Sheridan County's Newest Art Gallery

 Artists are born with an innate need to express themselves in a way that others can see, hear, feel or taste.  Artists are rarely born with a desire to effectively market these expressions to the public, and that is why some people are born art promoters- people who find ways of sharing artists' creations with others.  They may own a gallery or a business, teach, curate, or write about art, or they might work at or direct a community center or organization.  Art promoters know that art enriches peoples' lives, and they find creative ways to support and encourage it.  

Gina, in red, visits with guests at the sneak peek party.

The wall of doors, and a whimsical dining set by JT Craft

Gina Donnor, a long-time business owner and community member in my little town of Dayton, has been an avid art supporter and promoter for many years.  Donnor encouraged the reopening of the Historical Hans Kleiber Studio Museum (housed in Kleiber's own studio cabin on Main Street in Dayton) in 2003, and she co-founded, organizes and sponsors our annual Dayton Art Loop Studio Tours.  In fact, it was she who had the idea for my teaching 2-hour painting workshops in our Tongue River Community before I began teaching at the Sagebrush Art Center and Tongue River Valley Community Center.  Her latest project combines Donnor's gifts of hospitality and retail along with her love of fine art in Dayton's newest business, "Gallery on Main …Sweet Indulgences." 

Built in 1949, the big building on the corner of Third and Main is known locally as "the Old Corner Grocery."   The grocery moved to its current location up the street in 1992, and in 1995 the structure became private residence.   Gina and a number of tradesmen and local volunteers worked to renovate and decorate the space in preparation for its new life as an art gallery and coffee shop.  A section of the original grocery's wooden shelves remain, and former isle locations can be traced on the timeworn cement floor.  New windows lend a warm light to an eclectic mix of furnishings suggestive of a chic city coffee house, while the wall of locally gathered doors and cowhide rugs whisper, "Wyoming."  "Sweet Indulgences," the coffee bar, will serve coffees, teas, scones and decadent desserts, lovingly and locally-made. 

  For such a small town, Dayton is home to a large number of creative people working in a variety of media; as a community-minded businesswoman, Donnor hopes to primarily exhibit work by Dayton area residents.  When asked what prompted this venture, Donnor explains, "I need a project going to keep me motivated.  Dayton businesses are perking up and this building was a huge section of our business district.  What a better way to bring it to life than to fill it with art?  We have such an artistic community, and I love working with our local arists, artisans, and craftsmen, -both established and up-and-coming.  Building business and marketing are my art!

Gallery on Main is one of several businesses to open or re-open on Dayton's Main Street in the past few years, along with: The Dayton Mercantile, Spirit Whispers Cabinetry, The Big Scoop ice cream parlor, Dog Paw Pottery, and Professional Permitting Service.  This resurgence in open shops gives tourists a reason to stop and explore our beautiful little town, and it gives Sheridan County residents cause to come what Dayton has to offer. 

 A Grand Opening will be scheduled in July to celebrate updates to the building's exterior.  I hope you'll come see what "Sweet Indulgences" await at "Gallery on Main" in Dayton.