Art Works Gallery in Grass Valley

ART CO-OPS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK as a way to share space, get feedback from other artists and attract more customers.

The galleries also allow artists to display their work year-round, compared with the typical month-long show.

In the foothills, Auburn Old Town Gallery is 25 years old, and Artists’ Studio of the Foothills in Grass Valley opened four years ago. The galleries nurture creativity and provide a place where regional art can be seen by visitors and locals alike.

Now a newcomer has arrived: Art Works Gallery in Grass Valley. Thirty-five local artists have formed the gallery, which opened in the historic downtown last May.

“It gives us an opportunity to share the creative works of local artists with the greater community,” says the group’s president and jeweler Linda Kaneko.

Furniture maker Don Augstein adds, “We are dividing the work and sharing in the fun and enthusiasm — as well as the expense — to create a successful art gallery.”

As with most other art co-ops, the artists are available to meet with the gallery’s visitors, helping to provide guidance.

The artists worked together to renovate a gallery space at 113 Mill Street. The 2,000-square-foot 19th century building is a clean, well lighted place to display ceramics, jewelry, paintings, photography, sculpture, glass, furniture, fiber arts, mixed media and other artwork.

The Art Works Gallery also is featured on the Grass Valley Art & Wine Walk tour, which is on Feb. 12, March 12 and April 9 in the downtown.

“The gallery also reflects the strong importance the Nevada County artistic community places on sustaining their local environment,” according to the Sierra Nevada Geotourism Guide, whose sponsors include National Geographic. “Several of the artists specialize in ‘green art,’ which is built exclusively from recycled materials.”

The gallery is open year-round and everyday starting at 10 a.m.

Art Works Gallery
113 Mill Street, Grass Valley 95945
530-477-1600 ArtWorksGalleryCo-op.com