Corning, NY - Exhibit A is a contemporary art gallery that began as the dream of local artist and entrepreneur, Ann Welles. Now she is celebrating 10 years not just living out her dream but playing a pivotal role in making other artist’s dreams come true.
When Ann was asked how her dream of opening a contemporary art gallery began she said, “Back when I ran the Houghton Gallery at 171 Cedar Arts I realized I could be as passionate about other artist’s work as I had been about my own artwork. Practically speaking, I knew an art gallery was a crazy venture, but I welcomed the challenge. I wanted to see what I could make happen and hoped to impact artists’ careers and the regional art scene. Representing artists on an ongoing basis, something I could not do at 171, and building meaningful relationships with clients has been the foundation what I’ve tried to build with Exhibit A.” Since the beginning, her tenacity and passion for introducing both area residents and visitors alike to a variety of contemporary artists have been her driving force.
One of the artists that Ann met while still at 171’s Houghton Gallery and has represented since is Anne Gant, of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. When asked about Exhibit A’s anniversary she commented, “I remember when Exhibit A started as a small gallery in an upstairs space. Even then, in its scrappy first iteration, it was full of energy, with great openings, a fun, enthusiastic group of supporters, and the unstoppable Ann Welles at the helm, doing some daring exhibitions and ready for any art challenge. From there, the physical gallery moved across the street to the chic storefront that it now occupies. It is always a daring proposition to open a contemporary art gallery, and I applaud Ann for being so brave to make this beautiful space for showing new art. Exhibit A has meant a great deal to me as an artist; I am so grateful that she was willing to show my work early on and she continues to motivate me to exhibit. She's always been a stellar spokesperson for her artists: she is great at matching artists with buyers, and communicating the messages behind our work to visitors.”
On January 25, from 5-8pm Ann will showcase over forty artists that have previously shown at the gallery in a show titled 10! Celebrating a Decade at Exhibit A. The exhibition will run through May 11, 2019. When asked what the next 10 years will bring Ann says, “I’d like to build on a rental program we’ve experimented with and there is a lot of exciting potentials to do collaborative projects with other upstate New York galleries. It’s all about discovering and experiencing great art.” Corning’s Gaffer District Executive Director, Coleen Fabrizi commented, “Corning’s Gaffer District has a remarkable Arts scene for a city of our size, Exhibit A has been an important part of our success in captivating the imagination of our regional residents and visitors alike. We thank Ann and congratulate her on making her dream a reality that benefits everyone as they #exploreCorning!”
About Corning's Gaffer District
Corning's Gaffer District is a historic downtown business community with restaurants, retail, museums, galleries, services, and more. Explore the downtown and see why Corning was proudly named "Most Fun Small Town in America" by Rand McNally's Best of the Road and awarded the Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. Visit Historic Market Street - one of the American Planning Association's "Great Places in America" and celebrate GlassFest - named by the American Bus Assoc. as one of the Top 100 Events in North America. Come visit us and see why we're famous. We're more than just brick sidewalks and little white lights...we're America's Crystal City! For more information, please visit gafferdistrict.com.
