed new look for the downtown area, which would include upscale outlets, one or two riverside restaurants, and art-related businesses.
At the end of the meeting, participants were asked to sign up if they had any interest in opening up a co-op fine arts and crafts gallery in a building currently owned by the city. Six or seven people responded. A member of the city planning department contacted them that week to set up a time for the group to view the proposed building.
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sundress all the way to the left, and behind the group is the gallery-to-be. |
I was one of four people who met with the city planner one morning, and toured the building. We were impressed with the space and location, and the city's obvious willingness to work with us to make the proposed gallery a cornerstone of the new arts district. The four of us convened for coffee afterwards to discuss the idea, and three of us began meeting once a week to plan for the new gallery. With the city's help we drew up a four-hundred-name mailing list, using entries from county and regional art societies and directories, as well as our own contacts. From this information, a summer intern for the city made up a data base for us. The city's public relations firm helped us write copy and send it to local and regional newspapers, and we publicized an open meeting scheduled for July 14th, 1999, at the Millville Public Library. The three of us also distributed flyers wherever we went. We drafted an agenda for the meeting and developed a questionnaire to obtain names, mail and e-mail addresses, areas of interest, medium(s), and specific needs or interests, of those who attended. For example, we asked whether people would like to serve as board members, teach a class, rent studio space, exhibit in the gallery, take classes, become patrons, or simply receive a newsletter. In addition, we asked people to sign in when they arrived, so we could send a followup letter to those who did not return the questionnaires.
The city provided refreshments, and we waited to see who would show. At ten of seven very few had arrived, and the mayor, city commissioners, and planning department staff, along with the three of us gallery coordinators, began to worry. Then the floodgates opened and people began to stream in. By the time we began, there was standing-room only, and one hundred and twenty people were crammed into the meeting room. Our agenda included the same presentation from the city which we had heard at the initial meeting. Then we took over, explaining our vision and asking for input from the crowd. Using a flip chart with a question already written at the top of each page, we took down the feedback and encouraged a dialogue with those in attendance. The participation was lively and enthusiastic, and clearly demonstrated a need for the proposed gallery.
After the meeting, we followed up with letters (again using the city's resources) to obtain questionnaires from each attendee. Then we went over the questionnaires and drew up a list of those who had indicated that they were interested in becoming board members. We were looking for artists/artisans with a variety of skills and backgrounds so that the new board could be somewhat self-sufficient. We hoped to keep planning in-house and save on costs as much as possible. We contacted the sixteen or so individuals and set up two meetings, dividing them into two groups and inviting them to bring their portfolios and meet with us to discuss what they could bring to the fledgling operation.
Since a prime concern of those attending the open meeting was the need to keep the quality of work in the proposed gallery as high as possible, we decided to jury the new board members in based on their art, although we were also looking at what other skills they could offer. Using these criteria, we selected seven other people to round out a ten member board. Our members range from sculptors to quilters to portrait artists to mixed media people. We also include a candidate for a Master's degree in art marketing/gallery management and the owner of a small advertising agency.
Since August, we have been meeting on a weekly basis and have filed our papers of incorporation, applied for non-profit status, set up a budget, developed a name and a logo, established a telephone, post office box, bank account, and met with the city's architect to provide him with our wishlist for the renovations. We hope to be open by the end of this coming summer, and are planning a gala weekend of events to celebrate. This is an exciting venture for all of us, and shows that a partnership of artists and city government can get a wonderful project started.
(Anyone who would like more information about the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, or who lives close enough to consider becoming involved once we're up and running, is welcome to contact me at lficcaglia@igc.org . For a look at our area, check out my website at http://www.igc.org/mauriceriver