Apr 17, 2010

New artist co-op Gestures opens in Rocky River offering unique giftsBy Kate SpirgenBlog.Cleveland.com

A wealth of treasures from Cleveland’s artist community are finding a home at Gestures, a new artist co-op and gift shop in Rocky River.

Celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, the store is filled with unique jewelry, paintings, ironwork, housewares and much, much more. All artists are local, and most have not yet quit their day jobs.

“The fun thing about a lot of people showing here is that they don’t show anywhere else,” said manager Valerie Greathouse. “We have a Lake County arbitrator and a Cleveland Clinic doctor. We even have a financial officer for a local tire company. A lot of these people use art as a creative outlet or a hobby.”

That’s the case for Wendy Hawbaker, who works as a court mediator from 9-5 and creates bronze, copper and silver jewelry to relieve stress.

Gestures is taking a community approach to the store, putting artists to work setting up displays, choosing wall colors, creating brochures, designing signs and sometimes even staffing the store. Many came to the store by word of mouth through artist festivals and events and more are coming in every day. Right now, they have about 55 individuals showing pieces.

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