Go See This: The Pittsboro Gallery of Arts

As new members of our Chatham County community, Chatham Park is powering our Go See This series this year because art is an integral part of Chatham County’s identity. They join us in inviting you to Go See This . . .

When Mariah Wheeler announced the closing of the art gallery and shop The Joyful Jewel this summer, local artists began discussing how to take up the mantle of what Mariah began for artists many years ago in Pittsboro.

“When The Joyful Jewel was closing, a group of us got together to see what we could do to keep a quality art and crafts shop alive in Pittsboro,” notes local artist and board member Stan Cheren. “We formed a small board and began to knock around ideas of what this new entity should look like. After a lot of back and forth, we decided to create a fine art and crafts gallery called The Pittsboro Gallery of Arts. It’s something new and exciting for the community.”

One of the first tasks for the newly-formed board was to choose the artists whose work would be shown at the gallery. “We sent out a call for artists to the surrounding counties and arts organizations, looking for about 30 artists total whose work represented a balanced mix of 2D and 3D art and crafts,” notes Stan. “We also invited a few respected artists to form a jury that would review the entries anonymously. Once that process was complete, we invited the juried artists to join the gallery.”

Opening a gallery is no easy feat, particularly in the midst of a global pandemic, but the board rose to the challenge and opened the gallery to the public on October 2, 2020. “We would have liked to have an opening reception and invite all the artists to come and experience the opening together,” notes Stan. “But because we wanted to keep everyone’s safety the top priority, we postponed our celebration to a future date TBD. We also hold all of our planning and member meetings virtually. We, like many other retail shops, are abiding by the COVID-19 protocols, including appropriate social distancing, mandatory use of face masks, and hand sanitizers available throughout the gallery.”

Stan and the board have high hopes for the future of the gallery and for the area’s local artists. “We want to be a magnet for the best artists in our region to become members, and to be wildly successful for our artists and craftspeople. In the future, we plan to have featured member artists shows and guest artists shows. Some of our members will be holding classes in a space we created at the back of the gallery to share some of their methods and experiences with the community. At some point in the future we plan to have work available for purchase online as well.”

The gallery is now open from Tuesday – Saturday, 10:30am – 5:30pm. Support your local artists by planning a visit to this new gallery!

• What: Pittsboro Gallery of Arts
• Where: 44-A Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro
• When: The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday, from 10:30am-5:30pm 
• For more information, visit:
  • The Pittsboro Gallery of Arts webpage
  • The Pittsboro Gallery of Arts on Facebook 
  • The Pittsboro Gallery of Arts on Instagram