Community Corner

West Bloomfield Artist Helps Launch New Art Gallery

Pat Langner is a member of the Farmington Art Foundation, which celebrates the grand opening Friday of its new space in downtown Farmington.

West Bloomfield resident and artist Pat Langner is among a group of area artists working together on a space to display and sell their work. 

The Farmington Art Foundation gallery will celebrate its grand opening Friday, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., with refreshments and snacks. The public is invited to the small space just inside the main entrance of the Village Mall in the southeast corner of Farmington Road and Grand River, where works by 11 Farmington Art Foundation members are on display and offered for sale. 

Langner said the Foundation, which draws a wide variety of artists from around the metro area, has been looking for space because it is difficult to find locations where art work can be displayed. The Farmington Community Library Farmington branchMentobe Café in Farmington and Picasso Café in Novi have all hosted Foundation works, but space is limited to one or two artists. 

Langner said she has sold more than 9,000 paintings since 1991 and did 12-14 arts shows a year before a health issue forced her to slow down. But a lagging economy has also made it difficult for her and other artists to sell their work.

"I've sold half of what I did in previous years," Langner said. 

Artists hope the gallery will give their work more exposure, which will lead to increased sales. 

The gallery will be open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and plans extended hours during the Downtown Farmington Founders Festival July 19 and 20. 

Long-time Farmington area Realtor David Cornwell gave the group a discounted rate to open up June through August, Rodak said. To remain open, the Foundation will need 20 artists, each displaying three works, on a regular basis.

The gallery is a cooperative venture; Foundation members pay a monthly fee and commit to working there for a certain number of hours in order to display their works. 

The group is open to artists of any level and meets September through May at the Farmington Community Library Main Library in Farmington Hills. For information, visit farmingtonartfoundation.org


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