A few finishing touches are still being made to make the most of the Art Room of 2nd's bright and inviting space ahead of its grand opening.--NEWS PHOTO ANNA SMITH
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
The Art Room on 2nd is once again full of colour and creativity, and this time it’s here to stay.
Core artists and owners Erin Stelmaschuk Beigel, Jackie Deblasio, Theresa Eisenbarth and Ursula Maser have hosted several popup galleries in the space in the past, including a month-long exhibit last November.
“Our whole premise on doing this is we wanted to represent Medicine Hat and southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan,” said Eisenbarth. The project is rooted in a strong belief that fine art is a vital part of culture, something that resonates with the area in which the artists live.
After the popup event in November – and some “talk, dreaming and scheming,” according to a newsletter sent out by Stelmaschuk Beigel – the quartet made the decision to create a long-term gallery space to call home and celebrate regional artistry.
Currently, 14 different artists have featured work in the space and Eisenbarth says they plan to host rotating exhibitions and special events throughout the year, featuring both established professionals bringing with them a history of selling work, as well as showcasing community creatives.
She considers them lucky that the space – which offers natural light, historical brick and a central downtown location – has remained available, though she notes a number of modifications did have to be made in order to ensure suitable space for all the different mediums and pieces the team wants to display.
Currently, the Art Room on 2nd is open Tuesday through Saturday, from noon to 5 p.m. The venue first opened its doors on Thursday, but will host its official grand opening with refreshments and an opportunity to meet a majority of the showcased artists at 5 p.m. on Feb. 13.
Eisenbarth encourages people to visit not only on that evening, but throughout the year to see everything southern Alberta’s artistic culture has to offer.
“It’s always going to be changing. And the work we want, we really want to strive to keep the work fresh,” said Eisenbarth. “We’ll feature custom art alongside artisanal work, handcrafted gifts and one-of-a-kind pieces, for people’s homes or their offices. Some real, original pieces.”
As they look to settle into the historic building for at least a year and hopefully much longer, the team behind the Art Room invites visitors to come find work that feels personal, local and lasting.
