Good Day Moon Gallery: Getting Better Every Day

I am pleased to announce that the Good Day Moon Gallery, located at 1388 Cranford Avenue, has made it to the one year mark. I won’t lie; it’s been a tough year. I didn’t venture into this profession thinking I had all the answers to running a business. Even tougher was the reality that selling artwork in a still-rough economy was no easy task. I’ve always said that buying art is a want and not a need, and when people have bills to pay, purchasing local artwork might not be on the top of their list. On top of that, we had a particularly harsh winter that kept people indoors for much of it.

The good news is that enough people in the community had faith in us and believed in our goals that we made it this far.  We managed to bring people not only from Lakewood but the surrounding communities together for a couple of events. So many people on our quiet little street stopped by the gallery to tell me what a wonderful thing we did when we hosted our Art and Soul Festival. Many of them asked if we would do it again, and the answer is yes. Our Christmas Bazaar for the Trinity Lutheran church next door brought even more people together. Both events raised over a thousand dollars for the church. I chose this spot to open the gallery because it was within my budget, but I discovered along the way, thanks to the people in our neighborhood, that this is where I was supposed to be all along.

Another of our goals was to become a nonprofit gallery to help those in need. I knew it wouldn’t happen overnight, but things are slowly coming together. The paperwork for the Articles of Incorporation went through and we will be working on the next round to become a 501(c)3. This means that the money we raise from future events can now go back into the gallery. That money will help with operating costs as well as supplies for future classes. From the start it was my mission to offer low cost or free classes for people in need because I recognized the therapeutic value in creating something, and I still believe we will reach this goal.

I also realized from the start that I couldn’t do it by myself. Any gallery or boutique owner knows that when you run a business that makes only a small percentage off other people’s work, you need to create a lot of events and shows to pay the rent. All of these things take days and weeks of planning. I’ve had a lot of help along the way, and I have recently started working with a volunteer who will help take some of that pressure off of just me.

Now we look to the future. I have been in contact with the local NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) office, and have offered our space to support groups who might be interested. While our main focus is mental illness, we are also open to other organizations; Alzheimer’s, cancer, animal rescues – if you need help, we want to offer an artistic outlet. We also have some upcoming events we’d like to share.

Saturday, May 17 from 1-5 p.m., Streat Burger Bistro and the Good Day Moon Gallery will be hosting their “Other Side of the Street” Festival. It will be located in the Streat Burger parking lot at 16300 Detroit Avenue and will offer awesome burgers, beer and a ton of local and affordable art for sale. The lineup also includes two local bands, a 50/50 raffle and a few items to bid on for our silent auction. You can check the Good Day Moon page on Facebook for details. There may also be some face painting and chalk art for the kids so it is a family friendly event.

On one of the many frigid winter days as I stared out the window, I noticed a grass lot across from the gallery. Most people never noticed it, or didn’t see it as anything but an unused plot of grass tucked away in the corner. I saw something more. I saw an area that could be used for a summer concert series. Music, hula-hooping, dancing, you name it and we’ll bring it together. Summer is coming and we need to make the best of every moment. We need to spend time outdoors, with our families and friends. These are the memories that enrich our lives and our community, and the Good Day Moon Gallery invites you to be part of it.

We have a few artists who are interested and willing to teach a few classes and will continue to promote those things, but we still need your help and support. When you purchase something from our gallery you are not only helping to support a local artist, but you are also supporting classes and programs that will help make someone’s struggle through life a little easier. It may not sound like such a big deal, but I have had many people contact me to tell me that our gallery has touched people’s lives in so many ways. We’ve had more than our share of slow days, snow days and cold days that have made me wonder if I made the right choice in opening the gallery, but it is those kind of comments that keep me going, and I have the people of Lakewood and the surrounding areas to thank for that. If you would like to get involved you can contact us on Facebook, Twitter, by email at gooddaymoonstudio@hotmail.com, or by phone at (216) 952-2731.

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Volume 10, Issue 8, Posted 2:32 PM, 04.15.2014