CASSOPOLIS — A new venue for local artists to share their work and for the community to view it will open next week at the Cass County government seat.

After months of organizing, a new artist group, the Cass Area Regional Gallery Volunteer Committee, has arranged for rotating art galleries to be displayed in a hallway on the second floor of the Cass County Administration Building, 120 N. Broadway St., Cassopolis. After the hall received new paint to best display art this week, the gallery is ready to display its first temporary exhibit featuring more than 40 area artists starting Monday. The pieces will remain until Jan. 8.

The gallery’s first official three-month exhibit, featuring up to 100 artists from across Michiana, will open Friday, Jan. 17. A reception for the gallery, artists and their guests will be hosted from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18.

“It’s been a great process [organizing the galleries],” said committee member Tom Rose, sitting in an office with a stack of paintings in the corner waiting to be hung in the gallery. “[Cass County Administrator Jeff Carmen] has been great to work with, and the committee, made up of artists from all across Michiana, has been very enthusiastic about this project.”

Rose and fellow local artist Allie Farkas were tasked over the summer by Carmen to organize a committee to place regularly rotating galleries within the administration building, saying that he believed the space in the building was well-suited to display art. 

The shows at the Cass County administration building will require no entry fee or commission fee, and the shows will not be juried. Rose said this provides a unique opportunity for artists to share their art with the community.

“This is a real opportunity for artists to have a no-commission, no-fee gallery,” Rose said. “There is a great opportunity for exposure.”

In preparation for the new gallery, Rose spent many hours creating a painting to be hung in the newly renovated space. His piece, titled “Mallards in Flight,” depicts two ducks as they soar through a golden sky.

“I think people who see it will feel a sense of joy,” Rose said of his painting. “The mallards tell a story, and everyone will get their own story from it, but they are heading to a new destination. The sky is beautiful, and it is a good situation.”

As the temporary gallery opens Monday, Rose said he is excited for the community to see his painting. He added that he hopes both the artists whose work is displayed and the public will find entertainment and value in the galleries at the county building.

“I think it will be great for everyone,” he said. “I think it will be a good way for the community to become exposed to art.”

Art for the galleries is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, with all art to be hand-delivered on the date scheduled by the volunteer group. Those interested in learning more or entering a piece can visit cassareaartists.org.