Pendleton Square Artists Cooperative Hosts an Active Gallery
Four members of the Anderson Artists Guild belong to the Pendleton Square Artists Cooperative: Debbie Bzdyl, Rebecca Carruth, Lou Koppel, and Lori Solymosi. This cooperative requires several commitments but offers an opportunity to show and sell their artwork.
The gallery opened in August 2013 with 13 founding artist members and has grown to 25 members currently. It moved to its larger current location after a car ran into the previous gallery in January 2017.
Members choose one of two levels of membership: working or non-working. Both must attend co-op meetings and participate in gallery/co-op committees and events in addition to providing artwork for the gallery and paying a $100 membership fee. The difference is that working members work three four-hour shifts per month in the gallery, pay $48 in monthly dues, and give 15% commission on sales to the gallery. Non-working members do not work any shifts, instead paying monthly dues of $96 and giving 30% commission on sales to the gallery.
Debbie Bzydl joined the cooperative in February 2014. “It’s great having a place to show my art,” she said. “It also helps me be more active in the arts community and gives me gallery experience I never had before.” Sales vary among members, but Bzydl has been pleased with the results. “I’ve been very fortunate,” she said. “I have sold more with every passing year, but it goes in fits and starts. A lot of my stuff is large. I may go two to three months and not sell, but overall something sells every month. The fall and Christmas season are usually the best months.”
Lori Solymosi has been a cooperative member for two or three years. “I enjoy getting out of the studio and being out in the community and interacting with other artists,” she said. “It’s a great exhibition space and has also given me a steady flow of income from my art.”
While there are currently no openings for membership, artists are encouraged to apply at https://www.artgalleryps.org/membership-information/. If accepted, they will be placed on a waiting list until a spot opens up.
The Pendleton Square Artists Cooperative gallery is located on the square at 150 Exchange Street in Pendleton. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. It also features an event on the Second Friday of the month from 6-8 p.m. during which one of the member artists gives a presentation, and wine, soft drinks and hors d’oeuvres are served. Lori Solymosi will be the presenter on Friday, June 8. She will speak about her mixed media process and will show examples from her current series, "Painting Beyond the Ropes.”
