James Broscoe remembers 50 and 60 years ago when you could pretty much find anything you wanted in downtown Sharon.

Stores, theaters and restaurants attracted droves of people looking for a night on the town.

But, as with many cities, downtown Sharon lost some of its allure as suburban malls and plazas captured people's attention and disposable income.

"A lot of good things have died down here," Broscoe said.

Broscoe is trying to do something about it with his store, Sharon Jewelry and Art.

The store has been at 141 E. State St. for about five months, and was at another site in town for five months before that.

The gallery's purpose is two-fold: to sell stock items and host temporary exhibitions.

Broscoe, of Hermitage, said he's hoping to give artists a place to show and sell their work, and people a chance to see and buy them.

The Farrell native keeps a stock of items, such as Enesco, Dreamsicles and Northern Lights figurines, gold and diamond jewelry, and paintings, drawings and greeting cards made by his sister, Ellie Steines of Shenango Township.

Ms. Steines is not looking to make the store a vanity outlet for her work.

"What we're looking for is to have artists come and have openings every two or three months," she said. "If that means there's no room for my work, so be it."

"I want to reach out to people who don't have a place to put their art," said Broscoe, a classical pianist.

Ms. Steines said people will come downtown for specific reasons, such as the upcoming Small Ships Revue.

"The difficulty is starting a new business is giving people a reason to come downtown," Broscoe said. "I'm just trying to make a contribution to the downtown Sharon area."

Information: (724) 342-3778.