A new art gallery with a new purpose is opening this weekend at Camp Meade in Middlesex.
The Why Art House and Thinker Space opens Saturday, December 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. Rather than follow the typical art gallery model where artists and gallery share in the proceeds of sales, this gallery will operate on a different model where artists will keep 80 percent of the proceeds, according to Russ Bennett, one of the partners in Planetary Matters, the company that owns Camp Meade.
The Why Art House and Thinker Space is located in the white ranch house immediately west of Camp Meade on Route 2. In addition to the gallery space, Bennett said he and his partners want to make space available for young people who are climate activists and thinkers of all ages.
“We want to create a place that is a hub for all kinds of creativity and a place where artists can hang out, collaborate and create. We want the Thinker Space to be a place for motivated people to share ideas and plan and lead the way to a better society and future,” Bennett explained.
He and his partners purchased the house two years ago and it had been leased residentially and later commercially until the idea of creating an artists’ gallery arose.
“It’s sort of like a co-op, this artist-run gallery. They can keep almost all the money and we’ll keep enough to pay the bills. As it grows, I’d like to create a stable and consistent desire from artists to be there. We want to build the artistic community and want it to be economically successful for them and for us,” he added.
After this weekend’s opening, the gallery will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
