Goodbye Main!

Whelp, we bid our Main Street Gallery adieu in a bittersweet (but mostly sweet) final hurrah! Thank you to all the folks who came out to celebrate this quirky, Artistic space that has been our creative community hub since 2016.

On June 18th, we hosted our Goodbye to Main Party in light of our Main Street Gallery closing. The Collaborative is on to new horizons and activities will be in full swing at 4 Market (in time for Art Night)!  We were delighted and moved by the turnout, and it was so great to see so many wonderful faces, new and familiar, at this event.

498 Main Street has housed the work of over 70 artists throughout the past seven years and has been home to Artist Collaborators who staff and exhibit in the gallery. On June 25th, The Collaborative will move all work from the Main Street location to its 4 Market Street Gallery, which opened in 2022.

“Our hope is that this transition will enable us to find a larger space that can be even better for facilitating our programs, events, and ideas,” said The Collaborative’s Executive Director, Uriah Donnelly. “We are approaching this as an opportunity.”

Aubrey Atwater reminisced about the first time she and Elwood Donnelly (the marvelous Atwater~Donnelly duo) played at Main Street for its 2016 opening party. “That is likely my favorite memory of the space,” she remarked.

Remember When

The Collaborative’s first Board Chair, Jerry Blitefield reflected upon how he started at The Collaborative as a volunteer. “It’s wonderful that something like this can come from nothing but an idea,” he said, adding, “The Collaborative made something out of an empty space, filling it through the gravitational pull for local art.”

Throughout the evening, folks shared many a fond memory while perusing the gallery, which is housing our annual Teeny Tiny Show (comprised of works 3” and under) as well as the work of June Youth Artist Sophia Genereux and our Artist Collaborators. All work is up until the 24th (make the move to Market easier for us and buy some awesome art!).

To close out the evening, Board Chair, Sally Turner, gave a wonderful speech, stating, “We all know that change is hard, and yet, change is also good. I want to recognize the founders [Jeff Danielian, Uriah Donnelly, and Adam Tracy] for your vision, for your love of the community, for wanting to make a space for people to enjoy art and to enjoy each other’s company. I’m really excited to help this organization in its next genesis, and to help assure that it continues to have the grit that it’s built with… to maintain the welcoming place that it was founded to be.”

These events, opportunities, and showcases are not possible without your support. To sustain The Collaborative’s mission in bringing free to low-cost arts and arts education opportunities to our community, please consider donating.