Excitement, anticipation and art have collided as members of Trumbull Art Gallery prepare for their grand opening and holiday show.

The new gallery, located at the corner of East Market and Pine streets in Warren, Ohio, will host an exhibit of Trumbull Area Artists during the grand opening of the gallery from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

The show is being judged by Akron artist Dino Massaroni, and the winners will be announced at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Trumbull Art Gallery was previously housed in an old Victorian mansion on Mahoning Avenue, but the upkeep and utility costs for the building got too expensive for the non-profit organization, Beth Ensign, president of TAG's board of directors, said.

The mansion was given to the gallery in 1978 by Marion Gillmer Kroehle, Ms. Ensign said.

Other drawbacks to the old gallery location were that it wasn't very visible to passers-by and it was not handicapped accessible.

The gallery sold the house and held their last show there in December 2002.

After months of searching for a new home, TAG found space in Heritage Gallery, owned by Brad Phillips.

"This is just fantastic," Ms. Ensign said. "This isn't cheap for us here either. We've put a lot of money into it but the possibilities are so wonderful. ... This is going to be so much better for TAG."

Work done to remodel the two empty store fronts that house the gallery was done by general contractor Jack Gibson Construction Co., Warren, and about two dozen volunteers who did the majority of the painting, Ms. Ensign said.

Sheila Connor, owner of Interiors Two in Warren, is also a member of Trumbull Area Artists. She designed the interior look of the new gallery to include white walls that stand out to showcase the art and gray ceilings that fade away.

While remodeling the space, the group tried to preserve some of the original architectural elements of the building such as a railing which was restored, Judy Waid, a member of the board of directors for the art gallery and a member of Trumbull Area Artists, said.

The new building is located in downtown Warren, and the artwork inside is visible from the street, especially at night when the display is lit, Mrs. Waid said.

"We've got so much visibility here," Ms. Ensign said.

The building is also handicapped accessible and has a classroom that will eventually be used to teach art classes for children and adults.

The gallery board plans to have about six shows a year in their new building, including the TAG Annual Exhibit, a Warren City Schools show, a photography and glassblowers show and a retrospective of deceased Youngstown artist Joe Salvatore, Ms. Ensign said.

There will be a sneak preview of Sunday's show from 5 to 9 p.m. today, and guests are encouraged to stay for the lighting of a Christmas tree on Courthouse Square. The exhibit closes Jan. 24.

The new gallery hours are from 12 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 2 to 4 p.m. Saturdays. The gallery is closed from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6 but is open by appointment.

For more information or to call for an appointment to see the gallery call 330-395-4876 and leave a message.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at
kgarrett@sharonherald.com