You may have noticed the 150-year-old Mentor Matchworks building on your way to somewhere else. But next time you pass, stop in, you’ll be amazed at what you find inside.
One of the many surprises in this grand old red-brick building (besides the welcoming waterfall in the center of the atrium), is in Suite 112. Stella’s Art Gallery is a working art gallery that showcases everything from oil paintings, pottery, ink drawings, mosaic and glass work, to photography and handmade jewelry.
“We fell in love with the structure and possibilities that this building provides,” says artist, Dani Klein, who opened the gallery with her painter mother, Carol Pitts, in 2014, “We wanted to bring the wide-ranging arts to Lake County and give residents a place to come visit and appreciate the works.”
The artists who call this gallery home-away-from-home work in a number of various art mediums. Klein’s favorite media is clay and hand-building vessels.
Not only is Stella’s Art Gallery a community for the artists themselves, it is also an art lovers delight. The diverse range of art work offers shoppers unique, customized gifts they’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Aspiring artists who want to create their own masterpieces can attend a number of classes that are offered at the gallery on a regular basis.
One way to introduce yourself to this eclectic art studio is to visit on the second Friday of each month when feature artists’ works are celebrated and displayed. Each week has a different theme and often have food trucks and live music.
Stella’s Art Gallery is located in the Matchworks Building, 8500 Station Street, #112. Learn more at www.stellasartgallery.com.