WARREN Art group preparing new home for shows

By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Members of Trumbull Art Gallery expect a new beginning before year's end.
Work started this week to renovate two store fronts on East Market Street, near Pine Street. The building's owner is leasing the space to the gallery for $1 for 10 years.
Volunteers ripped up old carpeting and cleaned the surrounding area.
"That building already has updated heating, and it's air conditioned," said Beth Ensign, TAG president. "We still have to do a lot of renovations."
The nonprofit organization, with 300 members, has been meeting with contractors and expects to open bids Wednesday. One of the items that must be added in the renovation is a handicap-accessible restroom.
Last year, the group sold its historical Victorian mansion, the Gilmer House, on Mahoning Avenue, where it had been based since 1969, citing maintenance costs beyond its ability to pay. The mansion was built in 1854.
TAG then moved into a building on courthouse square but still worried about the costs of bringing that space up to code.
The new location, expected to open in November, will feature gallery space, a gift shop and classrooms for art classes.
Donations sought
"We're asking individuals to donate if they want one of the rooms to be named after them," said Gail Stark, TAG vice president.
The organization used to run a gift shop out of its Mahoning Avenue location, but it closed in the early 1990s when most artists chose to offer their works through wholesale.
Creations of local artists will be offered on consignment through the gift shop, and Stark said they hope to offer works of artists from Youngstown as well as Trumbull County.
"We have a lot of well-known artists in the area and there are collectors that collect their work," Stark said.
TAG hasn't had a show since it moved out of the Gilmer House last year.
"A group that formed about a year ago, Trumbull Area Artists, we promised them that when we moved into our new space, they would have the first show," Ensign said.
Stark says she hopes that TAG's moving into the same building that houses the former Robins Theater may be a catalyst for reviving that renovation project with volunteer laborers too.