The Mighty Women of the Lancaster Art Scene

Yesterday, I took three Arden (Wilmington) artist friends to Lancaster to check out the galleries. I love Lancaster and feel a connection to it. I would have moved there in a instant if it had been accessible to Mark's work. The downtown is thriving, and the art scene is a big reason for that. Whole sections of the city are devoted to art galleries and creative shops where artisans sell their wares. That was one of the first things that my friends noticed, that so many of the the galleries and shops were centrally located. I'll get to more of their impressions later.

Our first stop was to Radiance, my favorite shop in all of Lancaster. Sarah Preston, the proprietor and herbal healer, was on hand to welcome us. Lancaster was just named one of the top ten cities for female-owned businesses which is another reason I wanted to bring my friends to see it. The female vibe is powerful, and Radiance is a good place to start. How to describe this store? It is more of a center that offers holistic products from clothing to personal care, from books to spiritual objects. And herbs. Sarah is a gifted herbalist. The store also boasts a classroom, treatment rooms for massage and reiki, and a library of books on spirit, holistic healing, female health etc. While our first stop had little to do with art, it seemed to ready us for the powerful female forces we were going to encounter that day.

After Radiance, we decided on taking an early lunch. Lancaster has a great restaurant scene. I could have picked any number of places, but I went old school, taking my friends to Isaac's Deli for lunch. They were impressed with the vegetarian options and the unique offerings. I had been jonesing for a Bird-of-Paradise sandwich for some time.

Then it was off to check out the galleries. I didn't choose the agenda exclusively for this purpose, but each gallery we went to that afternoon was female-owned (at least in part). Our stops included Julia Swartz, Christiane David,  Red Raven, Liz Hess, Mio Studio, Annex 24, Mommalicious,  and Building Character. In most cases we talked to the artist/owners themselves. Only Liz Hess was staffed by someone other than the artist or owner. (One note: I would have gone to Frieman Stotzfus's gallery. He is one of my favorite Lancaster artists. We didn't skip over him because we were on a woman-centric outing, but because his gallery was closed.) We lingered at Christiane David's. In addition to getting a tour of her workspace, she was excited to share with us her latest series of painting on the subject of  Beguinage in Bruges, Belgium. Beguinage is a a semi-monastic and somewhat mystical community of women dating from the 12th century until the 1960's. They weren't nuns, but they wore habits and delved into study of the Divine. Basically, Beguinage was where women went if they were trying to educate themselves and attempt other feats of wonder and self-improvement that might otherwise get them burned at the stake if they did them out in the open. Little things. Stuff like levitation. Inside the walls of their compound, they could do as they pleased; people left them alone. It is another kind of intentional community, I realized. I'm really big into intentional communities right now. (In case you hadn't noticed.) I took a picture of Christiane's artist statement so I could learn more about these women. I couldn't believe that I had never heard of them before.

My Arden friends noted how beautiful and well-cared for the gallery spaces were. They found the art to be priced well, with options for different income levels. I reminded them that we were encountering savvy business women as well as capable artists. I admire women who can be both, because I have such difficulty myself with the business end of things. Two of my friends who were on this trip are the ones who are launching the Highlands Art Garage in Wilmington. I could see them both taking mental notes.

She Hopes by Loryn Spangler-Jones

One of the last galleries we went to, Annex 24, is where my friend Loryn Spangler-Jones shows her work. I was so happy she was going to be there. Loryn is a self-taught artist, and I think Loryn would agree that the biggest thing she had to teach herself was the confidence to be the amazing artist she is today. The actual art skills were secondary. Loryn has the best energy and gives the best hugs. I love her. And I love her work. It is ever evolving, as Loryn is herself. She has been through several evolutions in the few short years I have known her. I think we were catching Loryn at her fiercest Loryn self--the day after she turned 40, as she was getting ready for a big show and a trip down south to meet with a group of collectors.

I'll be interested to talk more with my Arden crew about their impressions of the day after they have had time to process it all. For me, I thought it was going to be more about the art. I really enjoyed the visual experience, but after having great conversations with with Sarah, Julia, Christiane, Lee, Mai, and Loryn, I see that the day was more about connecting with the women who are making a very intentional mark on their world. I want to be one of them.