Last October, Kathleen Godwin, who runs Arts YOUniverse, came to me with a problem. She was approached by an owner of an empty, downtown storefront about opening an art gallery in the unused space. She ran the numbers and decided she could break even at about 30 artists, but only about 12 had signed up. I said, “It’s a great idea and I think I can help.”
    So began the partnership between Arts YOUniverse and the Cultural Council of Luzerne County in the creation of the Arts SEEN Gallery, 21 Public Square, in Wilkes-Barre. I put out a call to artists in our email newsletter, and within 24 hours we had more than 30 artists on board. By the time we had our grand opening on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we had more than 40 artists and no name for the gallery. We kicked it around a bit and came up with “Art Scene.” Kathleen wanted more than “art” in the name, as we plan to have some performing arts as well, so we made it  “Arts Scene.” I said we couldn’t do that because of Erika Funke’s show on WVIA, and then I thought maybe we could tweak it a bit, so I called up my friend Erika and told her the story, asking her if she had any objection to calling it the “Arts SEEN Gallery.” She was delighted, so delighted that she did a segment on her show titled “ArtScene on Arts SEEN.” We had a ribbon cutting with Mayor Tom Leighton, and it’s been soaring ever since.
    Galleries in empty storefronts and other such buildings are not new; there are great examples all over the world. Now that success is evident right here at home. So when someone tells you that something won’t work in Wilkes-Barre, just disagree politely and move on. That’s old news.
    We have 52 artists represented and a waiting list of nearly 10 more. By the time you read this, we may be gone, for we are here by the good graces of Rob Finlay of Humford Equities, who is not making any money having a co-op art gallery in one of his prime properties. But the place has been such a success that we’re hoping a lot of people notice, and, if we have to move, other property owners will provide space. And maybe, just maybe, someday we’ll have a permanent art gallery in center city Wilkes-Barre. People say, “It’s been tried before; you’ll never get enough support.” I think we’re close to proving them wrong.
     Perhaps it was the timing, but things are different now. With the Barnes & Noble, Movies 14, the new restaurants, the River Common, and new downtown residential interest, the bad times are beginning to sound like memories. Sure, there are still a lot of problems– funding is tighter than it’s ever been, the Sterling is still empty– but Boscov’s is doing well and there’s a note of more than optimism in the delighted smiles and enthusiastic conversation of folks who stop in the gallery on their way to the Kirby Theater after dinner at Cafe Toscana.
    Stop in and catch the fever. We’re open six days a week from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., until 8 p.m. on 3rd Fridays, and sometimes on Sundays.
    To learn more about the Arts SEEN Gallery, sign up for our newsletter at www.cclcart.org.
    Be seen at Arts SEEN!