On a Wednesday afternoon, a small group is shopping at the ARTSWIN holiday sale – including Margaret Helms of Evansville.
“I shop because I love supporting local artists, and I love supporting the arts council, and I am very sad, sad to see it be closing.”
While the prospect of hand-made jewelry brought them, they also grabbed gag items like stuffed “useless fish,” that could be “adopted” for $10.
This fall, the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana (ARTSWIN) announced they would be shutting down at the end of the calendar year due to a loss of levy funding. The organization held gallery exhibits and rooftop live music, while supporting local artists through state grants.
While this is the last Holiday Sale, it's also one of the biggest. Gallery Director Andrea Adams said they’re featuring 37 artists — the most they’ve had.
Three thousand visitors came through on Small Business Saturday.
“It's bittersweet,” Adams said. “I'm sad, but we've had a really good turnout so far, and so that makes me really happy. It brings me joy to get sales for these artists.”
The sale ends December 23, but as of Monday Dec. 8, they’ve already surpassed $6,000 in sales. In 2024 they sold $4,750, in 2023, $3,770.
This is their most successful Holiday Sale at their present location.
Additional video footage by Brody Atchley
For sale is a variety of media — acrylic and oil paintings, burnt wood pieces, photography, useless fish and jewelry. “Anything giftable that you can think of to buy for your loved ones,” she said.
When the announcement was made that ARTSWIN was ending, it was coupled with the announcement that essential arts programming would be taken over by the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library (EVPL).
Adams said about a month ago, she was offered the job to help guide arts programming at the EVPL.
She’ll work as an assistant librarian focusing on arts programming. Her position is still being fleshed out.
“I have an office space already picked out for me, but we are in the middle of meetings, trying to figure out that looks like moving forward, and what arts programming really looks like through the library.”
Adams will be the only staff member transitioning to the EVPL.
ARTSWIN has been publicly positive about this transition — suggesting this will enhance art programming, not diminish it.
“Everyone is so excited for the future,” Adams said. “All of my artists just can't wait to find out what we're going to do and what's going to happen this time next year; how we're how we're going to grow and figure things out together as a community.”
The building that’s housed ARTSWIN since 2019 — 212 Main street — is listed for $750,000.
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