In the summer of 1999, TwoArtChicks Gallery first presented Downtown Greensboro with a place to create and enjoy artwork in a community setting, giving artists and patrons the opportunity to fuse their ideas and learn from each other. Over the course of almost ten years, the gallery adapted to the specific needs of the arts community in Greensboro and expanded its focus to include art forms beyond the visual realm, using performances and events to encourage people to experience art collectively and in multi-dimensional ways.
When the owner of TwoArtChicks retired and liquidated his downtown properties in late 2007, the gallery had established itself as a creative hub for the community, a focal point that offered artists of all kinds the opportunity to share their gifts with the public and offered the public a way to participate in and learn about each artist’s process. As directors of TwoArtChicks at the time, we saw great potential for the gallery and the arts community in Greensboro. We have decided to preserve and nourish that potential through our new project, Focal Points Art Gallery.
Focal Points Art Gallery will be located at 300-B South Elm Street, near the corner of Washington and Elm, with entrances across from both Liberty Oak and Action Greensboro. Inside, the gallery will be divided into a multifunctional main gallery space and ten studio spaces for local artists.
With over 1600 square feet of space, the main gallery serves many purposes. The front portion of the space will house artwork on display by over 200 local, national, and international artists working in a variety of media. This includes a display area for jewelry, pottery, metalwork, and other fine crafts. The back portion of the space will house Focal Points' main gallery exhibitions. The gallery will rotate special exhibitions created by local, regional, national, and international artists on a bi-monthly basis in this area. By night, the main gallery area will double as an all ages event space for exhibition openings, performances by local and touring musicians, dance performances, poetry readings, wine tastings, and benefits. This area will be custom engineered for quality sound with a 14-inch raised platform for performances as well as a concession area where the gallery will serve beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres. The main gallery space will also serve as classroom space inside and outside of business hours, a banquet hall available for private party rental, and a wide variety of other special events.
The back portion of the gallery spans over 1,600 square feet and contains ten artist studios available for rent ranging in size from 63 to 133 square feet. Each artist studio is equipped with a private locking door, studio walls eight feet high, electrical outlets on each wall, and, in some cases, windows. Studio artists will be able to work as well as display art work for sale in their studios. Focal Points Art Gallery provides wireless internet access, a personal email address, a page on the gallery's website, printing services, sales processing, and convenient parking in the deck on Washington Street for all studio artists. Artwork that is for sale will be on display throughout the hallways of the studio area and in each artist's working studio, drawing customers in to converse with artists about their work. Focal Points is proud to be home to a friendly and talented community of artists and invites those perusing the gallery to interact with them and learn about their creative processes.
Focal Points will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, as well as for special events scheduled throughout the week. Please continue to visit our website for information about our grand opening and upcoming events.
Sincerely,
Melodi Fentress and Emily Stewart
Co-Directors, Focal Points Art Gallery
Click Here to fill out a Focal Points Art Gallery patron survey and receive a $10 gift certificate!