Cowan’s Artisan Depot reopens in larger space

A flurry of activity – the participation kind despite the precipitation kind – has put the finishing touches on the new Artisan Depot & Gift Shop in Cowan, Tenn.

“We just got too big for our space,” says Margie Gallagher, spokeswoman for the 58-member Franklin County Arts Guild, which operates the gallery, debuting today, Jan. 28, at 204 Cumberland St.

They didn’t have to look far to find their new digs. Their landlords with Cowan Development Co. had a vacant site just across the street from the old location, a converted gas station. The new location, originally a drugstore, more than doubles the wall space and provides more parking, Gallagher says.

Last weekend’s snowfall on the Cumberland Plateau caused a few moments of panic, but workers rallied to complete the last of the projects on the move-in checklist.

“I hope we’re painting the floors,” Gallagher said by phone earlier this week. “That’s the last thing to do before we move.

“We’ve already hung some of the art. We got a new hanging system, and we couldn’t help ourselves.”

The new site debuts with a community art show with a “Botanicals” theme and a member show by Tom Boughan, whose “highly expressive” folk art ranges from space images to rural landscapes. “You can feel the movement in his art,” Gallagher says.

A joint opening reception for the shows will be held Friday, Jan. 29. The gallery’s official grand opening and Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting will take place in February.

Community art shows are open to artists of all ages, and Gallagher says the demographics range from 10-year-olds to retirees. Neither membership in the guild nor gallery fees are required for these shows. Other themes this year will be “Elements,” “Trains,” “Barns,” “Human Faces,” “Animals With Attitudes,” “Patriotism” and “Anything Goes.”

“We will take any piece of art that follows the theme – loosely,” Gallagher says. “All we ask is they bring it ready to hang.”

The geographic boundaries are followed just as loosely. While most contributions are from the Franklin County area, community shows are open to all comers.

“If some community person got in their car and drove all the way to Cowan with a piece of art, we would hang it up,” Gallagher says.

It may be that they’re simply looking for reasons to use that handy new hanging system.

“In the old gallery, it was nail, hammer, hanger – which works just fine,” Gallagher says, “but then every nail has to be taken out of the hanging board,” whether at the end of the show or to rearrange works as more pieces come in.

The new system consists of a flat steel ribbon across the top of each wall and suspended steel tubing that twists into hooks at each end. One hook attaches to the metal ribbon, the other hook to the artwork. Voila – no more wall damage.

“It’s easy to take something down and move it; it’s easy to take something down and replace it,” Gallagher says.

The metal suspension system also suits the vibe of the new space, now that the long vacant building has been transformed by elbow grease.

“The old space was cool and funky, but this space is sleek and clean,” Gallagher says.

“And we made it that way, with all the mopping and scrubbing and painting.”

Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.