​The legacy and longevity of Gallery 4

By Sabrina Hornung

sabrina@hpr1.com

Gallery 4 downtown recently celebrated its 50 year anniversary, making it one of the longest consecutively running galleries in the country. With different membership tiers, there are 17 primary members who run the day to day operations and 50 artists represented overall. We had the opportunity to visit with artist, partner member and president of Gallery 4, Scott Seiler, about the longevity, the legacy and the future of Gallery 4.

High Plains Reader: I remember the space in the black building. Where did it originally start? What’s the origin story of Gallery 4?

Scott Seiler: It started on Main Avenue in the old DeLendrecies building on the fourth floor. That's why they call it Gallery 4. They got a group of people together and said, we want a place to showcase art. And it has just evolved ever since. Sometimes we have more members and less members.

Throughout the years we moved to different locations. We were on Eighth Street for a while. We were on Main Avenue. We were over at the Moorhead Center Mall for a couple of years, and then at the Black Building a couple of times, and then to our final location on Roberts Street today.

HPR: So what do you think the secret sauce is to the longevity of Gallery 4?

SS: Our biggest thing is… we want a place where we can display our art. In order to do that, you have to have a business plan, but you also have to have flexibility with the artists. I think the group we have had throughout the years — especially today — is that they realize that you're not going to get everything you want. But how do we work together as a group to keep the doors open and have enough money in the bank to pay the bills?

It's just a great location and also an experience for people to come in. The one thing that we hear a lot is that we have such a variety of artists. I think the key is the variety of artists working in different mediums and bringing people in.

We get a lot of tourists who come in too, because we're downtown. So a lot of them, if they're staying downtown, or if there's any event downtown, they want to bring something back from their travels. So they stop in at our gift shop, or they get a different piece of art and have it shipped back. So I think we’re sort of a tourist destination as well.

HPR: Did I see that the Fargo Moorhead Visitor Center has some stuff in the gallery too?

SS: So, they have their building out by the interstate, but they also wanted to have a presence in downtown Fargo. So when we moved to the Roberts Street location we approached them. People come there to take a look, you know, “Hey, I need a map for this” or ‘I'm in town for, you know, six hours. What is something I can do?” Because they have a layover, or they're in town for a business function. So it's just a really nice, convenient location for them to go ahead and see what's going on in town.

And, of course, it's an art gallery. People love art, and they just love to learn more about the local artists.

HPR: It's comforting to see these long-lasting art spaces downtown. It was really sad to hear that the Spirit Room closed.

SS: It's sad when that happens, because people like a community where it's thriving in different art sectors as well. So when that happens, it's a little tough on all of us.

HPR: Do you think with the closing of the Spirit Room, that you'll see more activity at Gallery 4?

SS: I think there's always a possibility, because people are always looking for venues. We had Jean Anderson, who wrote a book, and she had a function at the gallery in the evening because she wanted to showcase her new book. So she invited like 75 people with music as well.

So I think there's an opportunity for us to, not pick up the slack, but just pick up for those who are still looking for a venue like the Spirit Room. We want to try to help facilitate that. And maybe that's another opportunity for us to continue to help in promoting the arts in a different way, too.

HPR: So what else is going on in the gallery?

SS: You know, events coming up for Christmas. We started a new artist program for an Artist in Residence. Because I think the other thing is, we always try to be flexible and evolve too. Because sometimes we have artists who, they're already established artists, they don't want to be in the gallery just because of, maybe they're from out of town, or maybe they just don't have the time commitment.

So we have a three month spot where it's an Artist in Residence, and they get a prominent display in the gallery. It allows them to showcase some of their work that they have. We still have the reception, but they also get up and do a talk. And it allows the guests who come in, they can ask them questions like, “How did they get on their journey,” and “How has it evolved throughout the years?” Or just some inquisitive questions that they've always had in the back of their mind. Carmen Bruhn is the Artist in Residence now, but we had the Wooly Girls before Carmen.

HPR: So if somebody's interested in participating in or being considered for an art residency. What are the steps for that?

SS: They just email us with a couple examples of their work, then we look at the calendar to see what spots are open. And then we just talk to them to see what type of art they have and how many pieces they have — and then just to talk about what their goal is with it as well. I think the talk (or the reception) is also a big thing, because it promotes that gathering that we've all missed throughout the years, and it just gives them an opportunity to tell the story of their artistic journey.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Gallery 4

Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

115 Roberts St. N.

Fargo, ND

gallery4fargo.net/

701-237-6867