As of this weekend, Blacksburg will be the home to another unique locally owned business. The Main Lee Art gallery will open its doors to the public on Saturday, Feb. 27, for an eye-opening display of the artistic skills this area has to offer.

Located on the corner of South Main and Lee streets, the gallery is in a prime location for downtown shoppers to stop in and check it out. The old building has had several different functions in the past, including the site of the specialty store “For The Birds,” and an Internet café that closed years ago.

The building has been transformed, however, into the makings of an exhibit of artistic talent. The installation of gallery lighting and spotlights gives the rooms a modern museum feel with fresh white paint accenting the artwork.

Pam and Dan Sable first came up with the blueprint idea for the gallery while visiting galleries in other communities. They were drawn to the interactive aspect of the galleries, and wanted to bring something like it to Blacksburg.

What sets Main Lee Art apart from other galleries is the ability to watch the artists at work upon visiting. The artists consist of oil painters, sculptors, weavers, and photographers, to name a few, who all have designated studio spaces in the gallery.

Christine Manhart believes that interaction with the artists is what makes the gallery so interesting.

“We have seven studio artists that are in residence here and who will be working at various times while the gallery is open,” Manhart said. “You can wander through and talk to the artists and find out how it is they do what they do, and how they get their inspiration.”

And wandering through is certainly a fascinating experience.

From the moment you step onto the front porch, you will be presented with a display of ceramics and glasswork. These items, not affected by the climate, offer a preview for what is to come inside the gallery.

The gallery offers a wide range of types of art. Much more than just a collection of paintings, the gallery introduces visitors to an array of creative artistic processes.

The first room you will encounter on your visit will be Christine Manhart’s weaving and textiles studio. Manhart uses hand-painted yarns to weave anything from articles of clothing to household textiles. Scarves and quilts hang in the windows around a huge weaving machine in the center of the room that welcomes questions and interest about the art of weaving.

In the next room over you will find Christine Kosiba doing clay and sculpture work. Being able to watch Kosiba at work sculpting clay into a tiny little bird is definitely a memorable experience.

Continuing on your stroll through the main level, you’ll come across the unique concept of book art. Becca Obert Imbur creates handcrafted journals out of different papers and other fabrics, mostly recycled materials. She does her own bookbinding and makes her own covers out of materials found at thrift stores and flea markets. Imbur welcomes visitors to come check out her intricate work and learn more about the fine art of bookmaking.

The second level of the building offers even more artwork available to the public.

At one end of the hall is Pam Sable’s line art studio. Sable creates intricate line drawings of people and places. Most of her work is done using single line art in just black and white on different canvases and fabrics. Her work is eye-catching and entertaining, perfect for decorating a fun room at home.

Next to Sable, “New Media” artist Simone Paterson has a great deal of her work on display. Photography and digital art line the walls, along with some more eccentric pieces in the center of the room. Dresses with cicada shells and ladybugs sewn into the fabric are seldom found anywhere else. Paterson uses unique sewing and sculpting techniques to create all different types of household objects and artwork.

In a tiny room across the hall, oil painter and sculptor Darcy Meeker sets up her studio. Meeker’s work includes oil painting and sculpting with materials such as copper and stone.

The last room at the end of the hall is occupied by hundreds of Cedric Rudisill’s photography pieces. From traditional black and white scenes made to look dated, to striking digitally altered flowers and sky scenes, his photography is on display for visitors to sort through and pick out their favorites.

The only room in the building not occupied by an artist is what they refer to as the “sunroom,” or the workshop studio. With natural light pouring in from window-covered walls, the area is perfect for creating new pieces of art.

The Main Lee Art gallery has another distinctive feature—workshops are held by artists to teach others about their field of art. Anyone can sign up to attend or teach a workshop by filling out a form that will be available from the gallery.

Workshops will be held in the “sunroom,” or in various artists’ studios if more equipment is needed. However, workshops are not only limited to the types of art presented in the gallery.

“We’re open to everything,” said Manhart, who encourages workshops ranging from painting to poetry and storytelling. 

The goal of Main Lee Art is to encourage students and other Blacksburg residents to get in touch with their artistic side. By offering their “artist for a day” option, visitors can come and use the studio and materials to create their own art. This is exceptionally beneficial to Virginia Tech art students, who may not have a free studio to use whenever they need to do their work.

Local community residents are also encouraged to submit their artwork along with an artist bio to Main Lee Art. After a jury process by the artists, some pieces of artwork will be featured in the gallery.

Kosiba hopes that this gallery will mark the beginning of several galleries opening in the area, and that visitors will someday be able to do “gallery crawl.”

“The talent is already in the area, we just need to pull together the energy of all the artists to create an identity,” Kosiba said. “We hope that this will help to make this area an artistic destination for travelers.”

The goal of Main Lee Art is to recognize the artistic talent and skills that this area has to offer. By showcasing different artists’ work and teaching art to people, the resident artists are reaching out and spreading art throughout more of the community.

“There’s something here for everyone,” Sable said.

The gallery encourages the community to attend the grand opening this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and ask any questions about how to get involved.

For more information on the artists at Main Lee Art, visit its Web site at http://mainleeart.com/index.html.

Elise Chretien is an intern for the New River Voice with artistic inclinations.