JERSEY: Grafton Art Gallery prepares to open; announces first featured artist

By Editor | February 13, 2024 |

By Steven Spencer

Photo courtesy Paula Jameson
Paula Jameson, Gene Smith and Kaylin Gauthier stand outside The Grafton Art Gallery at 301 East Main Street in Grafton. The grand opening and first art exhibit is set for Saturday, March 16, at 1 p.m.

Inspired to showcase more area artist and prove that Grafton has more to offer than booze, Gene and Donna Smith have decided to pursue a longtime passion project of theirs and will be opening The Grafton Art Gallery at 301 East Main Street next month.

With a grand opening planned for Saturday, March 16, at 1 p.m. the Smiths and Art Director Paula Jameson are waiting for some finishing touches to be done on the building and are collecting submissions from local artists.

Gene Smith said the idea for a local art gallery was always something he had in the back in the back of his mind after pursing a degree in art history in college, and with the new space he hopes to see young artist not only be able to showcase some of their work but sell some as well.

The Smiths and Jameson said they hope to showcase some of the unique art and artist in the area, and not focus only on more traditional mediums like paintings and photography. While those mediums will be present they hope to showcase everything that area artists have to offer.

“If you have art and feel like you don’t have a home for it, we might have a home for it here,” Smith said.

With the announcement of their first featured artist, Kaylin Gauthier with River City Oddities, The Grafton Art Gallery is certainly proving there is plenty of unique work in the area that may go unnoticed.

Specializing in insect taxidermy and jewelry Gauthier said she is in contact with several zoos who send her insects after they have died. Depending on local and states laws regarding the insects, she then works to hydrate, pin and display the different insects. She also uses different parts of insects such as butterfly wings to make jewelry.

Smith and Jameson said artists can submit their work to The Grafton Art Gallery through email at [email protected] or by calling 618-334-1931, and intend on regularly accepting new work and having rotating displays. They also noted how important it was to showcase the artists rather than the space itself and have promised a commission rate of 20 percent.

“Our goal at The Grafton Art Gallery is to showcase the eclectic beauty our region has to offer, from our landscapes to our artists and everything in between,” the gallery said in their call for artists. “We hope to create a space where artists can feel celebrated and present their works without being gouged by excessive commissions, so we promise to keep a minimal commission rate of 20 percent on all individual pieces.”