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Updates

GIAW — A Different Kind of Spring

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This is definitely shaping up to be a different kind of spring here in Grand Isle County.  The sun is shining, temperatures are great for sugaring and the song birds are returning.  A beautiful early Vermont spring must be on the horizon.

Raku birdhouse, Sherry Corbin

With it is the deafening sound of silence as we all cordon ourselves off for home isolation in hopes to ward off COVID – 19. The only places that are active currently are the supermarkets and Costco as folks stock up for the long haul.

We feel it in the gallery.  Far fewer visitors are stopping by.  Those that do stop are not purchasing items.  It is very quiet.

As a small business, it matters that GIAW makes enough sales to keep the lights on and to pay our artists who depend on their commissions from us to keep their lights on.  In an attempt to ward off this impending darkness, GIAW is updating its on-line gallery shop.  If you need the perfect gift, we hope you will take a look here.  If you don’t see what you want or need, drop us a line and we will get it to you.  Every purchase will help us to keep the lights on!

Not sure you need anything right now?  How about a gift certificate to use later?  We offer them in most any denomination and they never go bad.  Just want to support a small business in Grand Isle County?  We will gladly accept any support you would like to give.  These gifts are not tax deductible, but we will offer a 10% off coupon for every gift received.




thank you

Updates

A New Sign for Grand Isle Art Works – We Need your help!

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Grand Isle Art Works is an undiscovered destination! A new artsy sign by gallery artist, Amey Radcliffe will help put us on the map!

Listen to our story…

Three years ago, Jim and Ellen were determined to have a place to locate their artwork in their island community in Vermont.  They set about to purchase a farmhouse that had seen much better times!  In fact, it had been left open, literally,  to the weather for over two years.  For Jim and Ellen, it was love at first sight.  They hardly noticed the tumble down cow and wagon barns built in the 1790s or the driveway the ended right AT the porch.

All they saw were the bones of the building with brightly painted walls and a huge restaurant quality stove in the middle!    The farmhouse was deemed perfect and they set off to purchase it.  The concept – build a gallery and cafe space that would give Vermont artists a unique place to show their art work.  Create a commission schedule that favored the artist first – while still hopefully paying the bills.  Make the art space a destination that would entice folks from “off-island” on to the island, increasing the economic vibrancy of not only the gallery itself, but also the islands as well.

The dream is almost complete.  Grand Isle Art Works now supports over 65 Vermont artisans featuring art work from many different medias.  Jim and Ellen are working around the clock to create “the” destination feel for this art space.

And it’s working…except…the gallery sits on a hill on a piece of State highway with a speed limit of 50 mph.  Our current sign is old and drab and blends into the background.  We have been told over and over again, “We would have stopped but we didn’t know you were there.”

Enter gallery artist, Amey Radcliffe and her new invigorated interpretation of our gallery logo – bright, sunny – impossible to miss if it were to be on a sign.  Add Amey’s logo for our Cafe at the Gallery…and now we’ve got something special.

The wooden sign posts are there. But we need Amey’s graphic designs turned into new signs!  That’s where you come in…Help us make this gallery a true destination — we need to brand this labor of love!

Want to help? Click on this link to donate today!