History of the Gallery (Written by Helen Sullivan)

The idea for the Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League (A3L) grew out of a need felt by the artists in our area for an affordable venue to show and sell their work.

It began with a group of about 10-12 people, led by Susan Taylor, a local basket maker. At first, the group looked at existing buildings in Old Fort but soon realized the cost was beyond their means.  

It then moved to doing monthly Arts Mart shows at the Train Depot in Old Fort.  This lasted for about two years. At the same time, the group realized that it needed to become some kind of legal entity, to handle funding and to raise money for a more permanent home.  From this, the idea of becoming a non-profit corporation to benefit the arts and artists of the area was born.  John Sullivan led the effort to establish A3L as a North Carolina and federal nonprofit organization. A3L became a North Carolina nonprofit in March 2011 and a federal nonprofit a few months later.  The mission of the nonprofit is to promote the arts and artists of the region, preserve the arts for future generations, and educate the community and visitors to the region about the arts.

The idea and the participation grew.  Soon, it was clear that the number of artists wanting to participate in the monthly shows had outgrown the space available at the Depot. A3L needed a home.  At the same time, the group learned that Jeff Parker of Parker Hosiery was interested in renting space in the Parker Hosiery Building to an art based group.  

We met and took a tour.  It was obviously a very rough factory space that would need a complete rework to turn it into an art gallery.  With the help of Jeff and his folks and many volunteer artists, the space was turned into the Arrowhead Gallery and Studios (AGS).  Jeff’s folks fixed and painted existing walls and turned the space over to the artists in late March 2013.  Twenty-two days later, the interior was completely revamped into new gallery, studio, and classroom spaces.  All of the construction and finishing work was done by a team of volunteer artists, led by John Sullivan. After a soft opening on April 9th, AGS held its grand opening on April 27, 2013, showcasing the work of more than 30 local artists and artisans. Today the gallery has grown to host more than 40 artists and artisans.

Having a permanent space allowed A3L to not only provide a showcase for local artists and artisans to show and sell work through AGS, but also opened opportunities for members to teach classes and workshops.  It also allowed A3L to focus on other aspects of its mission, including partnering with the Old Fort Elementary School art program, by providing art supplies and other assistance.  A3L then continued its mission to preserve and share the arts with the community by painting a series of murals around downtown Old Fort.  The largest, “A Time to Build”, based on a painting by local artist Nada Carrol, can be found on S Catawba Avenue across from the Parker Hosiery Building.