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Saturday
March 20, 2010 Since 1922 |
Inspection OKs Art League’s building for use
By Jane Howard Lee
Contributor Published November 5, 2009 The Art League of Baytown’s Christmas Gift Gallery will be able to go on as scheduled, now that an in-depth inspection of the League’s Art Center has revealed the building’s problems.
Members of the Art League were forced to vacate their home on Texas Avenue last week while the city, which owns the building, conducted an in-depth inspection which went so far as to require tearing down ceiling tile and removing some sheetrock. Though the Art League president, Bobby Sutphin, was told the club would be able to get back into the building in time to host the club’s annual holiday sale of handmade items and art, there was some worry that the inspection would turn up something that might prevent that.
“The inspection has shown no termites, but there is some rotting wood in the rear of the building,” Sutphin told the Art League’s board Tuesday. “We’ll get back in the building for our Gift Gallery, but then we’ll have to vacate again later while the city makes repairs.”
Those repairs will be made at a later date as yet undetermined, she added.
The Art League took over the building on a long-term lease last year, after years of searching and saving for a permanent home. League members paid a portion of the price that the city paid for the building and League members and other volunteers dedicated countless hours to clean it up and make it the perfect home for the Art League’s gallery and classrooms.
After all of that, the situation looked grim as the inspection required that all art be removed and the League was locked out.
The good news from the city means that Art League members will be allowed back in the building by Nov. 9 or 10. On Nov. 11-13, anyone interested in renting table space for the annual Gift Gallery can sign up.
The gallery will open Nov. 16, but the grand opening will be on Nov. 20, with a reception scheduled for 6 p.m. that will include refreshments and entertainment.
All items sold at the Gift Gallery must be made by the person or persons who rent the space.
Previous year’s offerings have included jewelry, paintings, ceramics, yard art, handmade toys and hand sewn items, as well as a wide variety of other handcrafted items from Baytown areas artists and crafters.
Table space at the Gift Gallery costs $25 for anyone who is not a member of the Art League while it is free for League members.
A year’s membership in the Art League also costs $25 so Sutphin hopes people who would like to sell their wares in the Gift Gallery will sign up and pay for the membership instead of the table rental. A small percentage of each sale will go to the League.
The Gift Gallery will be open during the city’s Christmas Parade Dec. 4 and for the Christmas on Texas Avenue event on Dec. 5. It will close for the Thanksgiving holiday and on Dec. 24-26 for Christmas but then the doors will open again through Jan. 6.
For information on the Art League of Baytown’s Gift Gallery, call Sutphin at 281-910-7664 or, after it reopens next week, call the Art Center of Baytown at 281-427-5365.
Contributor Published November 5, 2009 The Art League of Baytown’s Christmas Gift Gallery will be able to go on as scheduled, now that an in-depth inspection of the League’s Art Center has revealed the building’s problems.
Members of the Art League were forced to vacate their home on Texas Avenue last week while the city, which owns the building, conducted an in-depth inspection which went so far as to require tearing down ceiling tile and removing some sheetrock. Though the Art League president, Bobby Sutphin, was told the club would be able to get back into the building in time to host the club’s annual holiday sale of handmade items and art, there was some worry that the inspection would turn up something that might prevent that.
“The inspection has shown no termites, but there is some rotting wood in the rear of the building,” Sutphin told the Art League’s board Tuesday. “We’ll get back in the building for our Gift Gallery, but then we’ll have to vacate again later while the city makes repairs.”
Those repairs will be made at a later date as yet undetermined, she added.
The Art League took over the building on a long-term lease last year, after years of searching and saving for a permanent home. League members paid a portion of the price that the city paid for the building and League members and other volunteers dedicated countless hours to clean it up and make it the perfect home for the Art League’s gallery and classrooms.
After all of that, the situation looked grim as the inspection required that all art be removed and the League was locked out.
The good news from the city means that Art League members will be allowed back in the building by Nov. 9 or 10. On Nov. 11-13, anyone interested in renting table space for the annual Gift Gallery can sign up.
The gallery will open Nov. 16, but the grand opening will be on Nov. 20, with a reception scheduled for 6 p.m. that will include refreshments and entertainment.
All items sold at the Gift Gallery must be made by the person or persons who rent the space.
Previous year’s offerings have included jewelry, paintings, ceramics, yard art, handmade toys and hand sewn items, as well as a wide variety of other handcrafted items from Baytown areas artists and crafters.
Table space at the Gift Gallery costs $25 for anyone who is not a member of the Art League while it is free for League members.
A year’s membership in the Art League also costs $25 so Sutphin hopes people who would like to sell their wares in the Gift Gallery will sign up and pay for the membership instead of the table rental. A small percentage of each sale will go to the League.
The Gift Gallery will be open during the city’s Christmas Parade Dec. 4 and for the Christmas on Texas Avenue event on Dec. 5. It will close for the Thanksgiving holiday and on Dec. 24-26 for Christmas but then the doors will open again through Jan. 6.
For information on the Art League of Baytown’s Gift Gallery, call Sutphin at 281-910-7664 or, after it reopens next week, call the Art Center of Baytown at 281-427-5365.