This shows just a few of the arts and crafts that are available at A Work of Art Gallery and Gifts.
A Work of Art Gallery and Gifts, Bristol, Tennessee, is operated by the State Street Artist Co-op, which began in March 2010. The original dream team included Joyce Samuels and several local artists who wanted to start an art gallery to show their and other artists’ work. In 2015, they moved to their current State Street location because it was larger.
There are about 30 artists in the gallery. They offer paintings in various media, photography (color and black & white), graphic arts, fabric arts (felting stitchery quilting crocheting), stained glass, metal sculpture and carvings.
The gallery operates as a co-op with the individual artists trained in the sales process and performing as the sales personnel for the gallery. The co-op has a board of officers, but monthly member meetings are a key part of managing the daily operations of the gallery. The gallery has several committees to manage important areas such as jurying new artists, window display design and execution, social media presence and physical maintenance.
Their plans include expanding educational offerings. They want to enhance the gallery interior to better display the art works of their members. They also hope to develop a sponsorship program to keep costs low for new artists to explore the market for their arts.
The co-op welcomes new members. Over the course of a year, the gallery welcomes over 10,000 visitors from all 50 states and several foreign countries.
