LYNN — GALA (Galleries at LynnArts), located at 25 Exchange St., is a new arts-based collective that is in the process of becoming a Collaborative Nonprofit Art Gallery.
“We need to maintain the spirit of LynnArts and the history of creativity in this space, said GALA founder Annette Sykes. “It is also time for artists to control their own message and to become an active part of the rise of Lynn.”
Sykes saw the need and opportunity to expand the art scene in Lynn, while providing a beautiful space for emerging and established artists to display and sell their work.
What started as an idea quickly became a movement. A talented and multifaceted group of people showed up for the first official meeting to discuss the formation and direction of GALA. Although arts and creative endeavors fuel and formed the base of the collective, it has been the varied backgrounds that has allowed GALA to establish itself so quickly. GALA has brought together people from backgrounds as diverse as marketing, education, graphic design, and business management.
Lynn has always had strong ties to the arts and GALA is looking to support and further that history. The Lynn Beach Painters and more recently public arts projects brought to the city by Beyond Walls have shown that Lynn is the perfect place for creatives and a creative economy.
The LynnArts building has been a meeting place and exhibition space in Lynn for decades and in 2014 Lynn Museum and LynnArts merged. GALA is a logical extension of this relationship. Artists are using the foundation provided by the Museum to shape the future of LynnArts and support the creatives of Lynn.
GALA will be offering rotating art exhibits in the Main Gallery at LynnArts and the smaller Community Gallery. Programming such as the popular life drawing series will continue to be offered as well as added curriculum and events. The space will also be available for special event rentals opening up this artistic space for parties, and meetings.
Anyone interested in getting involved as a sponsor, artist, or volunteer can contact GALA at [email protected]. For more information, go to www.galleriesatlynnarts.org.
