Carriage Factory Art Gallery serves as an intersection for art and community
The Carriage Factory Art Gallery in downtown Newton, Kansas, is a place where art, community and history intersect.
Located on Sixth Street, just a block off of Main Street, the Carriage Factory Art Gallery strives to provide opportunities to learn, experience, perform, share and celebrate the arts for artists and those who appreciate art at any level.
“This began in 1968 as the Newton Fine Arts Association, and was really a collective group of artists and people wanting to support the arts,” said Mary Lee-McDonald, director of the Gallery.
In 1983, the group moved into the building that was once a prosperous wagon and carriage factory adjoining a blacksmith shop with a history that can be traced back to 1883. Today, the Carriage Factory Art Gallery embraces its past with a gallery that presents its history in addition to the support of about 70 member artists, shows in the main gallery that rotate about every eight weeks, and smaller shows and art sales in the Susan Koehn Gallery.
“The organization has always been very artist-based and with a mission to share art with all ages in South Central Kansas,” said Lee-McDonald. “We are honored to be able to serve our local artists and wider community in this way.”
Lee-McDonald and the Gallery board are dedicated to being a resource for the community, as well as promoting the wider downtown economy.
“People always think there is nothing to do in this small, Midwestern town, but that’s not the case at all,” said Lee-McDonald. “We want the Carriage Factory Art Gallery and the entire Newton downtown to be a destination, so we’re really focused on having the kinds of events that bring people here.”
Some of the regular events the Gallery hosts are Second Saturdays, which are an instructor-led craft time for families; Third Thursdays in conjunction with the wider downtown at which they sometimes host live music or other events; classes in a variety of art styles and mediums; and a Kids’ Art Carnival that includes hands-on activities, live music and more. Many of the events are also free and open to the public, or available at a reasonable rate.
Support the local economy and explore the Carriage Factory Art Gallery and neighboring local businesses. The Gallery welcomes visitors to enjoy the art and historical exhibits, shop the unique items in the gift shop, participate in events, and is also open to hosting groups for tours and activities.
Carriage Factory Art Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on every third Thursday of the month, noon to 8 p.m. Learn more at carriagefactoryartgallery.com or follow on Facebook.