Artful Phoenix Gallery Hosts Grand Opening

Local artists are invited to display their work

Are you an artist looking for a place to showcase your work? Do you like to socialize with other people and enjoy the creative process? Then The Artful Phoenix is the place for you. It is a gallery of interesting and unique pieces of artwork and crafts made by local artists. 

First, you must explore and enjoy the variety of beautiful art galleries in Franklin. When you are ready to venture farther, then take a short and scenic ride on Route 1A and check out their newly renovated shop on North Washington Street in downtown North Attleboro.

The Artful Phoenix owners are planning their grand opening May 7th.  The gallery renovations were completed in April. "The location is a former art/craft shop previously called the Village Artisans Collaborative. The shop closed abruptly and left a void in the art and craft community in the area," said Jan Franco, one of the gallery owners. She and another former member Melissa Santsaver decided to team up, keep the location and open the new shop. Out of the ashes of one gallery, a new one was created. 

Thus, the birth of The Artful Phoenix.

Partners Franco and Santsaver have created a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere in the shop, with creamy yellow walls accented with rich red and black. A phoenix for which it is named is painted in red across the yellow wall behind the main desk.

The gallery's mission is to enhance the cultural community by supporting and promoting local and regional artists, explains Franco, a jewelry designer. "We have artists from all over the area and Rhode Island. We are looking for artists of all mediums to join this new and exciting shop."  They have a large variety of art and craft works displayed such as fiber art, painting, quilting, jewelry and children's items. They are currently soliciting for more artists to create a varied experience for the community. 

The venue is ideal for both artists and the public to enjoy. Artists benefit by showcasing their work. The general public benefits by browsing or shopping for a variety of things such as oil paintings, portraits, quilted bags, hand-painted silk scarves, hand-crafted jewelry. And the sock monkey. One of the exhibitors has created fantastic little creatures out of socks. Children and adults can play with, collect and have fun with them.

"We want people to feel inspired when they come here," said Franco. 

Both patrons and artists can further enjoy the atmosphere of the gallery when they walk into "The Nest". This is a separate space within the gallery where they can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, read art books and reference materials about the arts. 

This cozy little cafe will be Wi-Fi accessible and a laptop will be there for people to surf the 'net for art-related works and subjects or check out Etsy.com. Etsy is an organization used by thousands of artists to buy and sell their products worldwide. "We will have a laptop and a TV so people can do art searches," Franco explained. They can hang out and have coffee and be surrounded by art. "It's good for the soul," added Santsaver, a fiber artist. 

If this is not inspiring enough, Franco and Santsaver are also planning social and networking opportunities. They had a "Meet-up" on April 27th. This was a networking opportunity for artists and crafters. The topic was How to Advance Yourself through Social Media. People learned how to use Facebook, Twitter, and traditional media to market their work. Franco and Santsaver plan to have more events similar to this in the months ahead for artists and the public. It's a great chance to socialize with and learn from other people.

In addition, The Artful Phoenix will also photograph people's artwork and have it online, for the public to see. It's another way to market their products if their work is not on display at the gallery. The Meet-up is an ideal way for people to connect, get to know other artists and learn from each other. 

The Artful Phoenix is also interested in art students. Franco and Santsaver are considering having students from Rhode Island School of Design and other art colleges and programs come to show their works. They want to mentor students and help them make their way into the market.

Reaction from the community has been good, Franco reported. Local shop owners and the community are enthusiastic and have been very supportive. "The artists are anxious to open and are very excited."

You can find The Artful Phoenix at 21 North Washington Street in North Attleboro. Their website is www.theartfulphoenix.com. They are also on Facebook.

Franklin News, April, 2011