Swannanoa Valley Art League and Red House Gallery make a move to Cherry Street

The Swannanoa Valley Art League and Red House Gallery have vacated their former location and are making the move to a new one.

Formerly located on the grounds of Monte Vista Hotel, the nonprofit is now moving to 101 Cherry St.

Tina Kannapel, Swannanoa Valley Art League president, said the move is being made because the Monte Vista was bought by new owners and are utilizing the space in a different way. The gallery was at the Monte Vista location for 13 years.

The league was started in 1967 by Mary Gilbert, according to the Swannanoa Valley Art League’s website. According to the website, Gilbert “was struck by the unusual abundance of creative expression” at a luncheon she was attending at Monte Vista Hotel. Kannapel said the league is the oldest of its kind in Western North Carolina.

The Swannanoa Valley Art League moved into the farmhouse on the property of the Monte Vista in 2011 when the then new owners offered the space.

In September, the league was informed it would need to leave the farmhouse by Feb. 1. The Red House is now closed to visitors and in the process of moving to the new Cherry Street location.

Kannapel said the league is “incredibly excited” to move into what she called “an unbelievable location” now that the league is leaving the hotel property.

She said being in the heart of downtown Black Mountain will help increase foot traffic for the artists and gallery.

“We were one and a half blocks off of the downtown traffic,” Kannapel said. “We spent 75% of our time just trying to get people in the door. We have fantastic artists, but all the buzz was a block and a half east of us.”

The league’s new Cherry Street location will feature three levels, 15 working studios and 25 featured artists. The upper level of the building will be home to six studios, and the lower level will have nine. The gallery space will exist on the main level. Kannapel said this new gallery space is equal to the one on the Monte Vista property. She said there will be 18 panels displaying work from 25 artists.

There will also be an art education room in the building.

Kannapel said this move is also an expansion for the league in terms of having more studio space and more visibility for studio artists.

“We’re going to have a brand new website and a new point-of-sale system,” Kannapel said. “We have our new gallery with the new hanging system. We have expanded studios and expanded wall displays for our artists. We have all kinds of interest in supporting the town with arts.”

Kannapel said part of this support for the arts in the Swannanoa Valley will be hosting after school programs for children.

The Swannanoa Valley Art League and Red House Gallery has a planned grand opening date of March 15. The first show in the new location will be called “Making Changes.” An opening reception will be held March 15 from 4-7 p.m. The exhibition will be on display from March 15 to May 13.

Regular hours will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day.

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