Downtown art gallery to open in October
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
A new art gallery is scheduled to open in downtown Youngstown this fall.
The Soap Gallery, 117 S. Champion St., will have its opening gallery at 6 p.m. Oct. 2.
Stephen Poullas and Daniel Rauschenbach are the main owners of the gallery with business partners Chris Yambar and Sarra M. Mohn. The gallery will open where the Purple Cat, an alternative day-program for adults with special needs, formerly was located.
“We want Soap to be more than your standard gallery environment,” said Poullas. “It is our goal to make Soap a multilevel cultural bridge that embraces both the artist and public under one roof. Soap is a fresh push in creating a stronger, more diverse fine-arts community in Youngstown.”
The 3,100-square-foot for-profit gallery will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
The gallery will offer a space for artists to exhibit work and for the public and collectors to buy art. The space will include a gift shop, pottery room, print making, hands-on professional darkroom services, film photography workshops and will offer portfolio reviews for artists.
“There are quite a few art and culture events Soap will be hosting, including Poetry Night, Art-toberfest, Sip-N-Paints, Meet & Greet artist lectures, and a Soap-a-Palooza Comic Art Festival, to name a few. We will also showcase professional local, regional and national art that provokes conversation,” Rauschenbach said.
Poullas said it’s collaborating with the city to close part of Champion Street for future outdoor events.
The owners also are collaborating the opening of the gallery with Students Motivated by the Arts, a local community arts school.