Gallery 30 facts for kids
Gallery 30 is a special art and craft gallery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It shows beautiful American art and handmade crafts. Since it opened in 1979, Gallery 30 has been a big part of the Gettysburg community. It has been located in two old, important buildings downtown. The gallery focuses on art from local and nearby artists. Famous artists like Wendy Allen, Janet Walsh, and even Metro the Painting Racehorse have shown their work here.
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The Story of Gallery 30
Gallery 30 first opened its doors in October 1979. It was started by a watercolor artist named L. Chris Fick and a former professor, Elizabeth “Betty” Martin. They wanted a place that was "half bookstore, half gallery." They named it "Gallery 30" because it was located at 30 York Street in downtown Gettysburg.
When it first opened, Gallery 30 had paintings, photos, and sculptures from local artists. It also had about 4,000 books, especially children's books. The owners loved how illustrations brought stories to life.
New Owners and Changes
In June 1988, Rodney Gisick, a former music teacher, bought Gallery 30. Betty Martin still helped with the book section. Gisick added handcrafted gold and silver jewelry to the art collection. He also brought in more modern crafts.
In May 1993, Lois Starkey and Bill Gilmartin bought the gallery. They decided to focus more on local art and crafts again, rather than books. They also worked hard to make Gallery 30 a bigger part of the Gettysburg community. They often held fun events like book signings and art contests for families.
In August 2007, Linda Atiyeh, who grew up in Pennsylvania, became the new owner. She added more handmade crafts from Pennsylvania. She also brought in jewelry from artists both locally and from other countries. Atiyeh made sure the art collection focused on Pennsylvania and Gettysburg.
In 2013, Gallery 30 moved to a bigger, historic building next door. This new location was at 26-28 York Street.
Historic Buildings of Gallery 30
Gallery 30 has been housed in two very old and important buildings in Gettysburg. Both buildings have a lot of history.
The First Home: 30 York Street
The first building for Gallery 30 was at 30 York Street. This brick building is from the 1800s and was standing during the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. It even has a special plaque to show this!
Over the years, this building was home to many different businesses. It was a dry goods store, a grocery store, and even a butcher shop. Later, it became a garage and then a clothing store. Just before Gallery 30 moved in, it was Redding's Supply Store.
When Chris Fick and Betty Martin bought the building in 1979, they made many changes. They added large windows to let in more light. They even built a small house inside the building to hold the children's book section!
When Lois Starkey and Bill Gilmartin took over in 1993, they added more space by enclosing the back porch. Linda Atiyeh, who bought the building in 2007, made only small changes inside.
The Current Home: 26-28 York Street
In 2012, Linda Atiyeh bought the much larger building at 26-28 York Street. She planned to move and expand Gallery 30 there. This building also has a long history.
It started as Walter's Theater in the early 1900s. This theater showed movies, hosted plays, singers, and even vaudeville acts. The graduation ceremony for Gettysburg High School's class of 1917 was held here. Later, its name changed to the Lincoln Way Theater.
In 1927, the theater became an auto garage and car dealership. Then, in 1931, it turned into Luther I. Sach's Hardware Store. This store even had an indoor farmer's market in the back!
After that, the building was home to several other businesses. These included a five and ten store and an insurance office. It also housed The Blind Center Shop, which sold leather goods made by a local man who was blind.
In 1952, the building became The Peoples Drug Store. Later, it was renamed Wogan's Drug Store. After the drug store closed, it became Wogan's Antique Gallery.
Linda Atiyeh started big renovations in 2012. She uncovered original skylights and windows. She also restored the beautiful old wood floor using planks from another historic building. Gallery 30 opened in this newly restored building in 2013.
Gallery 30 and the Community
Gallery 30 has always worked to support the Gettysburg community. The first owners often held free events like book signings, film showings, and art exhibits. Later, under Rod Gisick, the gallery hosted bigger art events.
In 1993, Lois Starkey and Bill Gilmartin started a free children's story hour every week. Gallery 30 also helped new community groups like Main Street Gettysburg. The gallery's owners were important in starting the Adams County Arts Council. They also helped create the History Meets the Arts Exhibition. This event shows off famous historical artists in Gettysburg.
Gallery 30 has been part of Downtown Gettysburg's "First Friday" events since 2002. On the first Friday of each month, the gallery stays open later. They feature artists, host book signings, and offer refreshments.
Amazing Artists at Gallery 30
Gallery 30 has shown American fine art and crafts for over 36 years. It represents more than 100 different artists from all over the country. The gallery has a wide collection of both new and well-known artists.
When it first opened in 1979, the gallery showed work by local artists John Winship and Alan Paulson. Later, Gallery 30 featured Wendy Allen. She creates amazing Abraham Lincoln portraits by painting and sculpting thick layers of paint with her hands. Her work has been on many book and magazine covers. It has even been shown alongside art by famous artists like Salvador Dalí and Norman Rockwell.
In the late 2000s, Gallery 30 showed the work of Janet Walsh, a famous watercolor artist. She was president of the American Watercolor Society. Her art has won many awards, including one from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Today, Gallery 30 represents Abraham Lincoln portrait artist Rich Thompson. His work is displayed in important Lincoln museums and Ford's Theatre in Washington DC. Gallery 30 also features Susan Daul, an award-winning folk artist. She is a master of Pennsylvania German Fraktur art. Her work has been shown in museums like Colonial Williamsburg.
Gallery 30 also features well-known authors. Dr. Gabor Boritt is a local author who has written or edited many books. He was the director of The Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College. He also helped create the Lincoln Prize, a very important award for American history studies. In 2008, President George W. Bush gave Dr. Boritt the National Humanities Medal.
The gallery also represents talented jewelry designers. John Medeiros from Rhode Island creates detailed, classic American-style jewelry. Michael Michaud from Connecticut makes beautiful botanical jewelry that looks like real plants. His work has been shown at places like The Art Institute of Chicago and The National Gallery of Art.
Metro the Painting Racehorse
From 2012 to 2016, Gallery 30 even represented Metro the Painting Racehorse! Metro Meteor was once a very fast racehorse, winning over $300,000. But injuries ended his racing career.
In 2009, Gettysburg artist Ron Krajewski adopted Metro. He gave the horse a paintbrush, and Metro started making broad strokes on a canvas. Soon, Metro was painting every day with Krajewski. Half of the money from Metro's paintings goes to the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. This group helps retired racehorses find new homes and learn new skills. By July 2015, Metro had raised over $80,000 for this charity!
Gallery 30 in the News
Gallery 30 has been featured in several news articles and books.
- In 2013, it was in The New York Times article, "36 Hours in Gettysburg."
- The New York Daily News also wrote about Gallery 30 in 2013. They noted its long history and focus on "handmade in the USA."
- In 2014, USA Today's 10 Best named Gallery 30 the "#1 Place to Shop in Gettysburg."
- Gallery 30 was also included in a travel book called "The New York Times: 36 Hours USA & Canada" in 2014.
