This gallery isn’t even a little bit country

To see the work of some of more than 44 local and regional artists who’ve contributed to the gallery, click here.

By SARAH POULTON

VINDY.COM CORRESPONDENT

VOLANT, Pa. — Tucked amid Amish furniture and country shops that consume most of Main Street here is an art gallery supplied and managed by local artists.

Mayor Laura Stuart-Smith, 37, said the Volant Community and Development Corp, came to her last year and asked her to help them out. The group wanted local artists to form a gallery to help revive the town. She was glad to help because had been living in Volant for the past 10 years and selling her work on her own.

“There’s a lot of artists in this area, but not a lot of places to sell art,” Stuart-Smith said.

In June, The Blue Heron Art Gallery opened its doors to the public. When designing the gallery, she tried to make sure that no matter who walked through the door, they could relate to something.

One item in particular raises much discussion, Stuart-Smith said. It’s a pink and blue lamp embellished with jewels and feathers, sitting on a shelf to the left as you enter the gallery, More often than not, that piece gets a reaction — both positive and negative — from people, she said.

“They walk in and it’s so funny,” Stuart-Smith said. “Because it’s unusual, it gets out there. I’ve had to explain that to them. A lot of these things are accent pieces.”

One of the reasons the town came to her is because Volant took a hit at the turn of the millennium, she said. When the country trend was done, Volant couldn’t let it go, she said, noting the town lacks variety and that’s one of the things they’re trying to get back.

“I try to bring new to the area,” Stuart-Smith said. “Stuff you wouldn’t see in Volant or New Wilmington.”

More than 44 artists contribute to the gallery, mostly local (within 100 miles), but some are regional, Stuart-Smith said. She said she likes to reach out to other areas to create regional variety.

The gallery is run by an all-volunteer staff. Artists work there in exchange for a studio. Many of the rooms not occupied by the gallery itself are used as studios for artists.

“I’m getting such a positive energy,” Stuart-Smith said. “We’re starting to get people coming back who enjoyed it the first time.”

Jenn Cole of Liberty, just over the Ohio border, is one of the artists featured at the Blue Heron. Cole said she met Stuart-Smith about two years ago at an art show and ran into her every so often after that. She was approached by Stuart-Smith over the summer to help out with the gallery, and now she goes to Volant about once a month to the gallery, she said.

Cole said she considers herself a “mixed-media” artist who focuses mostly on jewelry and collage paintings. Cole also makes her own glass beads used in her jewelry, she said.

She hopes the gallery is one of the first steps in the revitalization of Volant.

She noticed throughout the summer that more people have been shopping there than in previous years, she said.

“Volant was starting to get not-so-great,” Cole said. “I just hope it will change the atmosphere of Volant.”

Boardman artist Marcie Roepke-Applegate has her jewelry for sale at The Blue Heron. She said she connected with Stuart-Smith through the Trumbull Area Artists newsletter. Inside one of the publications was a short blurb about the Blue Heron, and Roepke-Applegate said she saw it as an opportunity.

“I saw that and I needed another place to put my jewelry,” Roepke-Applegate said. “[Stuart-Smith] sounded really excited and enthusiastic about getting it going, so that really appealed to me too.”

The gallery has been open for about six months, and in that time, Roepke-Applegate said it’s been doing OK. People are starting to realize its existence, and she said she thinks this will be its big season.

“It’s so fun and fresh,” Roepke-Applegate said. “It’s so neat to walk in there and see all that bright, fun stuff.”

Stuart-Smith has mutual respect for Roepke-Applegate: “She’s quite a producer and such an organized person. She just blows me away.”

What makes the Blue Heron unique is the mix of art. Stuart-Smith said there is wall art in the gallery, but there’s also a wide variety of pieces from many different artists.

“What makes it is the eclectic mix and range of media put together,” Stuart-Smith said.

Stuart-Smith said one of her long-term goals is to transform Volant into an art-inspired town. She said they need more shops like the one she runs, but the Blue Heron Gallery may be the start.

“How incredible would it be to have a glass blower or a metalsmith,” Stuart-Smith said. “The setting is incredible. What a great place to create.”