BATH

Centre St Arts Gallery, which features a co-op format for artists, has been home to fine art from the Midcoast and beyond since its doors opened in 2012.

“The idea was to have a bunch of artists who could agree to rent the place, maintain it and put their art up, because we all do a lot of artwork, and we’re running out of room in the house,” said Centre St Arts Gallery CEO Victoria Jackson. “They answered the call, and it was the right thing for them.”

As members or associate members in the co-op, artists help pay for the rent, and in return they can display art for sale at the gallery. The gallery receives a commission for art sold that goes toward operating costs. Members also work at the gallery, doing anything from hanging art to cleaning to manning the shop or acting as treasurer. That work can be used to lower the commissions they have to pay.

For Jackson, it’s important to have a place like the gallery to foster peer-to-peer relationships with area artists with whom they can discuss projects or bounce ideas off of. Having a place for community gives artists a place to grow.

“I do more art now,” said Jackson. “And I learn a lot, because we learn from each other.”

In the back of the gallery is a classroom where the occasional class is offered.

“We’ve had classes in the past, and we have a few of our members who are good at teaching,” said Jackson.

While no classes are being offered at this time, that could change if demand is strong enough.

At Centre St Arts Gallery, guest artists are cycled out every eight weeks. Member art is also switched out regularly as well to keep things fresh.

“We have guest artists in that back room on the left, and what we do is we rent out the wall space,” said artist and co-founder Shelby Patton, who handles advertising. “Every eight weeks we have a new guest artist who shows their work and then they can sell.”

Patton said there are receptions every eight weeks, serving as an opening for the guest artists and gallery members during which people can gather, look at art and enjoy refreshments.

The current guest artist is Katherine Mead-von Huene, and her work will be on display until Sept. 15 when the next guest artists, Roger Barry and Alston Stoney Conley, come in.

Even after five years, the co-op is still exploring new ways to promote art in Bath.

“We’ve started student art shows,” said Patton. “It was great. The kids came and they were so proud to have their stuff up on the walls.”

Students from Brunswick, Topsham, RSU 1 and area private schools participated in the first student art show, which took place at the gallery last winter.

Patton encouraged Midcoast residents or visitors to stop by the gallery anytime, even if they’re not looking to buy anything.

“I think people are really intimidated by art in many ways and they come and they look in the windows, but they just keep going,” said Patton. “Whenever anybody comes in and just looks around — they don’t spend — I say ‘I’m so happy you at least looked. It’s so important.”

Gallery members range from being lesser-known to being well-known and offer a diverse mix of styles. Sculptor Andreas von Huene’s herons are on display at the gallery, as are works by Jack Gable, including a large painting of David Ortiz at a Red Sox game.

“We get an incredible response from other artists coming in here and wanting to join the gallery,” said Patton. “It’s unbelievable.”

There’s a lot of variety to what is on display at the gallery, although they’ve held off from accepting jewelry and crafts.

“It needs to be fine art, as opposed to handcraft kind of stuff,” said Jackson. “That would be sculptures, drawings, paintings and original hand drawn prints. Everything we sell is original — we don’t do reproductions.”

Artists involved with the co-op come from all over the Midcoast.

“This area is just lousy with artists. They’re everywhere,” said Patton.

Centre St. Arts Gallery’s summer hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

nstrout@timesrecord.com

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