Shelley M. House at the Art Forum at DuPre’s Antique Market
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the art scene at Marietta Square is growing rapidly. Every day, artists at Marietta Square share their passion and work together to strengthen our community. With the First Friday Art Walks and Saturday Artists Markets right around the corner, it is a place where artists can thrive.
The Art Forum at DuPre’s Antique Market is just one of several new galleries joining Marietta Square’s flourishing art community. Local artists rent space to show their artwork, bringing a fresh new look to this popular antique mall. In December of 2010, owner Mike Barie invited artists to imagine the possibilities. Today, the contemporary partition walls come alive with colorful artwork in a building that was originally a feed and seed store, adding to the charm of shopping in historic downtown Marietta. DuPre’s is open every evening until 6pm, or 9pm for special events like Artists Alley, a popular venue during the Art Walks.
Photography, oils, acrylics, watercolors, sculpture, mixed media, digital art – the wide variety of artwork allows Art Forum artists to draw inspiration from each other. A true camaraderie is leading to a larger revitalization of Marietta Square through collaborations within the art community.
Art Forum artist Jack Ricardo LaGrange, from South Africa, reflects on the revitalization, “Marietta definitely draws me in. I think in time, it will hold a candle to any artistic community. I was in Bayswater, London, where art is displayed freely. One feels that Marietta could easily follow suit.”
When I became part of the Art Forum, I didn’t just start a business selling my art; I became part of a community. I’ve been publishing my art online at shelleymhouse.wordpress.com for years, but nothing beats face-to-face contact. The interaction with people at Marietta Square has inspired me to expand my mediums from ink drawings, digital art, altered books and poetry to painting, sculpture and music.
Visit the Marietta Square and the Art Forum to meet our artists, and join us in celebrating the arts in our community. If you hear my fiddle playing, stop by and say hi.
As published in The Bright Side Newspaper, Marietta, March 2012.
Art Forum at DuPre's Antique Market 