Cart 0

Gallery re-opens with new name, new owners and new energy!

By Marta M. Reyes

Copied from the New Edinburgh News April 2020 edition.

When a door closes, another one opens – sometimes with a similar name and look. Such is the case with the re-opened and aptly re-named Electric Street Gallery. 

In fact, only a few days after the Crichton Street Gallery (at the junction of Crichton and Electric Streets) shut its doors for good, the keys were handed over to the new owners: Irene and Michael Tobis.

“This became a thought on Jan. 16,” Irene tells the New Edinburgh News, “and by Mar. 1 we were here.” And the rush continues as the couple plan a ‘soft opening’ from mid-April to the official opening on the weekend of April 24–26 (health measures on social distancing permitting).

Irene and Michael moved to Ottawa from Austin, Texas, four years ago, although Michael is originally from Montreal. Their incentive? “I began to feel a little nostalgic for Canada,” confesses Michael.

They decided to settle in Ottawa, and “slipped” into the New Edinburgh community with ease, in their own words, and now live on Springfield Road.

Irene is an artist who started out with pottery and is now a still-life photographer. The subject of her stunning photos is fresh produce at farmers’ markets, including the Burgh’s own Beechwood Market. So it was no surprise that she soon connected with Ottawa’s arts community. She came across the New Edinburgh Studio Tour (NEST), where she started volunteering and is now part of the organizing committee.

“I was surprised at the quality of the artistic community in Ottawa,” Irene says. That is how she came to know the little gallery on Crichton Street and recently learned with dismay of its impending closure.

But that sparked a brilliant idea. “I thought to myself: I could do that,” she says with a smile.

The couple embarked on the adventure enthusiastically. With Michael’s expertise in business and web development and Irene’s artistic background, the couple are just what the gallery needed.

“We’re retired and have lots of energy,” says Michael, though he confesses they are “completely new” at running a gallery. But judging by the plans they have in store, they are on the right track.

“Our theme is continuity and change,” says Irene. “We will continue with some of the same things here, but there will be surprises too.”

Part of the continuity is to showcase the work of the core artists that had been exhibiting at the Crichton Gallery already.

Part of the change is the gallery will be open more frequently: four days a week, Thursday through Sunday, with flexible hours, so people can drop by more often.

“We want to make it an inviting place for people to drop in and gather,” says Michael. “Have events, meetings, discussions. We want to support artists.”

The core artists of the original gallery were thrilled to learn that the space will continue to showcase art. “We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome,” said Mary Pratte, who only a few months ago said goodbye to the place after five years. “We wish everyone the best of luck in this new venture.”

The tiny space is being redesigned to make the featured art easier to see. The walls will be hung with paintings, mixed media, and photography, and lighted cabinets will display glass works. In addition to the core artists, Irene and Michael plan to feature guest artists. The gallery will cater to commissioned and customized works, and will offer pieces for sale. But most importantly, it will ensure its place in the community. “

We hope it will be a regular part of the daily life of the neighbourhood, for people to stop by, go to the pub, grab a coffee, come to the gallery,” says Michael. “Art is good for the soul.”

==

Marta M. Reyes has been living in New Edinburgh for the past 15 years with her two children and a dog. She is a public servant by day and hockey mom most evenings.


Newer Post